Terrence Howard to Star in Lee Daniels' Hip-Hop Drama EMPIRE on Fox

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oscar winner Terrence Howard has signed on to star in Lee Daniels and Danny Strong's upcoming hip-hop drama pilot EMPIRE for Fox.

Howard recently starred in the pair's 2013 drama THE BUTLER.

Howard will take on the role of "Lucious Lyon, the head of a record label, in the drama from The Butler's Daniels and Strong. Lucious is described as charismatic, tough, wise and a superstar in the music industry who oversees Empire Entertainment and is about to take the company public. Raised on the streets, he has never backed away from a fight and will resort to any measures, fair or foul, to defend his beloved Empire."

Howard was recently seen in last year's "The Butler," "Prisoners" and "The Best Man Holiday." In 2008, he made his Broadway debut, playing Brick in an all-African-American production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen and also starring James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Anika Noni Rose. Howard will also appear in Fox's limited event series WAYWARD PINES, premiering this summer.