Shayla Day-Davenport has gone from Lady Rebel (left) to up-and-coming actress.
Since its Season 1 premiere last January, “Empire” has revitalized the stalled careers of three established Oscar-nominated actors and turned several previously virtually unknown actors/singers into overnight celebrities. So when the hit television show airs its Season 2 winter finale Wednesday (Dec. 2), Shayla Day-Davenport hopes she will get her turn in the spotlight as well.
A former basketball Lady Rebel at the University of Mississippi, the student athlete-turned-actress has a small role on the Fox TV series’ 8 p.m. episode. She will be playing an unnamed inmate in the same prison where “Cookie” Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) spent 17 years for a drug conviction.
“Cookie goes back to the prison to throw a concert, and I am one of the inmates that she talks to,” said Day-Davenport, who graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. “This is my first time being cast with a speaking role. It was such an amazing experience to work with such a phenomenal cast and crew.”
She has appeared on other television shows, such as NBC’s “Chicago Fire,” Starz’s “Boss” and Fox’s “The Mob Doctor: Underemployed,” and in such films as “The Dark Knight,” “The Express” and “Divergent.”
A native of New Madrid, Missouri, Day-Davenport lives in Chicago, where “Empire” is filmed. She recalls how she came to be cast:
“I was contacted by the casting agency that handles casting for ‘Empire’ and all the major films and television shows, and I auditioned for the part for the casting director. She then had me come back later that night to audition for the director. The casting director called me and told me the director had selected me out of everyone for the part.”
Needless to say, Day-Davenport is pretty excited about appearing on “Empire.”
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I was so happy that I was selected,” she said. “It was something that I have been trying to accomplish for a very long time. The experience was amazing.”
Even if her “Empire” appearance doesn’t make her an overnight success, Day-Davenport said she definitely plans to keep on honing her craft and auditioning for other roles.
“I’m hoping that this opportunity opens up a lot of doors,” she said. “My ultimate career goal is to continue to work in television, both in front of the camera and behind the camera. I hope to land more roles such as this one and also work in film.”
One of the alumna’s former UM professors said he couldn’t be happier for Day-Davenport’s big opportunity.
“I surely do remember Shayla,” said Ralph Braseth, former UM associate professor of broadcast journalism. “I kicked her in the butt hard. I had high expectations for her because she was so talented.
“Seriously, Shayla was such a good student in my classes because she sincerely cared about people. I found her to be a really fun-loving, yet serious student. Shayla was always incredibly kind to people, a quality that is vastly underrated by most people. She certainly enriched my life.”
For those unfamiliar with the storyline, “Empire” is the tale of the Lyons family. Headed by former drug dealer-turned recording star-entertainment executive Lucius Lyon (Oscar-nominee Terrence Howard of “Hustle and Flow” fame), the family also includes his ex-wife, Cookie (fellow Oscar-nominee Henson of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), and their three sons: Andre (Trai Byers), Jamal (Jussie Smollett in a breakout role) and Hakeem (rapper Trey Brayshere, also known as Yazz the Great).
Last season, the Lyons faced terminal illness, corporate takeovers, sibling rivalries, homophobia, criminal convictions past and connections present, all of which made for campy yet poignant drama. Not to mention unprecedented ratings each week, a No. 1 CD on the Billboard Top 100 chart, numerous awards show appearances, an Emmy nomination (for Henson) and several lucrative sponsorship deals for various cast members.
In its second season, the family so far has dealt with imprisonment, an FBI investigation, corporate merger, competing companies, sibling rivalries, broken engagements, cheating and kidnapping, just to name a few incidents. And that’s just been the first nine episodes; eight more are coming beginning in March.
Created by Oscar-nominated director-writer Lee Daniels (“Precious,” “The Butler”) and Emmy-winning screenwriter Danny Strong, the nighttime soap opera has become a magnet for celebrities, including Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Marisa Tomei and Ludacris. Hit-making producers Timbaland, Neo and Swiss Beatz serve as the show’s musical directors. Original music is featured each week and has made Smollett, Gray and others who sing and/or rap songs top-selling artists on iTunes, Spotify and Amazon.
To read about another UM connection to “Empire,” visit https://news.olemiss.edu/empire-strikes-home/.