[2] Byers made his screen debut in the 2009 comedy-horror film, Caesar and Otto's Summer Camp Massacre.

[5] In 2014, he played civil rights activist James Forman in the historical epic film, Selma directed by Ava DuVernay.

[6] From 2015 to 2020, Byers starred as Andre Lyon in Fox music-industry primetime soap opera, Empire.

[7][8] For this role, he received two NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nominations.

[12] During the October 7, 2015 episode of the daytime talk show, FABLife, Byers's costar Grace Gealey confirmed that they were engaged.