"Empire" season 2 cast could get a lot brighter soon.
The first five episodes of the Fox TV series already featured a lot of elite level artists but they are not yet done welcoming new additions.
There were "Empire" season 2 cast news rumors saying diva Mariah Carey will grace the show. Jussie Smollett, who plays Jamal, confirmed it will happen.
"That rumor is true," he told Entertainment Weekly. "That makes me feel so good to say that rumor is true."
Talks of the singer's supposed appearance first surfaced in August. Series creator Lee Daniels said she will be appear but fans had doubts since there are no details yet about her guesting.
"Watch her on 'Empire' you guys. She's coming on 'Empire,' " said Daniels back in August during the inauguration of Mariah Carey's star in Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Among those who already graced "Empire" season 2 cast as guest are Chris Rock, Marisa Tomei, Ludacris, and Ne-Yo. Other artists expected to appear are Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Rowland, Alicia Keys, Oprah, and more.
Meanwhile, lead actress Taraji P. Henson, who stars opposite Terrence Howard's Lucius Lyon, revealed she almost passed the opportunity to play the fan-favorite Cookie. She thought the role will benefit her negatively.
"Television to me always felt like a caged little box," she said. "By that I mean, to me, it always felt like a genre for the writers. I'm like a true artist, I need to be free. Don't cage me. Let me breathe. Art is supposed to be free."
"This could kill my career," she thought of the role at first. "I only choose projects that scare the s*** out of me because I know in some way it's going to change me."
"Empire" returns this week for the episode "A High Hope for a Low Heaven."
Read "Empire" season 2 episode guide below.
"Lucious and Cookie must put aside their differences and work together as parents to protect their family and keep them out of danger. Jamal does his best to get back in the studio and break away from being defined solely as a gay artist, while Hakeem struggles with how to feel and act like a man. Meanwhile, Andre works to shut down a division at Empire, until he discovers a disciple in the midst of Lucious' Gutter Life records."
