Empire was a runaway hit for Fox in its first season, and if the lineup of guest stars for season 2 is any indication, the momentum is poised to continue. Comedian Chris Rock and musicians Lenny Kravitz and Alicia Keys have all been tapped to appear in the upcoming season of the show, reports Variety.
Empire is no stranger to big-name guest stars: In season 1, we saw everyone from Snoop Dogg to Mary J. Blige and Gladys Night appear. And if rumors, reported by Variety, have any truth to them, one-namers Oprah and Common might guest as well. There’s no word yet, however, on what characters the aforementioned three will play – perhaps themselves? Or exaggerated versions of themselves?
Related: Get your Empire on from Hulu Plus, now the exclusive online home of the series
Empire stars Terrance Howard as Lucious Lyon, a former drug dealer who becomes a successful hip hop music producer. He discovers he has the debilitating disease ALS just as his ex-wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), who took the fall for the family, is releases from prison. And naturally, Cookie wants a piece of the family’s empire pie. And with now-grown kids and Lyon engaged to be re-married, the drama escalates to exciting heights.
The first season finale broke records as the highest-rated since Grey’s Anatomy – IMDB reports that it was watched by a massive 16.7 million people. But what’s most impressive is that viewership numbers had been steadily climbing.
The second season of Empire debuts this Fall, and will air on Fox at 9 p.m. every Wednesday. In addition to Fox, every new episode will be available for streaming on Hulu Plus the day after it broadcasts.