Kelly Rowland Joins 'Empire' Season 2

I was late to the game, I'll admit it. I didn't start watching Empire until the entire first season had already aired, which is lame, but was kind of a positive, because it meant I got to binge watch the whole thing on Hulu in the period of a single weekend. It was bliss. But now I'm feeling tortured because Empire Season 2 is still a long way off and I'm experiencing some serious withdrawal. How do you live without Cookie Lyon's fierceness in your life on a daily basis? How do you get up in the morning not knowing if Lucious is going to get charged with killing Bunkie? It's all too much to handle, but I'm trying to keep my eye on the prize, and now that we're getting a steady stream of casting news about Season 2, it's getting a little easier. The latest news is that Kelly Rowland has joined Empire , and you're gonna DIE when you hear who she's playing.

Okay, are you ready for this? According to E! News, Rowland will be playing none other than Lucious Lyon's mother during a flashback. Given that this is all in past tense, the chances that Rowland's role will span more than a single episode are slim to none, but I suppose anything's possible (and I, for one, would love it). Seeing more about Lucious's background should give us more insight into how he became the man he is now, and if he ends up going to jail for Bunkie's murder, he'll have plenty of time to reflect on that and more.

The news of Rowland's casting is exciting, but it's not exactly a surprise to many Empire fans. She first sparked rumors that she'd be involved with Season 2 after she was pictured hanging out with the show's writers early last month. It's an excellent piece of casting, for sure. I feel like Rowland has the perfect amount of sass and fierceness to make her the right fit for Lucious's mother, and it should go a long way in explaining what makes him tick.

That all being said, I'm not sure which bit of casting news I'm more excited about: Rowland's, or Marisa Tomei's. The fact that Tomei's role will be recurring is enough to push me over the edge of my seat in desperation for Season 2 to begin. Come on, Fox — stop holding out on us!

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