Empire: Cast of “The Devils Are Here”

Empire’s Season 2 Debut featured some big co-stars and quite a few people playing themselves in the normal course of the music business, or, in the case of the Rev. Al Sharpton, the normal course of activism. However, Rev. Al was not feeling Cookie’s request to help her “front” for Lucious (as her son, Hakeem put it, because everyone knows that Lucious is guilty as sin of murdering Bunkie. He said so himself in his sleep). Swizz Beatz, Sean Cross, Miss Lawrence, André Leon Tallye and Don Lemon all appeared as themselves in “The Devils Are Here”

Unless you missed Season 1 entirely, you already know the series revolves around the Lyon family:

Terrence Howard – Lucious Lyon
Taraji P. Henson – Cookie Lyon
Their three children:
Bryshere Y. Gray – Hakeem Lyon
Jussie Smollett – Jamal Lyon
Trai Byers – Andre Lyon

Other regular characters who appeared in the Season 2 debut:
Grace Gealey – Anika Calhoun
Kaitlin Doubleday – Rhonda Lyon
Gabourey Sidibe – Becky
Ta’Rhonda Jones – Porsha
Tasha Smith – Carol

Gabourey Sidibe is recapping the show on EW

Chris Rock played Frank Gathers, a drug dealer that both Lucious and Cookie used to work for. In the same prison as Lucious, Gathers learned from Cookie’s cousin Jermel (played by DeRay Davis) that Cookie was the one who snitched on him so he had Jermel killed and sent Cookie his head in a box. Gathers wanted to check with Lucious before he sent someone to kill Cookie. That didn’t quite work out the way he thought so he won’t be back.

Marisa Tomei is playing Mimi Whiteman, an investor who was going to help Cookie with a hostile takeover of Empire while Lucious is in federal prison. Mimi made a better deal with Lucious and she’ll be in future episodes.

Tyra Ferrell plays prosecutor, Roxanne Ford. Lucious told her she will always be a bitch in cheap shoes to him.

Rafael de la Fuente plays Michael, Jamal’s boyfriend. Jamal said he always looks good. True dat!

Also in the Cast of “The Devils are Here”

Maryam Basir – Foxy Waitress
Max Beesley – Inmate
Adam Bitterman – Teamster Boss
Bre-Z – Frank Gathers’ rapper daughter
Ripper Brown Goon #1
Will Bruce – Concert Goer
Morela Rina Bryant – Frank Gathers daughter
Mark Carlson – Courtroom Guard
Dan Flannery – Tony “Tricky” Trichter
Christy Gianneschi – Sexy Waitstaff
Simeon Henderson – C.O.
Lizzy Leigh – A & R
Craig Lemons – Prison Guard
AzMarie Livingston – Chicken
Mino Mackic – Prison Guard Hogan
Stephen Conrad Moore – Bones
Gail Rastorfer – Harvard #2
RightMind215 – Engineer
Tyrie S. Rudolph – Attractive Waitress
Jacqueline Saland – VIP Cocktail Waitress
Samantha Sookdeosingh – Empire Employee
Lindsay Teske – Concert Goer
Alex Weisman – Simon

Carol’s Kids:
Shanequa Beal – Keisha
Tyler Tharpe – Luther
Zoe Ishmael – Tanya