Lee Daniels Promises Less Guest Stars On 'Empire'

It's become very evident that 'Empire' is not against guest stars appearing on their show. So much so that just about any piece of news regarding the show seems to list a new guest star. Currently, Vivica A. Fox is newest name that has been added to the cast and will debut on episode 8. She reportedly will play Cookie's (Taraji P. Henson) older sister this season. Oh, the visual...

Anywho, this news of Vivica's move to show is great for Vivica and her fans but a little confusing to me. Daniels spoke to the Television Critics Association last month where he stated a spin-off show (Cookie's past) was not out of the question AND there would be less guest appearances.

"Without question there will be a spinoff," co-creator Lee Daniels said at the Television Critics Association summer press tour Thursday. "We talked about it in the room already."

Because there will be more episodes this season, Daniels also said that the pacing will slow down "a little" in season two. "We'd like to bring it back a little bit," he said.

Daniels also said that Empire would be more cautious about adding celebrity and musical guest stars to the call sheet after the first season, in which Daniels threw around A-list names like Oprah and Denzel Washington as possible future guest stars.  

"The more celebrities, the more stars we put on this show, the more it takes away from the family," said Daniels. "If we can dazzle you with a little Denzel, a little Oprah, that's OK, but I think I got to stick to the family. That's what the show is about."

Hopefully, Vivica's arrival has been in the worked and we can stick to the family as Lee suggested. I love the show but the guest stars are far too abundant as well as a distraction.

Cookie and Vivica are going to be  a riot and I'm not even factoring Vivica's character into this. Now we've got Cookie, her sister Carol who is played by Tasha Smith and now Miss Fox. Certainly worth the watch and congrats to Vivica...I'm all for new jobs!

And speaking of new jobs, the woman trying to sue Daniels may need a new route to acquire income.

Always known for his candid comments — when asked about a lawsuit brought by a woman who claims Cookie is based off on her, Daniels simply said, "Bye Felicia,"

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