![Mariah Carey to Guest Star on Third Season of ‘Empire’](http://townsquare.media/site/625/files/2015/11/mariahcarey.jpg?w=630&h=420&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Mariah Carey to Guest Star on Third Season of ‘Empire’
Move over Boo Boo Kitty, Mariah Carey is finally making her Empire debut.
The pop diva is set to star in the the Oct. 5 episode of the FOX hit show. Naturally, Carey will be playing a version of herself as a mega-star who teams up with Jussie Smollett's character, Jamal, to craft a hit song.
Carey won't be the only A-lister appearing in season three of the show though. Taye Diggs, French Montana, Kid Cudi, Sierra McClain and Birdman are all slated to come through. Xzibit, who appeared last season, was also moved up to a series regular as the Lyons family's new antagonist, Shyne Johnson.
Carey's arrival at Empire Records isn't that surprising, however. Carey an show creator, Lee Daniels are longtime friends and have collaborated previously on Daniels' films, The Butler and Precious. Even Smollett was anticipating the news.
"I keep saying, and I hope they can make this happen, because she's one of Lee's closest friends, I really want to see Mariah Carey on the show," he said in an interview with E! News.
Carey also shared her thoughts on coming to Empire before she was cast.
"I like working with Lee on movie projects because he's still a great director," said Carey.
But her idea of what her character might be was a far cry from what's happening.
"They had this one idea and I was like, ‘Look if I'm not going to have an amazing character arc then why would we go on Empire to be basically a version of myself?' So leave it to Lee and he'll have me in a wig they took out of a garbage can and a mustache,"she joked.
Empire returns on Wednesday, Sept. 21 on FOX at 9 p.m.
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