Mary J. Blige, Naomi Campbell, Courtney Love: The Many Celebrity Cameos on Empire Inline

  • Gladys Knight Empire cameo
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    1/10

    Gladys Knight

    The soul legend briefly sang at a funeral and is one of the few celebrities who actually played herself on the show.

  • Cuba Gooding Jr. Empire cameo
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    2/10

    Cuba Gooding Jr.

    Gooding Jr. is cast as Puma, a former music producer who has always carried a torch for Cookie—who wouldn’t?

  • Naomi Campbell Empire cameo
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    3/10

    Naomi Campbell

    It makes sense that the supermodel would play fashion designer Camilla Marks on the show. What is not understandable is why someone as talented and as beautiful as she would let the young and insufferable Hakeem walk all over her.

  • Judd Nelson Empire cameo
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    4/10

    Judd Nelson

    Nelson is practically unrecognizable as Billy Beretti, the sneaky owner of Empire’s rival record label who is always trying to steal their talent.

  • Courtney Love Empire cameo
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    5/10

    Courtney Love

    We’re guessing Love drew from personal experience for her role as Elle Dallas, a diva who sold 100 million albums in her heyday but is currently going through a rough patch.

  • Raven Simone Empire cameo
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    6/10

    Raven Simone

    The former Disney star plays Olivia, a woman who shakes up the Empire dynasty after announcing she has a child with Lucious’s gay son, Jamal.

  • Estelle Empire cameo
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    7/10

    Estelle

    The British singer behind the hit “American Boy” shows up as an also one-named R&B singer called Delphine, who becomes friends with Jamal and goes on to record a duet with him.

  • Jennifer Hudson Empire cameo
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    8/10

    Jennifer Hudson

    Oscar-winner Hudson made her first appearance on the show last night as a music therapist who helps Andre deal with his bipolar disorder.

  • Mary J. Blige Empire cameo
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    9/10

    Mary J. Blige

    We wish we could’ve seen a little bit more of Mary J. Blige on last night’s episode. For now, we’ll just have to settle for that quick flashback of her and Lucious singing “Shake Down,” a cover of an actual Blige song.

  • Jim Beanz
    Expand
    Photo: Chuck Hodes/Courtesy of © Fox
    10/10

    Jim Beanz

    Music producer Beanz has written the majority of the songs performed on the show. He also makes his debut onscreen as Titan, a rapper who Lucious will do anything to sign to the Empire label.