{"id":71817,"date":"2015-04-21T13:17:06","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T13:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2015\/04\/21\/empires-gabourey-sidibe-and-tarhonda-jones-promoted-to-series-regulars\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T03:46:54","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T03:46:54","slug":"empires-gabourey-sidibe-and-tarhonda-jones-promoted-to-series-regulars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/empires-gabourey-sidibe-and-tarhonda-jones-promoted-to-series-regulars\/","title":{"rendered":"Empire’s Gabourey Sidibe and Ta\u2019Rhonda Jones Promoted to Series Regulars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Empire’s Gabourey Sidibe and Ta\u2019Rhonda Jones Promoted to Series Regulars<\/strong>Posted by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

April 21, 2015<\/p>\n

Source: TVLine<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gabourey<\/a>TVLine<\/strong> is reporting that Empire actresses Gabourey Sidibe<\/strong> and Ta\u2019Rhonda Jones<\/strong>, who play Lucious\u2019 and Cookie\u2019s respective assistants Becky and Porsha, have been elevated to series regulars for Season 2.<\/p>\n

As the site also stated, following Empire<\/em>\u2018s Season 1 finale, Ilene Chaiken<\/strong> commented on the series-regular prospects<\/a> of\u00a0Sidibe and Jones, telling TVLine\u2019s Michael Slezak<\/strong>,\u00a0\u201cWe love them both, and we want them both back as ongoing characters on the show.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Empire<\/a>Sidibe appeared in 8 of the first 12 episodes in Season 1. Nominated for Academy Award for Best Actress in 2010 for her role in Lee Daniels’ Precious<\/strong>, Sidibe has carved a nice career in film and television. Along with Empire, she also appeared on the third season of FX’s American Horror Story<\/strong>, portraying Queenie, a young witch; as well on its fourth season, American Horror Story: Freak Show<\/strong> as a secretarial school student, Regina Ross.<\/p>\n

Ta\u2019Rhonda Jones appeared in 9 of 12 episodes. Hailing from Chicago, this was her first series. She also did an episode on NBC’s Chicago P.D.<\/p>\n

\"Ta'Rhonda<\/a><\/p>\n

Created by Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels<\/strong> (\u201cLee Daniels\u2019 The Butler,\u201d \u201cPrecious\u201d) and Emmy Award winner Danny Strong<\/strong> (\u201cLee Daniels\u2019 The Butler,\u201d \u201cGame Change\u201d), the series stars Academy Award nominees Terrence Howard<\/strong> and Taraji P. Henson<\/strong> along with Trai Byers, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Gray, Kaitlin Doubleday<\/strong>, and Grace Gealey<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Here are notable facts on the show from Wikipedia<\/a> <\/strong>– The show’s premiere ranked as Fox’s highest-rated debut in three years. Viewership has increased continuously; Empire is the first series in at least 23 years to have its viewership increase week to week for its first five episodes. The show continues to increase its viewership with further episodes. As of its first season finale, Empire has now surpassed The Big Bang Theory as the highest rated scripted program in the 2014-2015 television season. The first season finale is also the highest rated freshman season finale since May 2005, when Grey’s Anatomy ended its first season. Empire’s season one finale grew 82 percent from its series premiere, making it the show that has grown the most over the course of its first season since Men in Trees during the 2006-2007 season.<\/p>\n