Stage and Screen Actress Marisa Tomei to Recur on EMPIRE Season 2

Stage vet Marisa Tomei has signed on for FOX's EMPIRE season 2.

According to Deadline, she will play recurring character 'Mimi Whiteman', described as "a demanding venture capitalist who becomes involved in Lyon family drama. A Forbes list billionairess, Mimi is a lover of hip hop music, social trends, high-end fashion and beautiful women."

Tomei joins Chris Rock, Alicia Keys and Lenny Kravitz in EMPIRE's second-season lineup of guest stars.

The actress last appeared on the small screen in RESCUE ME and will star in an upcoming Gloria Steinem miniseries for HBO.

Tomei last appeared on Broadway in THE REALISTIC JONESES, for which she won a 2014 Drama Desk Award. Before that, she starred onstage in TOP GIRLS, SALOME and WAIT UNTIL DARK. Among her off-Broadway credits are MARIE AND BRUCE, DEMONOLOGY, DARK RAPTURE, SLAVS!, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, WHAT THE BUTLER SAW and DAUGHTERS.

She will soon be seen on the big screen in LOVE, THE COOPERS, LEMONADE and THE BIG SHORT. Among her recent film credits are SPARE PARTS, THE REWRITE, LOVE IS STRANGE, CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE., THE WRESTLER and more.

About EMPIRE:

Set within a world of music, glamour, danger and power,EMPIRE is about a family dynasty that follows the head of a music EMPIRE whose three sons and ex-wife all battle for his throne. After music mogul Lucious Lyon (Oscar® Nominee Terrence Howard*) is diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease, he must choose which of his three sons will succeed him at the legendary EMPIRE Entertainment. The game changes when his ex-wife Cookie (Oscar® Nominee Taraji P. Henson**) returns from prison where she's been for almost two decades. Brash and fearless, she sees herself as the sacrificial lamb who built an EMPIRE with Lucious and then took the fall for running the drugs that financed Lucious' early career. As the Lyons slug it out, a battle begins that will either cause the family's destruction or redemption.

From the award-winning Lee Daniels, ("Lee Daniels' The Butler," "Precious"), Emmy Award winner Danny Strong ("Game Change," "Lee Daniels' The Butler") and Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer ("A Beautiful Mind," "24"), comes "a genuine cultural phenomenon" (The Village Voice). Executive-produced by Daniels, Strong, Grazer, Ilene Chaiken ("The L Word") and Francie Calfo ("Those Who Kill," "Gang Related"), this groundbreaking series features a pulsating soundtrack from legendary R&B/hip hop producer and composer Timbaland.

"Empire" Season 1 features iconic music performances from an all-star cast which includes Terrence Howard (BET Award winner for Best Actor), Taraji P. Henson (Critics' Choice Television Award winner for Best Actress in a Drama Series, BET Award winner for Best Actress), Jussie Smollett, Byshere Y. Gray, Kaitlin Doubleday, Malik Yoba, Trai Byers and Grace Gealey. The series included an impressive roster of guest star appearances from the likes of Courtney Love, Jennifer Hudson, Gabourey Sidibe, Gladys Knight, Cuba Gooding Jr., Estelle, Mary J. Blige, Naomi Campbell Snoop Dog, Rita Ora, and Patti LaBelle, among others!

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

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