Lee Daniels Offered Oprah A Role On ‘Empire’, Is She In For Season 2?

Will Oprah make a guest appearance on Empire in Season 2? We’re not sure, but there’s a good sign that she might if creator Lee Daniels has his way.

Daniels didn’t specifically say that Oprah was going to be involved with Season 2 but he did say “Why not?” Then again, he also said the same thing about Denzel Washington as well, so perhaps contracts are currently being fleshed out?

Either way, it’s smart of Daniels to keep everyone guessing on what’s up next. After all, we’re only two weeks away from the season finale of Empire, and the buzz needs to roll out through the summer.

Rumor has it that Daniels has approached Oprah to be on the show for Season 2. Winfrey responded the only way she knew how. “I tell him: ‘Lee, it’s not enough that you’ve taken every viewer possible on Wednesday night. Now you want me to leave my own network?’ ”

That said, Oprah hasn’t agreed to do Season 2 of Empire just yet, but Lee promises that he’s doing his best. “I’m wearing her down!” said the Butler director.

As for Oprah, even if she didn’t have her own network to run, she would still be plenty busy. Putting aside OWN, Winfrey is getting back into acting in a big way. While Lee Daniels seemed to open the door for her to re-examine her artistry in that medium, it’s Selma director Ava DuVernay that convinced her to make the switch to television. As the Inquisitr reported, Winfrey will act in the television drama called Queen Sugar, which will be aired on OWN.

According to Variety, DuVernay intends on writing, directing, and executive producing the drama, which is being adapted from the novel of the same title. The series will “follow a spirited woman, along with her teenage daughter, who leaves behind her upscale L.A. lifestyle for her Southern roots by way of an 800-acre Louisiana sugar cane farm she inherited from her recently departed father.”

Of the project, Oprah said, “The story’s themes of reinventing your life, parenting alone, family connections and conflicts, and building new relationships are what I believe will connect our viewers to this show.”

That said, does this mean Oprah Winfrey is too invested in Queen Sugar? Something tells us if there’s anyone that can convince Winfrey to take a break for a small guest star, it’s her good friend Lee Daniels.

[Image via Jason Merritt / Getty Images]