March 30--You know a TV series is doing something right when a celebrity agrees to appear on the show without even knowing what his role will be. That's what happened with Chicago rapper-turned-actor Common, who confirmed that he will appear on Fox's "Empire."
"We just have to figure out the perfect fit for me -- the right character for me to play," Common said over the phone from Los Angeles Friday. (Saturday he spoke and performed at the entrepreneur-focused Tanqueray Trunk Show at Ovation in West Town.) "I'm an actor, so I wouldn't want to just go on 'Empire' as Common. I'd like to go as a character."
Common (real name: Lonnie Lynn) can currently be seen in the film "Run All Night," where he was given the always difficult task of killing Liam Neeson. Variety reported last week Common will appear in the action thriller "Hunter Killer" with Billy Bob Thornton and Gerard Butler.
When he makes his appearance on "Empire," he'll join an already impressive list of celebrities that have participated in the show, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Courtney Love and Jennifer Hudson among them.
"They're having a major impact," Common said of "Empire." "They're very much bringing in lots of different walks of life together. You'll see a 35-year-old white woman having a conversation with a 25-year-old black kid about 'Empire.' My mother said it's one of her favorite shows. I love anything that's artistic and brings people together. That's the power of entertainment and art when done well. It's allowing the world to see people of color can reach mainstream America. And it films in Chicago, which is another thing I love about it."
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