So much of Empire's legacy has been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding one of the show's main stars. Of course, Jussie Smollett wasn't in the final season of the hit FOX show nor was he even honored with flashbacks in the 2020 finale. Theoretically, this should have allowed the filmmakers to focus on Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson's wildly popular Cookie a bit more. But there is no doubt fans felt the absence of the deeply important character.
Jussie's Jamal Lyon was at the center of a number of groundbreaking storylines on Empire. This includes a Season One plot where it's revealed that his father forced him to marry a woman he allegedly had a baby with even though he was gay. That woman was Olivia Lyon, and she was played by iconic Disney Channel star Raven-Symoné. It felt like an odd bit of casting, but it really worked. Here's the real reason the former star of That's So Raven and The Cosby Show ended up playing Olivia for a couple of episodes in the first season of Empire...
What Episode Of Empire Is Raven-Symoné In?
Technically, Raven-Symoné is in three episodes of FOX's Empire. Although she's only credited on IMDb for two. This is because her first appearance was a cliffhanger at the tail end of "Out Damned Spot", the sixth episode of the first season. After her big entrance, it's revealed that her character, Olivia, may just be the mother of Jamal's child. Raven followed up her short first appearance with two full episodes, "Our Dancing Days" and "Sins Of The Father".
While Raven-Symoné's character arc could've continued into the second season, she never ended up appearing on the show again. Her daughter, Lola, who was thought to be Jamal's daughter (but wasn't) did return to the show in the second season. Even though fans were disappointed that Raven herself never returned, at least they got to see the former View co-host own the screen as Olivia for a short story arc.
Why Raven-Symoné Joined The Cast Of Empire
During a 2015 interview with Vulture, Raven-Symoné explained how she ended up as Jamal's possible baby-mama in the first season.
"Interestingly enough, I was on the set already visiting friends — Jussie Smollett, Terrence Howard, and everybody — just saying hi and seeing how everyone was doing," Raven-Symoné said to Vulture. "I was there for a little while and then I got a call from my manager and he was like, 'Are you in Chicago?' I said, 'Yeah, why?' 'They want you to do this role coming up.' And I said, 'Wow! I would like to.' So it was perfect timing."
Of course, Raven was told about the massive curveball her character was coming in with. While the true identity of Lola's biological father ended up not being Jamal, there was a mount where it seemed his life was going to change forever. And that brief revelation was all due to Raven's Olivia showing up and stirring up trouble.
"I definitely have to know what I’m gonna be playing before I say yes to it. You can have the most fabulous show in the world, but there’s just some things I won’t be part of because of what I believe as a human being," Raven continued. "So I had to be a part of it, especially since, [co-creator] Lee Daniels, we’ve had meetings before in the past. And he definitely picked the [character] that, like, this is what I’ll do before it goes over the edge."
Even though Raven appeared open to returning to Empire in the second season, it never came to pass. Still, being on Empire turned out to be a very positive experience for her. Clearly, the creators of the show also were thrilled about having her along for the ride. They even gifted Raven's character with the same name as the one that first broke her into the industry.
"Jussie and I both thought it was everythiiiiing," Raven said about her Empire character sharing the same name as the one she played on The Cosby Show as a child. "And when I found out that was the name, the first thing that came to my mind was that was my first name in this industry! I did a lot after that and then I took my little retirement break, in my mind, and I come back on the scene with the same name in some real juicy scenes! It’s a good omen. So anytime I hear that name Olivia, I’m gonna definitely pay attention to it because it’s connected with some great material."
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