Getty Demi Moore
Demi Moore will be joining her daughter, Rumer, on this season of Empire.
The actress will be playing a multiple-episode arc as Nurse Claudia, a creepy nurse who helps Lucious with his recovery after last season’s near-fatal explosion in the finale.
Here’s what you need to know about Moore and her character on the show:
1. Demi and Rumer Are Living Together During Filming
Demi and Rumer are living together in Chicago while filming the show, according to the Chicago Tribune.
In a recent interview with People, Rumer discussed living with her mother. “It’s been really nice because even though we live 15 minutes apart in L.A., just with our schedules and lives we don’t end up necessarily getting to spend that much time together,” she said. “We go out to dinner and hang out, and it’s been really nice to have quality time.”
2. Moore Plays the Recurring Role of Nurse Claudia
Guest star Demi Moore in the “Toil and Trouble, Part. 2” season finale episode of EMPIRE airing Wednesday, May 17 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (FOX)
This season on the Fox show, Moore plays the recurring role of Nurse Claudia, who works with Lucious during his recovery from the explosion in last season’s finale. Moore recently spoke to EW about the part, and revealed that she was initially asked to be on the show early on in the series. “For a variety of reasons, it wasn’t the right time personally, schedule-wise. Then, of course, when my daughter… came on the show, they reached out to me, and I made sure it was something she was okay with.”
Discussing her character specifically, Moore said that the initial idea was to create a woman with a “little unorthodox” approach to rehabilitation. Moore explains, “In the course of her doing her job to help bring him back, it becomes a little bit of: Which version of Lucious is she more attached to bringing back? She sees the real innocent, untainted part of him — the real soul of who he is. ”
3. She Joins Other Guest Stars Like Forest Whitaker This Season
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Empire will feature a very impressive lineup of guest-stars this season, including Forest Whitaker, who will star as Uncle Eddie, a musical mogul who gave Lucious his first radio airplay.
Whitaker’s multiple episode arc marks his reunion with Lee Daniels, whom he worked with on The Butler. Whitaker won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland.
Other guest stars on this season of the show include Taye Diggs, Phylicia Rashad, and Leslie Uggams.
4. She’s a Nurse with ‘Tricks up Her Sleeve’
Speaking to TV Guide recently, Taraji P. Henson opened up about her thoughts on Moore’s character. Speaking at the TV Critics Association summer press tour, Henson said, “I definitely believe she has tricks up her sleeve… That is a ratched nurse if I have ever seen one, the way she’s grabbing and feeling all over Lucious. She’s up to something. And Cookie doesn’t like it.”
Moore even dished that she, herself, is a bit skeeved by her character. “I remember watching the finale I just didn’t realize she was kind of so creepy and had this cool Nurse Ratched undertone to her…”
Executive producer Sanaa Hamri says they were focused on finding an actor who wanted to take on a new role, and who was established in film for the role of Nurse Claudia. “Demi really gets deep down inside the levels of her character. She’s just perfect for the show.”
5. Demi’s Daughter Plays Tory Ash
Rumer Willis, 29, plays Tory Ash, who her agents described as “an Amy Whinehouse-type rock star” when she initially auditioned for the show.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter after booking the role, Willis said, “I’ve been singing since I was super little, but I’ve always struggled to find which avenue exactly I wanted to do… Being able to do music as well, and the way they do music is such a dynamic, classy way, so I was really excited.”
As the story goes (and has been confirmed by Demi in various interviews), Empire star Jussie Smollett brought Willis to Empire producers after seeing her perform on social media. Smollett tells the Hollywood Reporter, “Rumer brings something so special to the character. She’s so effortless, she’s not making a caricature of what it is… I love working with her.”