Two of Empire’s assistants are getting promotions. TVLine reports that Gabourey Sidibe, who plays Lucious’s assistant Becky, and Ta’Rhonda Jones, who plays Cookie’s assistant Porsha, have been elevated to series regulars for the show’s second season, ensuring that Cookie will continue to have someone to get her damn shoe. Empire showrunner Ilene Chaiken sounded optimistic about the promotion in an interview with TVLine’s Michael Slezak last month: “We love them both, and we want them both back as ongoing characters on the show,” she said.
Jones, who originally auditioned for the role of Tiana, tells Vulture that she has been rapping since a young age and still performs from time to time, so maybe we’ll finally get to see Porsha spit verses. “I’m praying for it to happen in the second season,” Jones said. “Maybe I’ll be playing around and rapping, and then Cookie walks in and catches me in action, and I’ll say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ And they will say this is good for the business and—bam!—Porsha’s a rapper.”
Even though Porsha’s role was small in the first season, Jones was a scene stealer who often improvised the character’s funnier moments. Sidibe also made the most of her small role, but hopefully both characters will have the chance to flourish into more than just loyal sidekicks with more screen time. And it might finally be time for Porsha to start doing taxes.