'Empire' season 2 episode 9 recap: showrunner talks Rosie O'Donnell guest appearance

Thanksgiving brought "Empire" fans a slew of things to be thankful for, including juicy twists and several guest stars in this week's "Sinned Against" episode. Viewers got to see Jamal (Jussie Smollett) take a surprising turn with his new love interest, in the form of singer/songwriter Alicia Keys, who plays Skye Summers, a pop singer who is determined to reinvent her music. Fans also got to see Rosie O’Donnell, Vivica A. Fox, and the show's very own co-creator Lee Daniels get in front of the camera.

FOX411 reports that when Daniels invited O'Donnell, who is a big fan of the show, to appear as a guest, she was truly delighted and did everything in her power to prepare for the role.

"I prepared for this like I've never prepared for anything in my career, because I didn't want to disappoint and I understood the pace at which they work," the 53-year-old multihyphenate admitted.

O'Donnell's preparation paid off as showrunner Ilene Chaiken spoke praises of her, saying that working with her was "Just simply delightful. She was just easy, happy to be there, really prepared, really lovely to everybody—to the cast and crew—and she felt so natural in the mix. She and Taraji loved one another. I loved watching her with Vivica and Taraji."

Another self-proclaimed fan of the show, Alicia Keys spoke to The Wrap about her stint on "Empire", saying, "My favorite scene that I’ve shot so far is the scene with myself and Jamal in the studio and they have this whole exchange about what it would mean to be brave enough to be your whole self, to speak your full truth."

Speaking of truth, what does this mean for Jamal, who admitted that he was gay last season? Chaiken explained to Variety, "The writers were already breaking a story in which—shock of shocks—Jamal hooks up with a girl, after all he’s been through."

"It’s a conversation that happens among gay people about sexual fluidity," she said. "There are some folks who aren’t attracted to people of the opposite sex at all, but there are some gay folks who sometimes do find themselves unexpectedly and momentarily attracted. Especially when you’re involved in a creative endeavor, those sparks can flare up because when you do something creative with someone and it really catches fire, there’s just nothing sexier."

While Chaiken cannot promise O'Donnell to be back for more episodes, she does promise that Keys will be back with a twist in the show's winter finale on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 9 p.m. on FOX.