You can see Jussie Smollett on two different groundbreaking television shows tonight. First, at 9 p.m. on Fox when Empire returns after a nearly four-month-long hiatus, and then again at 10 p.m. on WGN America's Underground—but he'll look very different on the second show.
Smollett's sister, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, stars on the WGN America series about a group of slaves plotting their escape from a plantation in the 1800s. He joined the series for a short arc as a dangerous runaway slave who holds a couple hostage in an attempt to reunite with his family.
Not only is the role a physical transformation for the actor—he looks nothing like hot R&B star Jamal Lyon, which you can see in the photo below—it's an emotional one as well.
"It was so much fun! He does two episodes on the show as a guest star and kills it," Smollett-Bell tells E! News' Erin Lim of her brother's guest spot. "He really loses himself in this character as a runaway slave. I'm excited for people to see because it's so different from Jamal on Empire! They'll see his range within his craft."
The excitement is mutual. Smollett tells E! News that he's incredibly proud of his little sister and the critical acclaim for her latest show. "What she's done, not just with Underground but throughout her entire career…there have been so many roles that she was offered that she turned down, and she only did things that somehow truly resonated for her."
He continues the Smollett sibling love-fest, adding, "I respect her so much as an artist and as a human being for the choices she has made. It's just unbelievable. And now Underground—I have no words."