'Empire' season 3 news: Eva Longoria lands guest starring role as Lucious' latest rival

Lucious (Terrence Howard) meets a new female rival when Fox's hit musical drama "Empire" returns next month.

"Desperate Housewives" alumna Eva Longoria has been recently tapped to join the program as a guest star. The actress' multi-episode arc airs this spring, and she will play the role of Charlotte Frost. Described as a formidable executive of the state gaming commission, Charlotte becomes a key character in Lucious' life when they cross paths. As the commission's director, she holds the power to make or break the music mogul's long-held dream of expanding Empire's reach to Las Vegas. However, beneath her seductive image lies corruption and dark secrets.

Longoria joins the lineup of other notable season 3 guest stars including Taye Diggs, Phylicia Rashad, Rumer Willis, and Nia Long. Aside from starring in NBC's short-lived comedy "Telenovela," Longoria is also known for her roles in "Mother Up!" as Rudi Wilson, "Desperate Housewives" as Gabrielle Solis, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" as Sophia Perez, and "The Young and the Restless" as Isabella Williams.

The back half of season 3 will see the Lyons dealing with major family issues. It is speculated that Lucious and Andre's (Trai Byers) conflict will reach new heights — to the point where Andre is plotting to kill his own father. The eldest Lyon son previously spoke about respecting the hierarchy until it's time to kill their patriarch. With his development, there is a possibility that Andre will threaten Lucious' life. Losing his wife and baby turned Andre more cold and conniving, so it is expected that Andre is only waiting for the right moment to get rid of Lucious and take over Empire.

"He is extremely dangerous," executive producer Sanaa Hamri said in an interview. "He is the most dangerous character on our show right now." As fans know, most of his anger stems from the way Lucious continues to mistreat him because of his mental illness. "His father always made him feel like a freak. Andre is going to be able to weave a web that could most probably take Lucious down," the EP added.

The third season of "Empire" returns on Wednesday, March 22, at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.