Forest Whitaker to guest star in 'Empire' Season 4

July 20 (UPI) -- Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker will guest star in Empire Season 4.

The 56-year-old actor confirmed in a tweet Thursday that he will join Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson on the Fox series.

"So exited to join season 4 of @EmpireFOX with its amazing cast! It is going to be [fire]," he wrote.

Whitaker will play Uncle Eddie, "a charismatic music icon and bona fide hitmaker" who gave Lucious (Howard) his first radio airplay, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The character will step up for Lucious at "a critical moment" in his rehabilitation, earning Cookie's (Henson) thanks.

The multi-episode guest arc will reunite Whitaker with Empire creator Lee Daniels, who directed the actor in his 2013 movie The Butler.

"I don't know why, but I always get nervous the first time I start shooting [again]," Daniels confessed in an Instagram video Wednesday. "I'm so thankful to God for another season of Star and another season of Empire ... I'm excited!"

The Season 4 premiere, which airs Sept. 27, will see Lucious make his first public appearance following the explosion in Las Vegas. Demi Moore will return to guest star as a nurse first seen in part two of the Season 3 finale.