casting

Hilary Duff is going to college!

According to Ausiello Files, the former 'Lizzie McGuire' star will guest on NBC's 'Community.' Duff is set to play the leader of a clique that takes on Jeff and co.

Besides her Disney series, Duff appeared in a handful of 'Gossip Girl' episodes last season, did a guest spot on 'Law & Order: SVU' and popped up in 'George Lopez' and 'Joan of Arcadia.'

Look for Duff to appear on 'Community' in November.

In other casting news ...

• Jorge Garcia will guest star on 'How I Met Your Mother.' The 'Lost' veteran will play a bro with bad timing on the CBS series in November. [CBS]

• Heather Locklear has signed on to star in the Lifetime TV movie 'He Loves Me.' The 'Melrose Place' star will play a real estate agent whose mysterious past starts to come to light as her marriage crumbles, causing her to become violent and paranoid. [Variety]

• Summer Glau will guest star on 'Chuck.' The 'Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles' star is the latest actor to play Greta, the undercover Buy More agent. Other actors who have been tapped to play the role include Olivia Munn and Isaiah Mustafa. [Ausiello Files]

When we heard the news that Martin Scorsese's iconic gangster flick 'Goodfellas' might become a TV series, our first thought -- besides, "No effin' way!" -- was "Who can possibly fill the shoes of Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci?"

We thought about some really big names (Gary Oldman! James Gandolfini!) but then we scaled down our thoughts to actors who might be able to reinvent these characters well enough to avoid getting whacked. And without bankrupting any networks.

Read on for some actors who might give 'Goodfellas' a good run, and vice versa.

Miranda Cosgrove, star of Nickelodeon's 'iCarly' has booked a guest appearance on CBS's 'The Good Wife.'

According to Ausiello Files, Cosgrove will play Sloan, a pop star who hires Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) after being arrested and charged with a DUI.

"We're big 'iCarly' fans, so we really couldn't think of anyone better for this role than Miranda Cosgrove," Robert King, executive producer of 'The Good Wife,' said. "We were thrilled when she agreed to do it. It'll be fun to see her handle both the comedy and drama in the role, and we can't wait to see how she'll play across from Julianna."

Look for Alicia and Sloan to bond during the high profile trial. The episode is scheduled for Nov. 16. 'The Good Wife' premieres Sept. 28 at 10PM ET on CBS.

In other casting news ...

• Jon Seda is joining the cast of 'Treme.' The star of 'The Pacific' will play a venture capitalist from Dallas who has political ties. [Deadline Hollywood]

• 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' alumna Amber Benson will guest star on 'Grey's Anatomy.' Benson will play an estranged daughter of one of Cristina's patients in episode 7. [Ausiello Files]

'The Big Bang Theory' is no stranger to sexy sci-fi starlets, having scored geektastic cameos from Katee Sackhoff and Summer Glau in seasons past (with the former about to make a hotly anticipated reappearance) -- but this latest casting coup is certain to get fanboy hearts a'fluttering.

Having earned her action credentials as butt-kicking Faith in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and the enigmatic Echo in 'Dollhouse,' it's no surprise that 'The Big Bang Theory' tapped Eliza Dushku to play yet another strong female character.

So far, she's confirmed to appear in one episode of the CBS comedy's fourth season (now airing Thursdays at 8PM ET). Join us after the jump for more info on what we can expect when Dushku makes her 'Big Bang' bow.

Lois Lane, meet your mom, Teri Hatcher! That's right, Hatcher, the star of 'Desperate Housewives' and former Lois Lane on 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,' will appear on 'Smallville' as Ella, Lois' (Erica Durance) mother.

'Smallville' lore has established Lois' mom as dead, and that won't change. According to The Ausiello Files, Hatcher's Ella will appear in old videos Lois finds. Quite the casting coup for the final season of 'Smallville.'

In other casting news ...

• Jorge Garcia, Hurley on 'Lost,' has signed on to guest star in an episode of ABC's midseason comedy 'Mr. Sunshine.' Garcia will appear in the pilot episode as an employee of the San Diego arena Matthew Perry's character manages. [Ausiello Files]

• Oprah Winfrey will appear on the season premiere of 'Sesame Street' ... sort of. The daytime queen will lend her voice to an animated skit called 'The O Show.' The letter O will be the host of its own talk show. Guests include Otto the Orangutan and Ophelia the Octopus. [TV Guide]

• Emmanuelle Chriqui has joined the cast of Showtime's 'The Borgias.' Better known as Sloan on 'Entourage,' Chriqui will appear in three episodes of the period drama as Sancia, a Neapolitan princess who marries the Pope's youngest son. [TV Guide]

Hayden Panettiere has signed on to play Amanda Knox in Lifetime's TV movie based on the real-life story of Knox, an American exchange student who was convicted in Italy for murdering her roommate.

According to Deadline Hollywood, the movie tentatively titled 'The Amanda Knox Story' will air in 2011. Robert Dornhelm will direct with a script from Wendy Battles of 'CSI: NY' and 'Law & Order.'

Knox and her boyfriend were arrested in 2007 and accused of killing Meredith Kercher. Knox's trial lasted for nearly a year and ended with a 26 year prison conviction. She has maintained her innocence and appealed.

In other TV news ...

• Joe Jonas will guest star on The CW's '90210.' The singer who has also appeared on 'Hot in Cleveland' and multiple Disney shows and movies will play himself and escort Adrianna to a magazine cover party. [Ausiello Files]

• Peter Coyote has joined the ever-expanding cast of 'Law & Order: Los Angeles.' Coyote will play the district attorney, boss to the characters played by Alfred Molina and Terrence Howard. [Deadline Hollywood]

• Jim Gaffigan will guest star on 'Royal Pains.' The comedian and former star of 'My Boys' will play Pete Stambleck, a park ranger who turns up with a personality change. Look for Gaffigan in the season 2 finale. [TV Guide]

• Callie Thorne has been cast in USA Network's 'Necessary Roughness.' Thorne will play a psychiatrist who takes a gig as a consultant to a professional football team and quickly becomes sought after by other celebrities. The project is based on a true story. [Deadline Hollywood]

Jennifer Love Hewitt is plotting her TV comeback just a few months after the cancellation of 'Ghost Whisperer.'

According to Deadline Hollywood, Fox is in talks to pick up a half-hour comedy starring Hewitt that's being described as a female 'Big Bang Theory.' Walt Becker, director of 'Wild Hogs,' will write the project with 'Nancy Drew' writer Tiffany Paulsen.

Becker has a fraternity comedy at TBS titled 'Glory Daze' and Hewitt can next be seen as a guest star on 'Law & Order: SVU' and NBC's 'Love Bites.'

In other casting news ...

• Lee Tergesen will guest star on 'Castle.' The 'Oz' star will play Gates, a suspect in the Triple Killer ("3XK") case, the season's big investigation. Look for Tergesen to first pop up in episode seven. [Ausiello Files]

• Judd Nelson has been tapped to play Chris, Lyndsey's ex on 'Two and a Half Men.' Look for Nelson to appear in the fourth episode of this season. [Fancast]

• Geoff Stults will play a very well-endowed beau of Robin's on 'How I Met Your Mother.' The 'Happy Town' actor will debut in this season's fifth episode. [TV Guide]

Murphy Brown is in the 'House.' Yep, Candice Bergen is making a 'House' call to play Cuddy's mother on the hit Fox medical drama.

OK, enough with the puns, here are the details: The five-time Emmy winner will begin her multi-episode arc in November. According to The Ausiello Files, this is Bergen's first TV role since 'Boston Legal' wrapped. No word on an official episode count, but be sure to see plenty of shared screen time between Bergen, Lisa Edelstein (Cuddy) and Hugh Laurie (House).

In other casting news ...

• Patty Duke has joined the cast of Lifetime's 'Unanswered Prayers,' the TV flick about Garth Brooks' song. The movie follows a couple, played by Eric Close and Samantha Mathis, whose lives change when a woman, played by Madchen Amick, returns to their small town. Duke will play mom to Manthis' character. Alex Frnka has also been cast as the girlfriend to the couple's son. [Deadline Hollywood]

• Lucy Liu will headline 'Marry Me,' a four-hour multi-part movie on Lifetime. The movie, about a woman looking for her true love, also has Steven Pasquale, Bobby Cannavale , Enrique Murciano and Annie Potts on board. [Variety]

• Lou Diamond Phillips has joined Sherry Stringfield and Jamie-Lynn Sigler in Josh Berman's untitled Lifetime cop pilot. Phillips will play the boss to Stringfield and Sigler's police detective characters. [Deadline Hollywood]

'Quantum Leap' fans might want to check out Scott Bakula's 'Men of a Certain Age' when it returns for season 2 this winter. Why? Well, Bakula's 'Quantum' brother David Newsom will guest star on the Jan. 3 episode of the TNT series.

Newsom will play Mark, the brother to Bakula's Terry. According to TV Guide, Mark runs a home systems integration business and is a happily married father of two. Look for Terry to try and reconnect with his brother at his nephew's birthday party.

In other TV news ...

• John Larroquette will appear on CBS' 'CSI: NY.' Larroquette has booked a multi-episode arc as Deputy Chief of Manhattan Borough Detectives Ted Carver. Look for Carver to clash with Mac Taylor. [Ausiello Files]

• Mare Winningham and Sterling Beaumon, known to many as the young Ben Linus on 'Lost,' will guest star on CBS's 'Criminal Minds.' Beaumon's character, a 15-year-old boy suspected of killing families, is taken in by Winningham's character. The episode is slated to air in October. [TV Guide]

Jonathan Kent is the father of Metallo! Well, sort of.

'Smallville' and 'Dukes of Hazzard' veteran John Schneider is heading to Wisteria Lane to play the father of Brian Austin Green's character, Keith, on 'Desperate Housewives.' 'Smallville' fans will know Green as the villainous Metallo.

According to The Ausiello Files, Schneider will appear in multiple episodes of the primetime ABC soap beginning with season 7's seventh episode.

Schneider recently popped up on TV Land's 'Hot in Cleveland' and 'Leverage.' He's returning to 'Smallville' for its final season in the show's season premiere, which is titled 'Lazarus.' Green, the former 'Beverly Hills, 90210' star, appeared on three episodes of 'Smallville' last season.

In other casting news ...

Denise Richards has joined the cast of Spike TV's original series 'Blue Mountain State.'

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Richards will play coach Marty Daniels' (ex-footballer Ed Marinaro) ex-wife Debra. 'Blue Mountain State' follows the fictional college football team at Blue Mountain State. Season 2 premieres Oct. 20 and will also feature Bill Parcells, Brian Bosworth, Stacy Keibler and Chuck Liddell as guest stars.

The series' first six episodes were seen be less than 1 million viewers, but it delivered a 165 percent increase in males 18-24 in its the time slot.

In other TV news ...

• Cristián de la Fuente will guest star on 'Private Practice.' The former 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant and 'In Plain Sight' star has been tapped to play Eric Rodriguez, a self-possessed and funny new doctor. The role may become recurring. [Ausiello Files]

• 'How I Met Your Mother' writers/producers Kourtney Kang and Joe Kelly have a new comedy project in the works at ABC. The duo are working on a new multi-camera sitcom about a couple exploring their quality of life before and after having kids. [Deadline Hollywood]

• Lindsay Lohan may host 'Saturday Night Live.' The starlet who just got our of rehab is looking to brush off her tarnished career by hosting the Dec. 4 episode of the series. [NY Daily News]

Former 'Saturday Night Live' star Ana Gasteyer will guest star on NBC's 'Chuck.' According to Fancast, Gasteyer will pop up in season 4, episode 7 as Dasha, an operative for the Volkoff organization. Look for her character to be an expert at torturing spies.

'Chuck' season 4 already has a laundry list of guest stars such as Olivia Munn, Dolph Lundgren, Timothy Dalton, Linda Hamilton and Eric Roberts.

In other TV news ...

• Check out the first look of Jane Badler on 'V.' Badler had to test for the role of Diana along with other actresses. [TV Guide]

• 'Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman' stars Jane Seymour and Joe Lando are reuniting for an original Hallmark Channel movie. The duo will star along with Seymour's real life husband James Keach and daughter Katie Flynn in 'At Home with Prudence,' a sequel to 'Dear Prudence,' slated to air in spring 2011. [Hallmark Channel]

• Steve Harvey has already filmed more than 100 episodes as host of 'Family Feud.' Harvey's hosting duties won't interfere with his comedy tour or radio show. [TV Guide]

Could CBS's 'The Defenders' get the Blues Brothers back together? If producers have their way ... sort of.

The Jim Belushi legal drama has its eyes on former 'Saturday Night Live' star Dan Aykroyd. According to the Hollywood Reporter, 'Defenders' co-creator and executive producer Kevin Kennedy has been circling Aykroyd to play a tough judge that clashes with Belushi's defense attorney.

"We have a lot planned and we certainly have a dream list," Kennedy told the Hollywood Reporter. "The [guest star] we've talked about most recently, and we'll see if we can get it arranged -- it's a scheduling thing and it wouldn't happen until the end of the year if it happens this year -- we want to get Dan Aykroyd together with Jim."

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, will appear in her own series on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

'Finding Sarah' will follow the troubled royal as she rebuilds her life with the help of some of Oprah's favorite experts.

"With the help of experts Dr. Phil McGraw, Suze Orman, Martha Beck and others, The Duchess will open up about her recent public troubles and explore her lifelong battles with weight, relationships and finances," Lisa Erspamer, chief creative officer of OWN, said in a statement. "She will look to put the past behind her and move forward to a positive future."

Ferguson said she is doing the six episode series in an effort to heal.

"After 22 years of raising my two amazing daughters, it's time for me to mother myself," Ferguson said in a statement. "My hope is that sharing my journey will help someone else."

In other TV news ...

• Want to see some photos from the Britney Spears episode of 'Glee'? New York Times photographer Todd Heisler spent time on set of the hit Fox show and got backstage looks at the actors and crew making the episode. [NY Times]

• Courtney B. Vance will guest star on the summer finale of 'The Closer.' Vance will play Tommy Delk, the head of the LAPD's counter-terrorism unit. There's a chance his character will reappear later in the season. [TV Guide]

• 'Nikita' debuted to 3.6 million viewers, 9 percent more than its lead-in 'The Vampire Diaries.' The season 2 premiere of 'The Vampire Diaries' was down 24 percent in viewers 18-49 compared to last year. NFL ratings were up, with the Vikings vs. Saints game getting the highest overnight ratings, 17.7 million, in 13 years. [Live Feed]

Now that the highly buzzed-about Britney Spears installment of 'Glee' has been shot, the Fox show has a new Very Special Episode to look forward to. The next pop culture tribute planned for 'Glee' is a 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'-themed episode.

According to E! Online, the show has landed cameos from some of the movie's original cast members. Barry Bostwick, who played Brad Majors, and Meat Loaf will pop up as "station managers who have an 'interesting proposal' for Sue Sylvester," E! reports.