There have been rumblings for weeks, but ABC has finally made it official: Lindsay Lohan is joining the cast of Ugly Betty.  She will appear in the season finale on May 22, then be a part of five more episodes in the Fall for Ugly Betty's third season.  Lohan has done some TV work before, both as a guest on That 70's Show and a multiple-time host on Saturday Night Live.  Her role on Ugly Betty will be her most high-profile, however, and is coming at a time when Lohan is trying to get her career back on track.  Her Ugly Betty character will be a former rival who has recently fallen on hard times.

I can't give much insight into this new role and how it will fit into Ugly Betty because I am not a watcher of the series.  Lindsay Lohan, despite her recent scandals and inability to wear underwear, is a talented actress.  Or, she can be a talented actress.  Her comic prowess is solid, as she proved in Mean Girls and the first time she hosted Saturday Night Live.  The worry for Ugly Betty fans, I would imagine, is that this is nothing more than a publicity stunt.  The ratings have been way down since its first season, and the writers may be just awkwardly shoe-horning Lohan into the series to garner some needed publicity.

This won't be like the Britney Spears cameo on How I Met Your Mother.  Lohan's role is a significant one, you would think, whose arc will be played out over six episodes.  I find it a bit strange that Ugly Betty is introducing a big, new character on the season finale.  However, I don't really know the show all that well – maybe it will work out perfectly. This could be a nice start in Lohan's quest to resurrect her career.


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of Elle)