‘Elementary’s’ Lucy Liu Books ‘Difficult People’ Role As CBS Series Remains On Bubble

“Elementary” star Lucy Liu is joining the cast of “Difficult People.”

According to Deadline, Liu will be playing the recurring role of Veronica in the upcoming Season 3 of the acclaimed Hulu comedy. In the new season, Marilyn (Andrea Martin) lands a book deal, and Veronica — a morally corrupt, taste-challenged and highly successful alpha female — is the book editor who gives Marilyn a chance to publish her own book.

Liu is the latest addition to the Season 3 cast of the Julie Klausner-created series, joining “Star Trek” actor John Cho, who booked the recurring role of Billy’s (Billy Eichner) first serious boyfriend, Todd.

READ: Lucy Liu talks directing “Elementary” Season 5, episode 22

The 10-episode Season 3 of “Difficult People” also finds Julie (Klausner) and Billy remaining each other’s best friends while still their own worst enemies. Julie ventures into a season-long pursuit for happiness, while Billy starts to sour on New York as he begins to fall in love for Todd. Arthur (James Urbaniak), meanwhile, is left with no choice but to commute to the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter, Florida, where PBS has moved all of its productions.

“Difficult People” Season 3 is set to premiere on Tuesday, Aug. 8 on Hulu.

News of Liu’s “Difficult People” casting comes as the actress awaits word on whether or not “Elementary,” in which she plays Joan Watson, will be renewed for Season 6.

In an interview with TVLine last month, “Elementary” executive producer Rob Doherty revealed that he feels confident that the CBS series — which also stars Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes — will return for another season.

“I’m an eternal optimist. I feel good,” Doherty said when asked about the show’s renewal odds. “I feel like we’ve had a strong season. We’re certainly very pleased with the way it’s wrapping up. And trust me, there’s a lot of ‘Elementary’ left in this humble writing staff. Many, many stories to come.”

For the first time since “Elementary” premiered in 2012, the crime drama has not been included in CBS’ list of early renewals for the next TV season. While that’s pretty alarming for some fans, the show still has a good chance to be renewed for Season 6.

According to Deadline, the show is already making writer staffing deals for Season 6. And even though “Elementary’s” linear ratings in the Sunday, 10 p.m. time slot are soft, the show has off-network streaming and subscription deals with WGN America, Hulu Plus and other broadcast stations, which collect up to $3 million per episode.

CBS also owns “Elementary” 100 percent, and because ownership plays a big role in renewing existing series, it won’t be a surprise if the show gets picked up for another season. In fact, during an investor conference last May, CBS Corporation CEO Leslie Moonves used “Elementary” as an example of a program ownership success story, sharing that the show “made approximately an $80 million profit for the corporation” in 2015.

An all-new episode of “Elementary” (Season 5, episode 23) airs on Sunday, May 14 at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS.