‘The Orville’ Recruits ‘Gossip Girl’ Alum Jessica Szohr For Season 2

Jessica Szohr will be boarding The Orville when the Fox series of the same name returns later this year.

According to Deadline, Szohr has been cast as a series regular role in Season 2 of the Seth MacFarlane-created series. While the name of Szohr’s character is being kept under wraps, the news outlet reported that 32-year-old actress will play a new member of the crew onboard the titular spaceship.

Szohr rose to prominence for her role as Vanessa Abrams on CW’s “Gossip Girl.” She recently recurred as Nessa in Season 8 of Showtime’s “Shameless,” and also appeared on “Showtime’s” “Twin Peaks,” Audience Network’s “Kingdom,” and USA Network’s “Complications.”

On the film side, Szohr appeared in the 2015 comedy film “Ted 2,” which was created and directed by MacFarlane. She’s also part of the cast of horror comedy “Piranha 3D,” romantic comedy “Two Night Stand,” and heist comedy “Tower Heist.”

MacFarlane said at the Television Critics Association winter press tour last month that Season 2 of “The Orville” will feature more episodes than its 12-episode freshman run.

“I think it’s going to be at least 14 [episodes],” MacFarlane said (via TV Guide). While that’s considerably less than the typical 22-episode order count for broadcast shows, MacFarlane said that he would “rather do fewer episodes and have them be better content-wise than do 22 and have them be filler.”

MacFarlane didn’t offer any plot details about the upcoming season at the TCA press tour, but he promised that it would lean more into the science fiction. “The show was experimental in a lot of ways,” MacFarlane said (via /FILM). “Tone was the biggest experimental part of it. What we found was that we can lean a little more, heavier into the science fiction and not have to worry so much about knocking out a joke every page. The show is an hour and really can and wants to service its storytelling in a way that makes it a priority. The jokes come as they come, the comedy comes as it comes.”

Aside from MacFarlane who plays Capt. Ed Mercer, other series regulars returning for Season 2 are Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson; Penny Johnson Jerald as Dr. Claire Finn; Scott Grimes as Lt. Gordon Malloy; Peter Macon as Lt. Commander Bortus; Halston Sage as Lt. Alara Kitan; J. Lee as Lt. John LaMarr; and Mark Jackson as Isaac.

What do you think of Szohr’s addition to the show? Sound off in the comments section below!