By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan, working to
rebuild her acting career after a year of personal turmoil,
will appear as a guest star on the ABC television comedy "Ugly
Betty," the network said on Monday.
Lohan, who has not starred in a feature film since last
year's flop "I Know Who Killed Me," will join the popular
sitcom's cast for six episodes, playing a mean former classmate
of title character Betty, who suddenly resurfaces in her life.
The 21-year-old actress, who won critical praise and
international stardom before lurid stories in the tabloid press
began to overshadow her career, will make her first appearance
on "Ugly Betty" on the May 22 season finale.
She will return to the Emmy-winning show, which stars
America Ferrera as a smart and sweet but not-so-glamorous
fashion magazine employee, for five episodes next season.
Lohan's turn on the small screen closely follows a similar
move by another troubled young performer, Britney Spears, who
surprised critics and delighted fans with a sassy guest
appearance on the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother."
Spears' well-received acting role was taken as a sign that
she had begun to recover from the personal problems that have
dogged her in recent years, and Lohan's could be seen in the
same light.
Lohan began her acting career at a young age and first won
attention playing twins -- one of them with a dead-on British
accent -- in the 1998 remake "The Parent Trap."
She became a Hollywood "it-girl" and major international
presence after starring in such films as "Freaky Friday,"
"Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" and "Mean Girls" before
giving way to struggles with alcohol and drug abuse.
