Lucy Liu joins cast of Dirty Sexy Money

[Brian Damage]

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Lucy Liu will be back on ABC next season no matter what.

Liu is in negotiations to join the cast of the network's freshman drama "Dirty Sexy Money," which has been renewed for a second season. She most recently starred in another new ABC drama, "Cashmere Mafia."

The casting on "Sexy," where she would be a regular, is in second position to "Mafia," whose prognosis is unclear after a so-so midseason run.

Details on Liu's "Sexy" character are being kept under wraps. On the show -- a primetime soap revolving around the wealthy Darling clan and their spoiled offspring -- Liu would join a lineup that include Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland and William Baldwin. Samaire Armstrong, who was a regular during the first season, won't continue on the show full time.

Liu has been a fixture on ABC in the past year. In addition to "Mafia," she did a stint on the network's "Ugly Betty."

Liu next voices a lead character in the upcoming animated feature "Kung Fu Panda," which opens June 6.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter