De Mornay, Paquin join separate HBO projects

Former "Roseanne" star Sara Gilbert will join "The Class" at CBS later this fall, while HBO has landed Rebecca De Mornay and Anna Paquin for two of its upcoming projects.

Gilbert, who starred in The WB's sitcom "Twins" last season, will take a recurring part on the new CBS comedy as a woman named Fern. The character has a connection with Richie (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), one of the eight third-grade classmates on whom the show focuses, Variety reports.

Gilbert earned Emmy nominations in 1993 and '94 for her role on "Roseanne." Her TV credits also include a recurring part on "ER" last season and a role in the second season of "24." This past development season she starred in the ABC pilot "The Girls on the Bus."

At HBO, meanwhile, De Mornay is the latest addition to David Milch's pilot "John from Cincinnati," according to The Hollywood Reporter. She'll play the wife of Bruce Greenwood's character, the patriarch of a Southern California surfing family whose life is disrupted by the arrival of the titular John (Austin Nichols).

De Mornay's recent credits include "Wedding Crashers," "Lords of Dogtown" and a guest spot on "Law & Order: SVU."

The HR also reports that Paquin will star with Aidan Quinn in HBO's movie "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," about the displacement of Native Americans in the latter years of the 19th century. The film is based on a book by Dee Brown and is being executive produced by "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf.