Jeremy Sisto joining 'Law & Order' cast next season

Jeremy Sisto, who starred in NBC's short-lived "Kidnapped" last season, is staying with the network -- and likely gaining a little more job security.

Sisto will join the cast of the long-running "Law & Order" next season, according to news reports. He's likely to replace Milena Govich as one of the show's two primary New York City detectives, partnering with Jesse L. Martin's Ed Green.

"I've watched Jeremy's career evolve and grow, and I am absolutely thrilled that he has decided to join 'Law & Order,'" the show's creator and executive producer, Dick Wolf, says in a statement.

The hiring of Sisto is the second cast change for the 17-year-old show in the past few days. Last week Fred Thompson, who's played District Attorney Arthur Branch for the past five seasons, told Wolf he wouldn't return to the show. Thompson is exploring a run at the Republican presidential nomination.

Sisto guest-starred on the "Law & Order" season finale in May, playing a defense attorney. He won't be the first actor to join the show as a regular -- and a different character -- after a guest appearance; S. Epatha Merkerson and Jerry Orbach followed the same path in the early 1990s.

In addition to "Kidnapped," Sisto had a recurring part on HBO's "Six Feet Under" and has played both Jesus and Julius Caesar in TV miniseries. He's currently co-starring in the feature film "Waitress."

"Law & Order" is scheduled for a midseason premiere next year, debuting on Sunday nights after NBC's NFL coverage ends.