Linda Hamilton is joining the cast of NBC's "Chuck" this coming season in a recurring role as Mary Bartowski, the long-missing mother of Chuck and Ellie.
"Chuck" creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak made the announcement Saturday at Comic-Con in San Diego.
Hamilton, best known for her role as Sarah Connor in "Terminator" and "Terminator 2; Judgment Day," also starred in the TV series "Beauty and the Beast," for which she earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Hamilton will will answer storyline questions that have arisen over the past three seasons about what became of her when she disappeared from her children's lives when they were still young.
"Chuck," from Fake Empire, Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, begins its fourth season on NBC on Sept. 20, at 8 p.m.
The series stars Zachery Levi, Sarah Lawrence and Yvonne Strahovski.
The addition of Hamilton is a shot in the arm for the fading ratings show, which this season on Mondays will need a strong audience to open the night for two new NBC dramas "The Event" and "Chase," which follow "Chuck" at 9 and 10 p.m.
