Shirley MacLaine's Headed To 'Glee'

Looks like Shirley MacLaine's finding a new niche in playing powerful New York ladies. Last time it was Downton Abbey, and next MacLaine'll be guest-starring on Glee . She'll be playing an instrumental part in the life of Darren Criss' Blaine.

Glee's recent move of its entire remaining cast to New York City will include a lot of shakeups and reshuffling of characters. One of those will of course include Blaine trying to make it big in showbiz alongside his coursework at NYADA. MacLaine will play a part of that: According to TVLine she'll be a New York socialite who takes an interest in Blaine's future and makes it her personal mission to turn him into a star.

MacLaine will be playing a mentor to Blaine in a somewhat similar way to what Sarah Jessica Parker played for Kurt as his Vogue.com boss, though through the entertainment world rather than the fashion world. Given Blaine's past tendencies to sail into success seemingly effortlessly, though, we wouldn't be surprised if this mentorship caused conflict in his relationship to Kurt, especially if it becomes a successful one.

MacLaine's got a musical history herself, of course: She starred in 1968's Sweet Charity.

Image: PBS