From left to right, actresses Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Laura Prepon, Laverne Cox and Natasha Lyonne pose with the Best Comedy Series award for "Orange Is the New Black" at the 4th annual Critics' Choice Television Awards in Beverly Hills, Cal
From left to right, actresses Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Laura Prepon, Laverne Cox and Natasha Lyonne pose with the Best Comedy Series award for "Orange Is the New Black" at the 4th annual Critics' Choice Television Awards in Beverly Hills, California June 19, 2014. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok Reuters/Danny Moloshok

Lori Petty, who starred in the premiere episode of Season 2, has signed-on to star in "Orange is the New Black" Season 3. The actress made a brief appearance as Lolly, the inmate who befriended Piper Chapman [Taylor Schilling] on the transport plane, which was taking them to Chicago.

The Season 2 opening episode, "Thirsty Bird," of Netflix's original drama-comedy saw Piper being transported from her solitary confinement cell in Litchfield to a prison in Chicago. She was being taken to Chicago to testify against drug dealer Kubra, Alex's old-boss. In her introduction scene, Polly offered Vaseline -- she had stored the Vaseline in her ears -- to Piper to fight the dry conditions inside the plane. Later at the prison yard, when the inmates roughed-up Polly, Piper does not come to her rescue.

Entertainment Weekly [EW] reports that Petty is returning to reprise her as Loly. According to the report, Netflix has not revealed how her character will be weaved back into the story-line. It can be expected that she joins the inmates of Litchfield.

Meanwhile, three new actors are joining the colourful cast of "Orange is the New Season" Season 3. Mary Steenburgen, Blair Brown and actor-comedian Mike Birbiglia have signed-on to guest-star in the new season. There are no details yet about the characters that Brown and Birbiglia are going to portray in Season 3. Steenburgen has been roped-in to play Pornstache's mom. The entry of the mother will happen in the absence of the son, as Pablo Schreiber, who plays Pornstache, has confirmed that he will not be starring in Season 3.

Laura Prepon, who plays Alex Vause, is returning to star in every episode of "Orange is the New Black" Season 3. She did not appear as a series regular in Season 2 and appeared only in a limited number of scenes.

Dascha Polenko [Daya), Samira Wiley [Poussey], Selenis Leyva [Gloria], Nick Sandow [Joe Caputo] and Adrienne C. Moore (Black Cindy) have been promoted as series regulars.

"Orange is the New Black" Season 2 has earned 12 Emmy nominations, including for the show and multiple acting nominations. It is expected to bag more than a couple of awards on Monday, Aug. 25.