Fall TV Blog

New mom Nicole Richie is already working on a new role — guest starring on Chuck, which began filming last Monday.

“It was fantastic,” a source said about Richie, 26, being on the set of the NBC show. “She was friendly. Everybody loved her.”

Nicole plays Heather Chandler, an old high school nemesis who made fun of Sarah, played by Yvonne Strahovski. “She has a great fight scene,” the source said. Between takes and training for their fight scene, they were “giving each other high-fives.”

Taking a page from fellow starlet Britney Spears, Richie is shooting until next week to finish an episode that will air in mid-October.

And she even had her number one fan to cheer her on. Baby Harlow, dressed in a light blue dress and white sun hat, stopped by on Thursday.

“She was very excited,” adds the source. – Amy Elisa Keith and Elaine Aradillas

Donato Sardella/WireImage; Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

Former Simple Life star Nicole Richie, 26, will expand her presence on the small screen this fall, when she appears in an episode of the NBC comedy Chuck, the network announced exclusively to PEOPLE. And Richie will be playing a role all too familiar in Young Hollywood: the Mean Girl.

According to NBC, Richie will play a “snarky and spiteful girl who tortured” actress Yvonne Strahovski’s character in high school. In the episode, airing sometime this fall, Strahovski’s character, Special Agent Sarah Walker, “must face her fears when she is forced to attend her 10-year high school reunion,” for a mission with costar Zachary Levi (Chuck) as her date.

Chuck’s executive producer Josh Schwartz says, “Nicole auditioned for the part and was very funny. This role is a great opportunity for her to show off her comedic skills and be diabolically evil and kick some butt. It’s going to be really fun.”

Richie has also guest-starred on 8 Simple Rules … for Dating My Teenage Daughter and American Dreams. – David Caplan

Donato Sardella/WireImage; Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

NBC’s Chuck is described as a “computer geek by day. Government operative by night.” Zachary Levi, who plays Chuck (and is one of our 8 Hottest Guys on Fall TV), tells us his favorite part of playing a secret (clueless) agent man. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with hot babe guest stars like Rachel Bilson. Hint: it has something to do with the word “Chuck.” Go figure!

Premieres: Monday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m. ET