Burbank, Calif. — Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City, Back to the Future) will guest-star on NBC's Ed (Wednesdays, 8-9 p.m. ET) in an arc of three episodes as the ex-wife of Ed Stevens' (Tom Cavanagh) — the philandering woman he left in the series' pilot to return to his hometown of Stuckeyville.

Thompson's episodes will be broadcast in early 2004. In her new assignment, she will portray the former Mrs. Stevens who comes back to discuss a business proposition — just as Ed is planning for his new marriage to Carol (Julie Bowen), his true lifelong love.

A former ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre who trained with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Thompson recently starred in the holiday movie, Stealing Christmas and in the legal drama series For the People. However, audiences perhaps know her best for her starring role in the 1995-99 comedy series Caroline in the City as well as for her work in the mega-hit feature films in the Back to the Future trilogy.

In addition, Thompson films include All the Right Moves (her first big-screen role), Some Kind of Wonderful (where she met her husband, director Howard Deutch), SpaceCamp, Red Dawn, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Little Rascals, Dennis the Menace, Casual Sex? and Jaws 3-D.

Among Thompson's other television credits are the movies Stolen Babies, The Right to Remain Silent, The Unspoken Truth and The Substitute Wife. She also appeared in the miniseries A Will of Their Own.

Cavanagh stars in the quirky comedy-drama series with Julie Bowen, Josh Randal, JanaMarie Hupp, Lesley Boone, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Ian Black, Justin Long, Michael Genadry, Rachel Cronin and Marcy Harriell.