Actress with Down syndrome returns to "Glee"

    From The Press-Enterprise in Calif.:

The Sept. 21 season premiere of Fox's hit series "Glee" featured a familiar face. Lauren Potter (pictured), of Riverside, made her TV debut last season as the character Becky Jackson, a McKinley high school cheerleader with Down syndrome.

She return in the premiere and appears again next week and in the Halloween episode.

The now 20-year-old Poly High School graduate appeared in several episodes last season including "Wheels," which won the Humanitas Prize earlier this month.

Within that episode, viewers learned abrasive "cheerios" coach Sue Sylvester has a much-loved sister with Down syndrome -- a plot twist set up by the introduction of Potter's character.

"She is having a blast," said Robin Sinkhorn, Potter's mother. "She loves learning her lines, takes direction from the director very well and loves the entire cast and crew she works with."

Since the show's pilot aired in May 2009, "Glee" has earned two Emmy awards and accumulated a large, devoted fan base.

This season will include confirmed guest appearances by Britney Spears and John Stamos and rumored appearances by Paul McCartney and Justin Timberlake.

Potter auditioned for "Glee" through The Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles' in-house talent agency, Hearts and Halos. She was also in the feature film "Mr. Blue Sky," which was in theaters in 2007.