In a development that pop culture-loving Dr. Mindy Lahiri would wholeheartedly endorse, a much buzzed-about celeb will take her place in The Mindy Project‘s upcoming second season.

Freaks and Geeks alum James Franco is joining the Fox comedy for a two-episode arc as the doc who fills in for Mindy while she and Pastor Casey volunteer in Haiti.

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Franco’s character, Dr. Paul Leotard, is a charismatic and popular physician — and former model — who helps pick up the slack at Shulman & Associates. (His decision to leave the world of couture for a medical career came when he accidentally walked off a Fashion Week runway and was saved by a pregnant woman, thus cementing his desire to help expectant mothers for the rest of his life.)

The series announced the casting via its Facebook page.

The Oscar nominee’s career includes stints on TV (General Hospital, 30 Rock and Hollywood Heights) and in film (127 Hours, the Spider-Man franchise), in addition to academic, directorial and performance-art pursuits. He’ll soon be seen as Hugh Hefner in the upcoming biopic Lovelace.

Dr. Paul will be on call for the first two episodes of Mindy‘s new season, which premieres at 9:30/8:30c on Tuesday, Sept. 17.