Entertainment Weekly and The Doctor Who News Page are reporting that Lauren Ambrose from Six Feet Under has joined the cast of Torchwood: Miracle Day, and will be portraying a character named Jilly Kitzinger. According to the EW report the character is “a sweet-talking PR genius with a heart of stone who’s just cornered the most important client of her career… and maybe of all time”.

Filming and production has officially begun on Torchwood: Miracle Day in Los Angeles, and Ambrose now joins a cast that includes John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Mekhi Phifer, and Bill Pullman. The new season is expected to be broadcast on BBC and Starz in July 2011.

Torchwood is a spin-off series from Doctor Who, that follows the immortal Captain Jack Harkness commanding the Torchwood Institute; an organization established to investigate alien involvement and appearances on Earth.

[Sources: Entertainment Weekly and The Doctor Who News Page]