On the heels of Tyne Daly paying Seattle a visit as Derek Shepherd's mother, Carolyn, Grey's Anatomy fans can get ready to meet another main character's mom.

Sharon Lawrence, who is best known for her run on NYPD Blue and who most recently played parent to Privileged's JoAnna Garcia, has been tapped to guest-star as Izzie Stevens' mother, TVGuide.com reports today. Izzie's background is still mostly a mystery.

Grey's Anatomy is winding down its fifth season just as Katherine Heigl's character, freshly diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, is coming to terms with her mortality.

Lawrence will appear in a late-April episode. What brings Izzie's mom to town? What sort of relationship do you think they have? Sound off in the comments below!

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.