A pair of Gossip Girl casting notes to close the week:

• Aaron Tveit will reprise his role as Tripp, Nate’s cousin, for at least six episodes this November. Reportedly, Tripp will announce plans to run for office and Nate will get involved with the campaign.
• Also, Entertainment Weekly reports that Sarah Steele has been cast in the potentially recurring role of Kira Abernathy, a Constance Billard student. She debuts on November 9 and is best known for her role as Bernice in Spanglish.

No offense to these actors, but they are nothing compared to the guest stars lined up for next week's all-new episode: Hilary Duff and Tyra Banks will both appear!

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.