Fans hoping for a speedy return by Vanessa Marcil (ex-Brenda) to General Hospital will have to wait a little while longer. The actress has signed on to appear in the recurring role of Carmen Olivera on the ABC primetime drama, NYPD Blue. Marcil will replace Rosa Arredondo in the part.

Marcil played Brenda Barrett on General Hospital from 1992 to 1998. Since her departure, Marcil has been rumored to be mulling a return to the show.

On the personal level, Marcil is also said to be engaged to her boyfriend, former Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Brian Austin Green. Previously, Marcil was involved in a much-talked-about relationship with her GH co-star Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas Cassadine).

A spokesperson for Marcil has confirmed that Marcil's stint on NYPD Blue has been chopped to just one episode. However, the spokesperson wanted to make sure that fans didn't get the wrong idea about the situation. According to the spokesperson, Marcil was "not fired" from NYPD Blue, but rather the writers decided not to pursue the character the way they had originally intended.