Fans of NBC's "Will & Grace" have heard Megan Mullally's Karen refer to her acquaintance "Candy Bergen" on several occasions, but on Thursday, Dec. 4, that enigmatic friend will finally appear, played by none other than, naturally, Candice Bergen.

The episode, titled "Strangers with Candice," finds Karen and Jack (Sean Hayes) out celebrating Jack's first month as a student nurse. An encounter with her nemesis, Candice Bergen, leads to a prank war.

Since "Murphy Brown" ended in 1998, Bergen has appeared only sparingly in network series offerings. She did multiple episodes on HBO's "Sex and the City" and lent her voice to two episodes of FOX's "The Family Guy."

During her ten-year stint as the eponymous newswoman on "Murphy Brown," Bergen was nominated for seven Emmys, winning five. More recent credits for the actress, who earned an Oscar nomination for 1979's "Starting Over," include the features "The In-Laws," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Miss Congeniality" and view from the top.

Early this fall, Bergen starred in the CBS telefilm "Footsteps," which earned solid ratings.