Young Vet

This is why I heart TV’s Parenthood: The show doesn’t do stunt casting – it casts from the heart.

And that’s because the show’s mastermind, Emmy winner Jason Katims, is pretty genius.

Case in point, he’s gone back to a well we knows incredibly well (ha!) – that would be the ensemble of his other TV gem, Friday Night Lights – and tapped Matt Lauria to join the fourth season of his woefully underappreciated show.

The cutie-patootie actor is set to recur as a returning soldier from Afghanistan who strikes up a friendship with war vet Zeek Braverman (Craig T. Nelson).

Sooo looking forward to this and to the show’s return this fall.

Photo: Zap2It.com.

Update 1: American Idol finalist Paul McDonald is also invading the Bravermanverse next season.

The singer has been cast as a musician who books some time at Crosby (Dax Shepard) and Adam’s (Peter Krause) recording studio, and catches the attention of the studio’s new assistant, the Braverman boys’ niece Amber (Mae Whitman).