'Nashville' promotes Chris Carmack, Stella sisters to series regulars for season 2

Credit: ABC/Katherine Bomboy-Thornton/The Hollywood Reporter

ABC's Nashville has made three temporary citizens permanent.

Chris Carmack and sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella have been promoted to series regulars for the ABC drama's upcoming second season, reports TheWrap. Carmack, best known for his role as Luke Ward on The OC, joined the series in a recurring role for the final six episodes of the show's first season, playing closeted gay country singer Will Lexington. The Stella sisters, meanwhile, have been with the show since the series premiere, which had to be reshot to include them, since visa issues prevented the Canadian-born duo from appearing in the episode. The series marks the first major acting gig for the sisters, who became YouTube sensations with their cover songs.

Despite iffy ratings towards the end of its first season, Nashville was renewed for a second season in May. As if gaining moment from the renewal, the season finale scored a 1.9 in the key adults 18-49 demographic, up 12 percent from the previous week's 1.7, its best ratings performance in the demo since its mid-season premiere in January.