New Girl Cast: Where Are They Now? Their Careers and Personal Lives After the Iconic Sitcom

When New Girl debuted in 2011, nobody anticipated the impact it would have. The show revolves around Jess, a quirky schoolteacher, who moves in with three men: Nick, Schmidt, and Winston. The series quickly became a hit, winning awards and featuring celebrity cameos.

Even after its 2018 conclusion, New Girl remains popular thanks to streaming. Meanwhile, the cast members have pursued various projects. Keep reading to discover what they’ve been up to since leaving the iconic loft.

Zooey Deschanel as Jessica Day

New Girl became a hit mainly because of Zooey Deschanel. She played Jess, a heart of the New Girl cast, a cheerful teacher who moves in with three guys in Los Angeles.

But before she moved into Apartment 4D, she already had quite the list of movies under her belt. You might remember her as Will Ferrell’s love interest in Elf or as Jim Carrey’s sidekick in Yes Man. She even starred in The Happening with Mark Wahlberg. And who could forget her heartbreakingly real role in 500 Days of Summer alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

Zooey isn’t just an actress, she’s also a singer. Alongside musician M. Ward, she formed She & Him and released their first album, «Volume One,» in 2008. They’ve since released six more albums and even wrote music for the movie Winnie the Pooh.

Zooey really got into her character, Jess. She even wanted to write the theme song herself, as she felt it captured Jess’s essence perfectly. «It was written into the DNA of the show that Jess was the star of her own show in her head. When I was cast, I was like, ’Well, I want to write the theme song.’ And I also just wanted to get the feel of this character in it,» Deschanel said in the interview. And her understanding of Jess earned her three Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy nod.

Outside of New Girl, Zooey’s kept busy. She lent her voice to Bridget in Trolls and cohosted The Celebrity Dating Game with Michael Bolton. Recently, she joined the cast of AppleTV+’s Physical as Kelly Kilmartin.

Along with some of her New Girl costars, Zooey launched a podcast called «Welcome to Our Show» in 2021. And if you’re a fan of hers, you can catch her antics on TikTok too.

In 2023, Zooey announced her engagement to Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott. She also has two kids, daughter Elsie Otter and son Charlie Wolf, with her ex-husband, Jacob Pechenik.

Jake Johnson as Nick Miller

Nick is one of Jess’ roommates, who she eventually enters an on-and-off relationship.

Before New Girl, Jake Johnson appeared in the rom-com No Strings Attached, written by the show’s creator, Liz Meriwether. He kept busy with movies, like Safety Not Guaranteed with Aubrey Plaza and Jurassic World.

On the show, Johnson’s chemistry with Zooey Deschanel was undeniable. But he also had a special bond with Max Greenfield’s character, Schmidt. According to Johnson, their relationship felt like more than just friendship, it was like a romance.

«For me as Jake, I feel like Zooey Deschanel was my big TV romance, but equally, I also feel like Max Greenfield was my other TV romantic partner, because Nick and Schmidt did not just feel like buddies to me. It felt like, we are in a romance. I did more scenes sitting next to Max talking about how I felt about him than I did with Jess. I think there’s more affection and actual scenes between Nick and Schmidt than there is between Nick and Jess,» the actor opened up.

After New Girl, Johnson voiced a character in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel. He also starred in the comedy Tag, based on a true story.

Nowadays, you can catch Johnson in the TV series Minx, where he plays Doug Renetti. He’s also set to make his directorial debut in a comedy thriller called Self Reliance, alongside Anna Kendrick and Andy Samberg.

In his personal life, Johnson married artist Erin Payne in 2006. They met when she was bartending, just like his character in New Girl. They have twin daughters named Elizabeth and Olivia, born in 2014.

Max Greenfield as Schmidt

When Schmidt wasn’t busy joking about the «Douchebag Jar,» he was trying to impress Cece. Max Greenfield’s character may have seemed a bit uptight, but he was like the glue holding the whole apartment together. Just don’t mess with his conditioner!

Greenfield started acting with small roles on TV before becoming Sheriff’s Deputy Leo D’Amato in Veronica Mars. He later appeared in the 2014 movie and a revival season in 2019. He also played Nick Pepper on Ugly Betty.

During New Girl, we saw Schmidt’s player image fade as he fell for Cece. Greenfield mentioned that falling in love changed the fun of playing the character. «I think he was supposed to be a real playboy and ladies’ man, and then he fell in love, and it ruined everything. It takes away a very fun aspect of playing the character,» Greenfield shared.

Apart from earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his role as Schmidt, Greenfield took on different film parts, like a shady mortgage broker in The Big Short and David in The Glass Castle. He also voiced Roger in Ice Age: Collision Course.

After New Girl, Greenfield starred in The Neighborhood as Dave Johnson. He also played a darker role in Promising Young Woman.

Off-screen, Greenfield became a children’s author. He released books like «I Don’t Want to Read This Book» and «This Book Is Not a Present».

Greenfield married casting director Tess Sanchez in 2008. They have a daughter named Lilly and a son named Ozzie. They’re just like us, jamming out to Taylor Swift and making friendship bracelets.

Hannah Simone as Cece Parekh

Another star of New Girl cast is Cece Parekh. Schmidt fell head over heels for Jess’ best friend the moment he saw her. Not only was Hannah Simone’s character a model, but she also started her own modeling agency called Cece’s Boys.

Before New Girl, Simone worked as a Canadian TV host, interviewing bands and artists for MuchMusic. While playing Cece, she also appeared in movies like the 2013 Oldboy remake, Folk Hero and Funny Guy, and Killing Gunther. You can even spot her in a music video with Danny Trejo for Train’s song «Angel in Blue Jeans».

Currently, Simone plays newspaper style editor Sam in the ABC sitcom Not Dead Yet. You can also hear her share behind-the-scenes tales from New Girl on the rewatch podcast. She expressed, «Zooey, Lamorne, and I have missed each other so much, and I’m so excited that we’ve created a show where we can finally answer those questions and share so many untold crazy New Girl stories that happened while we made the show!»

Simone married Canadian musician and designer Jesse Giddings in 2016, and they welcomed a son the following year.

Damon Wayans Jr. as Coach

Damon Wayans Jr. made a big impact as Coach, the competitive roommate, in the first episode of the show. However, he had to leave because he was committed to another sitcom called Happy Endings. Luckily, he returned for New Girl’s third and fourth seasons, plus a few more episodes later on.

«I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to come back to New Girl in season 3 to reprise the role of Coach. Working with this incredibly talented and funny cast and crew has been one of the best experiences of my career,» Wayans said.

Before leaving Apartment 4D for the first time, Wayans worked with other members of the famous Wayans family on projects like the movies Blankman and Dance Flick. He also appeared in The Other Guys, starred with his New Girl costar Jake Johnson in Let’s Be Cops, and voiced Wasabi in Disney’s animated movie Big Hero 6.

After leaving New Girl again, Wayans Jr. starred in the sitcom Happy Together and voiced Arnold Evans in some episodes of Bob’s Burgers. Fans can expect to see him team up with his father, Damon Wayans of In Living Color and SNL fame, for a new comedy series project at CBS.

Wayans Jr. married Samara Saraiva in 2016. He has children with his wife and his ex-girlfriend, Aja Metoyer.

Lamorne Morris as Winston Bishop

Lamorne Morris joined the regular cast as Winston after the pilot episode. In the loft, he’s known for his failed pranks and for being a devoted cat dad to Ferguson.

New Girl was Morris’ big break. Before landing the role, he did commercials and hosted shows on BET.

Since then, Morris has been busy with both movies and TV shows. You might have seen him in films like Game Night, The Christmas Chronicles, Yesterday, Jumanji: The Next Level, and Desperados. On TV, he’s been in Hulu’s Woke and Solar Opposites.

Morris is also one of the hosts on the New Girl rewatch podcast.

At present, there’s no sign of him dating anyone. While he’s been associated with a few women in the past, it appears he chooses to keep his romantic affairs away from public scrutiny.

Nasim Pedrad as Aly Nelson

Nasim Pedrad played Aly Nelson, Winston’s partner from the LAPD, in the later seasons of New Girl.

Pedrad had a recurring role on NBC’s ER and was part of the cast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live from 2009 to 2014.

Before joining New Girl in 2014, she appeared in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, starred in Fox’s short-lived sitcom Mulaney, and acted in movies like No Strings Attached and The Dictator.

Since her time on New Girl, Pedrad has taken on various roles on TV. She starred in Disney’s live-action Aladdin and Desperados, alongside Lamorne Morris. She has also appeared in Scream Queens and Hulu’s The Mindy Project.

Recently, she was on TBS’ Chad and voiced Greta on the Apple TV+ show Pretzel and the Puppies.

Rob Reiner as Bob Day

Rob Reiner played Jess’s dad, Bob Day.

Reiner became famous for his role as Michael Stivic in All in the Family.

Before joining New Girl, he appeared in movies like Throw Momma from the Train, Sleepless in Seattle, The First Wives Club, and Primary Colors.

Besides acting, Reiner is also a respected director. He received nominations from the Directors Guild of America Awards for movies like Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men. The last one also earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

He directed other films like Alex & Emma, starring Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson, and Rumor Has It, with Kevin Costner and Jennifer Aniston.

Since his time on New Girl, Reiner appeared in The Wolf of Wall Street and acted in and directed And So It Goes, with Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton.

Reiner married photographer Michele Singer in 1989, with whom he has three children. The couple founded the «I Am Your Child Foundation,» followed by the «Parents’ Action for Children» in 2004, aimed at raising awareness of early childhood development and advocating for parental education.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Joan Day

Jamie Lee Curtis portrayed Joan, Jess’s mom.

With a Hollywood career spanning about 46 years, she’s starred in popular movies like A Fish Called Wanda, My Girl, and Freaky Friday, as well as TV shows like ABC’s Anything but Love.

She has continued to appear in numerous TV series and movies since then. Additionally, she reprised her role in the horror film Halloween and its sequel Halloween Kills, and she starred in Knives Out.

In 2023, Jamie won her first Oscar as the best supporting actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Megan Fox as Reagan Lucas

Megan Fox portrayed Reagan, a ballerina turned businesswoman who briefly stays in the loft and dates Nick.

Before her role as Reagan, Fox starred in several movies, such as Transformers franchise, Jennifer’s Body and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She also appeared on TV shows like CBS’s Two and a Half Men and TBS’s Wedding Band.

Since her time on New Girl, Fox has landed roles in Rogue, Till Death, and Midnight in the Switchgrass.

Regarding her personal life, after Megan Fox’s final split with Brian Austin Green, she began dating her current boyfriend, Machine Gun Kelly. Their relationship progressed swiftly, and in January 2022, after nearly two years of dating, they announced their engagement. However, they briefly separated around February 2023 before reuniting during a getaway in Hawaii two months later. While it’s uncertain if they are still together, Fox revealed that she and MGK had previously called off their engagement.

Sweet New Girl cast reunion has fans crying.

Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson delighted fans by reuniting at the premiere of Jake’s new film, Self Reliance, in Los Angeles in January 2024. Zooey wore a vibrant dress and a black blazer, while Jake looked sharp in a black shirt and tan jacket.

The two posed for photos together, with Jake even holding Zooey close. This marked their first public reunion since their show, New Girl, ended in 2018.

Photos of the pair at the premiere were shared on Instagram by Hulu and Jake. Fans of New Girl expressed excitement in the comments, with many celebrating the reunion of their beloved characters, Nick and Jess. The film’s premiere also featured Jake’s co-stars Anna Kendrick, Emily Hampshire, Mary Holland, and Andy Samberg, who stars in the movie directed by Jake.

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