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New Girl ''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Television for Fox that originally aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around a kooky teacher, Jessica Day (Zooey ...
'' is an American television
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
created by
Elizabeth Meriwether Elizabeth Hughes Meriwether (born October 11, 1981) is an American writer, producer and television showrunner. She is known for creating the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'', and for writing the play ''Oliver Parker!'' (2010) and the romantic comedy film ...
. The show, set in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, depicts the interpersonal adventures of offbeat teacher Jess (
Zooey Deschanel Zooey Claire Deschanel (; born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She made her film debut in '' Mumford'' (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film ''Almost Famous'' (2000). Deschanel is known for he ...
) after her spontaneous move into an apartment loft with three men: Nick (
Jake Johnson Mark Jake Johnson Weinberger (born May 28, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, film producer and screenwriter best known for his role as Nick Miller in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'' (2011–2018), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Ch ...
), Schmidt (
Max Greenfield Max Greenfield (born September 4, 1979) is an American actor. He appeared in recurring roles in ''Veronica Mars'' and ''Ugly Betty''. He co-starred as Schmidt in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'', for which he received nominations at the Primetime Emmy ...
), and Winston (
Lamorne Morris Lamorne Morris (born August 14, 1983) is an American actor, comedian and television personality. He is known for roles such as Winston Bishop in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'' (2011-2018), Darrin Morris in the National Geographic docudrama ''Vall ...
). Jess' best friend Cece (
Hannah Simone Hannah Simone (born 3 August 1980) is a British-Canadian actress, television host, and former VJ and fashion model. She is known for portraying Cece on the Fox sitcom ''New Girl''. Early life Simone was born in London to an Indian father and ...
) regularly visits her, and their former roommate Coach (
Damon Wayans Jr. Damon Kyle Wayans Jr. (born November 18, 1982) is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for starring as Brad Williams in the ABC sitcom '' Happy Endings'', for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award f ...
). The show also features a number of characters that appear as love interests, acquaintances, or family members for the characters in multiple episodes in a season or across multiple seasons.


Main characters


Jessica Day

Jessica Christopher "Jess" Day (
Zooey Deschanel Zooey Claire Deschanel (; born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She made her film debut in '' Mumford'' (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film ''Almost Famous'' (2000). Deschanel is known for he ...
) is a bubbly, offbeat teacher in her early thirties who is originally from
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
. After discovering in the pilot episode that her live-in boyfriend, Spencer, is cheating on her, she moves into the guys' apartment where Nick, Schmidt, and Winston (or Coach in the Pilot episode) help her move on from her break-up. The series follows her adventures as she goes through various relationships and jobs.


Nick Miller

Nicholas Sean Miller (
Jake Johnson Mark Jake Johnson Weinberger (born May 28, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, film producer and screenwriter best known for his role as Nick Miller in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'' (2011–2018), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Ch ...
) is one of Jess' roommates who works as a bartender. He and Winston are childhood friends from Chicago. At the start of the series, he struggles from having broken up with his long-term girlfriend Caroline. At a wedding event, he almost reunites with her. In the episode "Bells", it is revealed that he is fairly frugal and prefers to repair things in the apartment by himself rather than hire outside help. Out of everyone at the loft he is the worst with money, keeping all of his cash in a box and has never paid taxes, although ironically he is the most financially successful member of his family. It is implied by Schmidt that he dropped out of law school. Later on, in the episode "Clavado En Un Bar", it is revealed that he took and passed the California bar exam to prove he could do it, but decided he'd rather be a bartender instead. In the episode "Secrets", it is shown he is not good at keeping secrets, and sweats on his lower back. He is also not good with taking care of plants. After many failed relationships, Nick tries to rekindle his romance with Caroline and almost moves in with her at the end of season 1. In season 2, he writes a zombie novel called ''Z Is for Zombie'' He and Jess become attracted to each other and they kiss in the season 2 episode "Cooler". Afterward, he and Jess are confused as to how to deal with their relationship, but later have sex in the episode "Virgins". They eventually agree to be a couple at the end of season 2, but break up towards the end of season 3. In season 4, he trains Cece to bartend. Along with hooking up with Tran's granddaughter Kai. He and Schmidt revive their business ventures, investing in a share of the bar where he works. In season 5, while Jess is sequestered on jury duty, he gets to know their temporary roommate Reagan Lucas, but only get as far as kissing before she leaves. They start dating at the end of season 5. At the beginning of season 6, he returns from New Orleans and works on his novel ''The Pepperwood Chronicles'' while maintaining a long-distance and later in-loft relationship with Reagan. However, at the end of season 6 he and Reagan break up, and he reunites with Jess. Three years later, in the season 7 premiere, Nick and Jess return to the loft after a European book tour for ''Pepperwood'', although he is still waiting for the right time to propose to Jess. He eventually proposes to her in the episode "Mario", and they marry in the episode The Curse of the Pirate Bride". In the series finale, he and Jess move out of the loft to a two-bedroom apartment. A flash-forward reveals that he and Jess have a son in the future.


Schmidt

Winston Saint-Marie Schmidt (
Max Greenfield Max Greenfield (born September 4, 1979) is an American actor. He appeared in recurring roles in ''Veronica Mars'' and ''Ugly Betty''. He co-starred as Schmidt in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'', for which he received nominations at the Primetime Emmy ...
) is the guy who originally posted the online ad for a new roommate. He is an overly confident ladies' man who is originally from
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. While attending
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
, he was very obese, and shared a dorm room with Nick and became life-long friends. Since then, he has worked hard to lose weight and to be seen as physically attractive and cool. Because of this, he often says offensive or cocky things, and every time he does, his roommates make him put money in the apartment's " douchebag jar". He is relatively wealthy compared to his roommates, having bought the couch and refrigerator, and splurging on things such as an $80 sushi plate; it was also noted that his family spent $40,000 on his Bar Mitzvah. Schmidt is a successful marketing associate, the sole male in a female-dominated office, and is known for his numerous flings with women. Schmidt's other quirks include a fear of feral cats, especially the one on their apartment's roof; being very controlling and a
germophobe Mysophobia, also known as verminophobia, germophobia, germaphobia, bacillophobia and bacteriophobia, is a pathological fear of contamination and germs. The term was coined by William A. Hammond in 1879 when describing a case of obsessive–com ...
when it comes to preparing food; organizing things. In the second half of season 1, he has a casual but passionate sexual relationship with fashion model and best friend of Jess, Cece. In the season finale, he ends his relationship with Cece because he feels she deserves someone better. In season 2, he continues to have feelings for Cece, being jealous of Cece's date Robby. He has a brief relationship with co-worker Emma who has him sign a sex contract. Towards the end of the season, when he realizes Cece is going to wed Shivrang, he rekindles a relationship with his college girlfriend Elizabeth and tries to sabotage the wedding. In season 3, he tries to date both Elizabeth and Cece but it does not last long. He moves into neighboring apartment 4C allowing for Coach to return as a roommate, but later moves back to 4D (sharing a room with Nick) after he uses his savings to fund a storefront for Jess's sister. In season 4, he dates councilwoman Fawn Moscato and tries to keep up with her climbing the social ladder, but eventually breaks up with her. In the season 4 finale "Clean Break", he realizes he cannot part ways with Cece and her stuff; he proposes to her. They marry at the end of season 5. In season 6, they purchase a
fixer-upper In real estate vernacular, a fixer-upper is a property that will require repair (redecoration, reconstruction, or redesign), though it usually can be lived in or used as it is. They are popular with buyers who wish to raise the property's potent ...
house, and have it renovated. Towards the end of season 6, he is promoted to director of marketing, and in the final episode, he learns that Cece is expecting. In the season 7 premiere, it is revealed that Schmidt has become a
stay-at-home dad A stay-at-home dad (alternatively, full-time father, stay-at-home father, house dad, househusband, or house-spouse) is a father who is the main caregiver of the children and is generally the homemaker of the household. The female equivalent is ...
to their three-year-old daughter Ruth. In the series finale, a flash-forward reveals that he and Cece have a son named Moses. Schmidt's first name is a long-kept secret of the series, until the penultimate episode of season 6 "San Diego" in which it is revealed to be Winston and his middle name is Saint-Marie. He agreed with Winston Bishop to be called by his last name to avoid confusion.


Coach

Ernie Tagliaboo (
Damon Wayans, Jr. Damon Kyle Wayans Jr. (born November 18, 1982) is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for starring as Brad Williams in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''Happy Endings (TV series), Happy Endings'', for which he ...
) who goes by the nickname Coach, is a cocky and driven, yet sometimes awkward former athlete who works as a
personal trainer A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and groups, or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, p ...
. He is one of the roommates when Jess first moves into the loft in the pilot, but he moves out before the second episode for then-undisclosed reasons, allowing for Winston to take his place. In season 3, Coach had broken up with his girlfriend Malia and lives with the gang in the loft. He has worked as a personal trainer at gyms and as a sports coach and health class teacher at Jess' school. At the end of season 4, Coach moves to New York with his girlfriend May, He makes guest appearances afterwards in seasons 5–7, and is often mentioned. In the episode " Cece's Boys", it is revealed that he and May moved to
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and have taken in a foreign exchange student named Montsie.


Cece

Cecilia "Cece" Parikh (
Hannah Simone Hannah Simone (born 3 August 1980) is a British-Canadian actress, television host, and former VJ and fashion model. She is known for portraying Cece on the Fox sitcom ''New Girl''. Early life Simone was born in London to an Indian father and ...
) is Jess' best friend since childhood, a street-smart and snarky
fashion model A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Thoug ...
. Although she is fairly serious and cool, she does enjoy parties and has gotten drunk on occasion where she acts more wildly. Her parents were born in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Initially skeptical of Jess's new roommates, Cece becomes interested in Schmidt after seeing him express his emotions while preparing Thanksgiving dinner. They have a passionate sexual relationship and try to keep it a secret from the others until they were discovered by Winston when he drove to Mexico. Despite Schmidt breaking up with her at the end of season 1, she retains feelings towards him. In season 2, Cece dates a guy named Robby. She later discovers that she has limited time to conceive a baby and decides to enter an arranged marriage with a man called Shivrang. She calls off the wedding in the season 2 finale after realizing that she is still in love with Schmidt and has no feelings for Shivrang (who also turned out to be in love with someone else). At the start of season 3, a confused Schmidt misleads her as he attempts to carry on two distinct relationships. Cece soon discovers the truth and is left to recuperate after the break-up. She starts working part-time as a bartender at the place where Nick works, passes her GED exam and takes community college classes. While Schmidt is dating Fawn Moscato, Cece begins to have feelings for him again. She goes on a hiking trip to
Mount Shasta Mount Shasta ( Shasta: ''Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki''; Karuk: ''Úytaahkoo'') is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of , it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades ...
, and when she returns she accepts his marriage proposal in the season 4 finale "Clean Break". They get married in the season 5 finale "Landing Gear", and buy a house, which they fix up in season 6. In addition to bartending, she opens up a modeling agency called Cece's Boys in season 6. In the final episode, "Five Stars for Beezus", Cece learns she is pregnant. Three years later, in season 7, she and Schmidt have a three-year-old daughter named Ruth, and her modeling agency was merged into a larger agency. In the series finale, a flash-forward reveals that she and Schmidt eventually have a son named Moses.


Winston Bishop

Winston L'Andre Bishop (
Lamorne Morris Lamorne Morris (born August 14, 1983) is an American actor, comedian and television personality. He is known for roles such as Winston Bishop in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'' (2011-2018), Darrin Morris in the National Geographic docudrama ''Vall ...
) is Nick's childhood friend from Chicago. He first appears in "Kryptonite", where he moves into the apartment, replacing Coach who had vacated. Prior to his stay, he had been a
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
for a team in the
Latvian Basketball League Latvian may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Latvia **Latvians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to what is modern-day Latvia and the immediate geographical region **Latvian language, also referred to as Lettish **Latvian cuisine **Latvi ...
, but has been struggling to find meaningful work. He has the ability to master things quickly, as shown in the "Bells" episode, when he rings
handbells A handbell is a bell designed to be rung by hand. To ring a handbell, a ringer grasps the bell by its slightly flexible handle – traditionally made of leather, but often now made of plastic – and moves the arm to make the hinged cla ...
, but is not so good with interacting with children when he is asked to lead them in a song. He enjoys pulling
pranks A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...
on people but the jokes are either too small or too big. He also enjoys
jigsaw puzzles A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces, each of which typically has a portion of a picture. When assembled, the puzzle pieces produce a complete picture. In th ...
and wearing shirts with pictures of birds or other animals on them. After dabbling in some odd jobs, including being a nanny for Schmidt's boss Gina's son, he gets his break as a research assistant to a sports radio show host, which leads to his own show on the radio's late night shift. He dates Shelby, who he had treated neglectfully in the past. In the season 1 finale, it is revealed he his afraid of the dark, although after spending a night in the desert, he seems to get over it. In season 2, he breaks up with Shelby in the Halloween episode. He later dates Daisy, but because of their schedule, they only have a small window of time to be with each other. Early in season 3, when he breaks up with Daisy, he takes ownership of her cat . He later dates a bus driver named Bertie. Having realized that others have been making his career choices for him all his life, he quits his radio host job, enrolls in a police academy, and becomes a police officer for the
LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
. He is partnered with the tough, but kind-hearted colleague, Aly Nelson. They start dating in season 5, and he proposes to her in season 6. Three years later, he and Aly are married and are expecting a child, living on their own. In the episode "Curse of the Pirate Bride", Aly gives birth to a baby boy whom Winston names Dan Bill Bishop, and in the series finale flash-forward scene, they have five children.


Ruth

Ruth Bader Parikh-Schmidt (Danielle Rockoff and Rhiannon Rockoff) is the daughter of Schmidt and Cece, first appearing in season 7 where she celebrates her third birthday. Showrunner Brett Baer said that they chose to name her after U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by President ...
because of Schmidt's character growth and change from someone who often objectified women to someone who admired strong women and wants his daughter to become President of the United States someday.


Secondary characters


Introduced in season 1

* (
Mary Elizabeth Ellis Mary Elizabeth Ellis (born May 11, 1979) is an American actress, best known for her recurring roles as The Waitress on the FX comedy ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–present), Nick's ex-girlfriend Caroline in the Fox sitcom ''New G ...
), Nick's ex-girlfriend at the start of the series. She and Nick hook up briefly near the end of season 1, and Nick is about to move into an apartment with her. * (
Justin Long Justin Jacob Long (born June 2, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. Long is known for his film roles, notably appearing in '' Jeepers Creepers'' (2001), ''Dodgeball'' (2004), ''Accepted'' (2006), ''Idiocracy'' (20 ...
), a music teacher at Jess's school whom Jess takes a liking to. The guys remark that he is quirky and emotional like a male version of Jess. Jess thinks he makes a funny face when he cries. He later becomes engaged to Jenn, who Jess thinks is like an Asian version of her. In a season 4 episode "Walk of Shame", it was revealed that he and Jenn had broken up, and that he had been working as a clown entertainer for kids' birthday parties, but Jess convinces him to quit that and move forward with his life. * (
Michaela Watkins Michaela Suzanne Watkins (born December 14, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for starring on the Hulu series '' Casual'' and on the short-lived sitcoms '' The Unicorn'' and ''Trophy Wife'', as well as being a cast memb ...
), Schmidt's boss and the Vice President at Associated Strategies. She is described as "tough, domineering, unpleasant". She has a
baby shower A baby shower is a party of gift-giving, drinking beers or a ceremony that has different names in different cultures. It celebrates the delivery or expected birth of a child or the transformation of a woman into a mother. Etymology The term ''s ...
in season 1 which Schmidt gets himself invited to. She has a son named Elvin whom Winston befriends at the holiday Christmas party, and whom Winston watches over as a nanny prior to his radio show job. * (
June Diane Raphael June Diane Raphael ( ; born January 4, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She has starred in TV comedy programs ''Burning Love'', Adult Swim's '' NTSF:SD:SUV::'', and ''Grace and Frankie''. Notable film work includes support ...
), Jess's friend who is a lesbian gynecologist. She is pregnant in the second season. Her partner is Melissa, who is played by series writer
Kay Cannon Kay Cannon (born August 22, 1974) is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actress. She is best known for writing and producing the ''Pitch Perfect'' film series (2012–2017). She made her directorial debut with the comedy film '' ...
. * (
Gillian Vigman Gillian Vigman (born January 28, 1972) is an American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She has played Jack Box's Wife in many Jack in the Box commercials, and is a recurring cast member of the sketch comedy series ''MADtv''. Vigman also st ...
), Schmidt's other boss and the CFO at Associated Strategies. She has dark blonde hair. Some of her tasks seem like
double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
s to Schmidt. * (David Neher), Schmidt's former college roommate and " fremesis". * (
Rachael Harris Rachael Elaine Harris (born January 12, 1968) is an American actress and comedian. She is known for her numerous acting roles, such as starring as Dr. Linda Martin in ''Lucifer'', her role in the ''Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' film series, and as a gu ...
), the vice principal at Jess's school in season 1. She joins Jess on the party bus. * (
Jeff Kober Jeff Kober (born December 18, 1953) is an American actor, known for his television roles as Dodger in ''China Beach'', Jacob Hale Jr. in ''Sons of Anarchy'', and Joe in the fourth season of '' The Walking Dead''. He is also known his movie role ...
), the creepy landlord of the apartment building that the guys wanted to avoid using whenever possible. When Jess befriends him, he assumes she wants to flirt with him. He is also OK with having a
threesome In human sexuality, a threesome is commonly understood as "a sexual interaction between three people whereby at least one engages in physical sexual behaviour with both the other individuals". Though ''threesome'' most commonly refers to sexua ...
with Nick and Jess. * (
Lizzy Caplan Elizabeth Anne Caplan (born June 30, 1982) is an American actress. Her first acting role was on the television series ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000). She received wider recognition with roles in the films ''Mean Girls'' (2004) and ''Cloverfi ...
), Nick's girlfriend in a story arc in season 1. At first she appears to be the perfect girl to Nick, but later it is revealed she has
anger management Anger management is a psycho-therapeutic program for anger prevention and control. It has been described as deploying anger successfully.Schwarts, Gil. July 2006. Anger Management', July 2006 The Office Politic. Men's Health magazine. Emmaus, PA: ...
issues. She is a lawyer who has a contrasting personality to the bubbly Jess. * (
Kali Hawk Kali Hawk (born October 4, 1986) is an American actress, comedian, model and jewelry designer. She has starred in films such as ''Fifty Shades of Black'', ''Couples Retreat'', ''Bridesmaids'' and ''Tyler Perry Presents Peeples''. She recurred as ...
), Winston's love interest. They had a
tryst Tryst may refer to: Art and entertainment * ''Tryst'' (novel), a 1939 novel by Elswyth Thane * ''Tryst'' (play), a 2006 play by Karoline Leach * ''Tryst'' (album), a 2019 studio album by Kate Ceberano and Paul Grabowsky * "Tryst", a song by Joh ...
before Winston went to Latvia, but after much apologizing on Winston's part, she agreed to give him a second chance. She manages a diner. * (
Dermot Mulroney Dermot Mulroney (born October 31, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in romantic comedy, western, and drama films. Appearing on screen since 1986, he is known for his work in various films such as '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' Stay ...
), appears in the episodes "Fancyman" as the divorced father of one of Jess's students. He dislikes that his daughter did a weird art project and wanted to pull her out of Jess's class. Jess's boss reveals that Russell was the third largest donor in the city, and the episodes show that he has a fancy car and house, but that he is very generous and kind to Jess because he likes her. Mulroney described his role as being a person half-generation older, but that he had a blast working with the group. Mulroney's role was initially for three episodes but was extended to a fourth episode and also included guest star
Jeanne Tripplehorn Jeanne Marie Tripplehorn (born June 10, 1963) is an American actress. She began her career on stage, acting in several plays throughout the early 1990s, including Anton Chekhov's '' Three Sisters'' on Broadway. Her film career began with the rol ...
who played Russell's ex-wife. In the season 7 premiere, Russell says that he had remarried and divorced twice in the three years since Jess and Nick got back together, and has a toddler that is in the same gym class as Ruth. He hires Jess to work at his education-based non-profit. * (
Phil Hendrie Philip Stephen Hendrie (born September 1, 1952) is an American radio personality and actor. He is widely known for his voiceover talent throughout the radio and film industry. He came to prominence in the 1990s hosting ''The Phil Hendrie Show'', a ...
), a sports
radio personality A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a rad ...
who hires Winston as his research assistant. Hendrie himself is a radio personality. * (
Rebecca Reid Rebecca Ballantine Reid is a British actress and former model, based in Los Angeles. Career Reid has worked as a model in Tokyo, Paris and London, featuring in magazines such as ''Harpers Bazaar, i-D'', and ''Elle''. In 2014 she featured in ...
), a Russian model and one of Cece's roommates. On Cece's prompting, she and Schmidt have a date, but it results in an awkward sexual encounter, in which Schmidt injures his penis and has to be hospitalized. Reid auditioned when the show was looking for fashion models that would serve as "intimidatingly taciturn roommates for Cece", and that the character was originally going to just say five words but her role got extended to three episodes. Reid said that she had met Russian models who acted like that. In the season 4 episode "Girl Fight", she has a baby shower.


Introduced in season 2

* (
Nelson Franklin Nelson Franklin is an American actor best known for his television roles in ''The Millers'', ''Traffic Light'', ''The Office'', ''New Girl'', ''Black-ish'', and ''Veep''. Life and career Franklin was born to father Howard Franklin, a screenwri ...
), Cece's new boyfriend in the season premiere. Laid-back and nice, he represents a contrast to Schmidt, who sees him as a rival, but later tries to ally with him against Shivrang. In season 6, he and Jess form a singles group dedicated to keeping their relationships platonic. He and Jess develop feelings for each other; however, during the episode "The Hike", they discover they are
third cousin Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, " ...
s and break up. His last name is revealed to be McFerrin. * ( David Walton), Jess's love interest after she was laid off from teaching. Jess had planned to have just a physical relationship with someone who was just as disinterested as her at the time. Although Sam appears to be a spacey guy who likes
Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets. The ea ...
, he is actually a pediatrician. * (
Josh Gad Joshua Ilan Gad (born February 23, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Olaf in the '' Frozen'' franchise, playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical ''The Book of Mormon'', and playing Le Fou in the live-action adap ...
), a beer delivery guy at the bar where Nick works. Nick almost sets them up on data. They met again in series 4. * (
Ralph Ahn Ralph Philander Ahn (September 28, 1926 – February 26, 2022) was an American actor. He was the last surviving son of leading Korean independence activist Dosan Ahn Chang-ho. His father's contributions to the Korean independence movement influe ...
), an elderly Asian man who Nick becomes friends with. He hardly speaks, but smiles a lot at Nick, and helps Nick defuse his anger with water therapy in the "Menzies" episode. The character was thought up by Johnson, and Meriweather and the writers thought he was funny and really easy to write for. He also helps Nick ask Jess out on a date. Tran's granddaughter also has a storyline in the show as Nick's love interest. * (
Carla Gugino Carla Gugino (; born August 29, 1971) is an American actress. After appearing in ''Troop Beverly Hills'' (1989) and ''This Boy's Life'' (1993), she received recognition for her starring roles as Ingrid Cortez in the ''Spy Kids'' trilogy (2001 ...
) is the Vice President of the North American region of Associated Strategies. She and Schmidt have a brief sexual relationship that was prefaced with Schmidt signing a legal sex contract. Gugino described her character as like ''
Fifty Shades of Grey ''Fifty Shades of Grey'' is a 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James. It became the first instalment in the ''Fifty Shades'' novel series that follows the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, ...
'' but more comical. * (
Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, children's author, and activist. She came to prominence with her portrayal of Lt. Barbara Duran on the ABC sitcom '' Operation Petticoat'' (1977–78). In 1978, she m ...
) is Jess's mother. She and Bob are divorced and she shares some personality quirks with Jess. * (
Rob Reiner Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom ''All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performanc ...
) is Jess's father. Though he admits to having many similarities to Nick, he is very protective of Jess and disapproves of their relationship. In season 4, he proposes marriage to Ashley, one of Jess's former schoolmates, and marries her in the episode "Oregon", but is divorced again in season 6. * (
Rob Riggle Robert A. Riggle Jr. (born April 21, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and former United States Marine Officer. He is known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show'' from 2006 to 2008; as a cast member on ''Satu ...
), Schmidt's rival cousin, first showing at Thanksgiving. He returns in season 5 for the bachelor party festivities. * (
Olivia Munn Lisa Olivia Munn (born July 3, 1980) is an American actress and former television host. After an internship at a news station in Tulsa, she moved to Los Angeles where she began her professional career as a television host for the gaming network ...
), a bar patron that Nick falls for as she broke up with a boyfriend. She works as a stripper, but Jess encourages Nick to be with her. When asked about Angie and Nick's abrupt breakup, Munn said that it was more of a practical setting so that she could return to filming episodes for '' The Newsroom'' and that she liked seeing Nick and Jess together. * (
Dennis Farina Donaldo Gugliermo "Dennis" Farina (February 29, 1944 – July 22, 2013) was an American actor. Often typecast as a mobster or police officer, he is known for roles such as FBI Agent Jack Crawford in '' Manhunter'', mobster Jimmy Serrano in the ...
), Nick's dad. He is a con man who during his visit in season 2, tries to get Jess to invest in buying a race horse and trying to sell it for studding. The gang later go to Chicago for his funeral, and he appears in a flashback episode afterwards. Farina died several months after his appearances were broadcast on ''New Girl''. * (
Satya Bhabha Satya Sorab Bhabha (born 13 December 1983) is a British actor known for his role as Matthew Patel in the 2010 film '' Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'' and his recurring role as Shivrang in ''New Girl''. Life and career Bhabha was born in London, En ...
), Cece's fiance by arranged marriage. * (
Brenda Song Brenda Song (born March 27, 1988) is an American actress. Born in California, Song began her career at the age of six, working as a child model. She made her screen debut with a guest appearance on the sitcom '' Thunder Alley'' (1995), and ...
), Winston's love interest. She initially appeared at the bar wearing an engagement ring but that was to fend off guys. She tries to teach Winston to be more confident in picking up girls. Because of their schedules they only have a small window of time to interact. She is described as competitive and intense and disliking quitters. Although they part ways in season 3, Winston takes ownership of Daisy's cat Furguson. * (
Steve Agee Steven Douglas Agee (; born February 26, 1969) is an American comedian, actor, writer and musician, known for roles including Steve Myron on the Comedy Central series ''The Sarah Silverman Program'' and as John Economos in the 2021 superhero fil ...
), a homeless man who lives outside of the apartment building and often interacts with Jess and the roommates. * (
Merritt Wever Merritt Carmen Wever (born August 11, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for starring as a perennially upbeat young nurse in ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–2015), an intrepid widow in the Netflix period miniseries '' Godless'' (2017), and a de ...
), Schmidt's college girlfriend. * (
Curtis Armstrong Curtis Armstrong (born November 27, 1953) is an American actor and singer best known for playing the role of Booger in the ''Revenge of the Nerds'' movies, Herbert Viola on the TV series ''Moonlighting'', Miles Dalby in the film '' Risky Busines ...
), the eccentric principal of Coolidge Middle School. Despite his apparent incompetence and frequent oddness, he and Jess have a congenial relationship. His given name is Alan. Although he retires in season 5, he is still named Principal Foster for appearances in season 6 and 7.


Introduced in season 3

* (
Angela Kinsey Angela Faye Kinsey (born June 25, 1971) is an American actress. She played Angela Martin in the sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2013) and appeared in the sitcoms '' Your Family or Mine'' (2015) and ''Haters Back Off'' (2016–2017). Since ''The ...
), a "snobbish "cool" teacher" at Coolidge Middle School. She is described as "turned off by Jess's diligence and goody-two-shoes approach to her job." * (
Brian Posehn Brian Edmund Posehn (; born July 6, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, musician, and writer. After numerous appearances as a television guest star, Posehn acquired his first major recurring role in HBO's ''Mr. Show with ...
), credited as Biology Teacher, works at Coolidge Middle School. * (
Jessica Chaffin Jessica Chaffin is an American actress, comedian, and writer best known as part of the comedy duo Ronna and Beverly with Jamie Denbo. She is also known for her recurring roles as Coco Wexler on Nickelodeon's ''Zoey 101'', Marie Faldonado in the C ...
) is a bus driver who becomes Winston's girlfriend when she found Winston's cat. Winston likes that she's down-to-earth. * (
Ben Falcone Benjamin Scott Falcone (born August 25, 1973) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is married to actress Melissa McCarthy, with whom he co-starred in '' God’s Favorite Idiot''. He has also had cameos in '' ''Bridesmaids', ''Iden ...
), the gay owner of the bar where Nick and Cece work. * (
Linda Cardellini Linda Edna Cardellini (born June 25, 1975) is an American actress. In television, she is known for her leading roles in the teen drama ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000), the medical drama '' ER'' (2003–09), the drama thriller ''Bloodline'' (2 ...
), Jess's older sister, described as bit of a wild child. She is frequently in trouble with the law. The writers also used Cardellini as a character reference.


Introduced in season 4

* (
Julian Morris Julian David Morris (born 13 January 1983) is an English actor. After appearing in the British television series ''The Knock'' (1996) and ''Fish'' (2000) during his teenage years, he had his first starring role in the American slasher film '' Cr ...
) an attractive new science teacher from the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
who becomes Jess's love interest, although Jess struggles with entering the relationship because of her position as a vice-principal and the school policy of not having relationships with teachers. In the episode "Landline", the gang are confused as to how to pronounce his name, thinking it sounds more like "goes in you". * (
Greta Lee Greta Jiehan Lee (born March 7, 1983) is an American actress. Early life Lee was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Korean immigrants. While attending Harvard-Westlake School, she became interested in the performing art ...
), Tran's granddaughter who becomes Nick's girlfriend. The gang worry that Kai is looking for a sugar daddy but Nick later discovers that she works as a consultant but is actually rich, with her own apartment. She enjoys staying on the couch with Nick, but eventually breaks up with Nick when he becomes too assertive in his career ambitions. * (
Zoe Lister-Jones Zoe Lister-Jones (born September 1, 1982) is an American actress, and filmmaker who co-starred as Jen Collins Short in the CBS sitcom ''Life in Pieces'' from 2015 to 2019. She is also known for her roles in the television shows ''Delocated'' (20 ...
), a city councilwoman who becomes Schmidt's love interest. She is described as controlling and manipulative, using Schmidt mostly as a model boyfriend to advance her causes. In the series finale, she has become mayor. * (
Nasim Pedrad Nassim ( ar, نسیم) also transliterated as Nacim, Naseem, Nasseem, Nasim, Nesim or Nessim, is a unisex Arabic name. It is mostly used in Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures and language groups. It may refer to: Company *Nasim Sdn Bhd, a m ...
), Winston's officer partner. She is petite, which gets the guys worried that she cannot defend herself, but she quickly proves them wrong. At first, she does not want to be friends with Winston, as another cop had fallen for her before and it did not work out. They become a couple in season 5 and get engaged in season 6. In the season 7 premiere, she and Winston are married and she is pregnant. In the episode "Curse of the Pirate Bride", she gives birth to a baby boy whom Winston names Dan Bill Bishop, and in the series finale flash-forward scene, she and Winston have five children. * (
Meaghan Rath Meaghan Rath (born June 18, 1986) is a Canadian film and television actress. She is known for her television roles on '' Being Human'', ''15/Love'', '' The Assistants'', and '' Hawaii Five-0''. Personal life Rath was born in Montreal, Quebec, ...
), a girl that Coach keeps running into at the Valentine's Day bar crawl. She agrees to be Coach's girlfriend on the condition that he write her a nice e-mail, but when Coach accidentally sends off a number of rough drafts, she accepts him anyway. She plays the cello in a chamber ensemble, but is accepting of Coach's quirks and flaws as well as his interests, playing "
Heavy Action "Heavy Action" is a piece of music composed by Johnny Pearson. Composed in 1970, and featuring a strong brass fanfare opening, "Heavy Action" soon became a well established sporting theme tune, most associated in the United Kingdom as the theme for ...
" (the theme for ''
Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
'') for him. When she accepts a job in New York, she and Coach are about to break up but they both have second thoughts, and Coach agrees to move with her. * (
Nora Dunn Nora Dunn (born April 29, 1952) is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch variety TV series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1990, Dr. Reynolds in ''The Nanny'' (1998-1999), and Muriel in ''Home Economics' ...
), Schmidt's mother. She is very strict and insists that Schmidt do all his bar mitzvah thank-you cards before granting him the money, and nitpicks his manners. She later proposes marriage to her long-time partner Susan toward the end of season 5.


Introduced in season 5

* (
Fred Melamed Fred Melamed (born May 13, 1956) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for portraying Sy Ableman in the Coen Brothers' ''A Serious Man'' (2009). He is also known for his collaborations with Woody Allen appearing in seven of ...
), the CFO at Associated Strategies around the time when Schmidt is engaged. * (
Megan Fox Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film '' Holiday in the Sun'' (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy ...
), a gorgeous, no-nonsense bisexual pharmaceutical sales rep who comes to town on business and shakes things up in the loft when she rents out Jess's room while the latter is sequestered on jury duty (during Zooey Deschanel's
parental leave Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, Paternity (law), paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" an ...
). She knows Cece from a previous gig they did together. Reagan starts dating Nick, but they eventually break up at the end of season six. * (
Peter Gallagher Peter Killian Gallagher (born August 19, 1955) is an American actor. Since 1980, he has played roles in numerous Hollywood films. He is best known for starring as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series ''The O.C.'' from 2003 to 2007, recurr ...
), Schmidt's father. He is divorced, but made out with Jess in his introductory episode. He owns a vineyard. Nick and Schmidt do not trust him at first because he has been unreliable as a father to Schmidt, but he resolves to do better as a father after Nick tells him to clean up his act. In season 6, he gets in trouble when he dates six women at once.


Introduced in season 6

* (Ayden Mayeri), Aly's air-headed sister who initially works as a realtor. * (
Trent Garrett Trent Garrett (born March 2, 1984) is an American actor and model best known for his roles as Bowie Quinn on the Disney Channel series ''Andi Mack'', Wes on ''Splitting Up Together'', and John on '' Maggie''. Personal life Trent Garrett was bor ...
), a hunky attractive guy that Cece hires as a bartender. He later becomes Cece's first client for her modeling agency business. * (
Brian Huskey Brian Huskey (born September 8, 1968) is an American character actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his roles in comedy programs such as '' People of Earth'', ''Childrens Hospital'', ''Veep'', and ''Another Period''. He also provides ...
), Nick's publisher editor.


Notes and episodes cited


References


External links

* * {{New Girl
New Girl ''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Television for Fox that originally aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around a kooky teacher, Jessica Day (Zooey ...
New Girl ''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Television for Fox that originally aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around a kooky teacher, Jessica Day (Zooey ...
Characters, list of