Jake Johnson Reflects on ‘New Girl’ Legacy as Hit Sitcom Approaches 15th Anniversary
Actor Jake Johnson has opened up about his time on the beloved sitcom New Girl, admitting that while the experience was a definitive breakout moment for his career, the days of filming the eccentric comedy now feel like a distant memory.
Speaking in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight correspondent Cassie DiLaura, the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse star reflected on his personal evolution since first stepping into the loft. When asked point-blank whether his days on the classic series felt like they happened just yesterday or a lifetime ago, Johnson leaned heavily toward the latter.
Life Shifts and Lifelong Friendships
For the 48-year-old actor, the temporal distance from the show’s initial production makes perfect sense given how much his personal and professional landscape has transformed over the last decade and a half.
“It definitely doesn’t feel like yesterday,” Johnson shared during the broadcast. “It feels like a long time ago, but I’m still so close to the whole cast. It’s crazy that we’ve now known each other for 15 years, but what a dream that show was, and the fan base of that show was so fun, and so honestly, being able to do a show like this show is because of that.”
Johnson portrayed the cynical, sweatpants-wearing, yet deeply endearing bartender Nick Miller for the entirety of the show’s celebrated run. The chemistry between the central ensemble—which also starred Zooey Deschanel, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone, and Damon Wayans Jr.—became the emotional anchor of the series, turning the fictional Los Angeles loft into a definitive pop-culture touchstone for a generation of viewers.
The Fox comedy originally debuted in September 2011 and ran for seven seasons, broadcasting 146 episodes before its official series finale in May 2018. As the landmark 15th anniversary of the show’s development cycle approaches, the comedy continues to enjoy immense cultural longevity and streaming popularity, capturing a massive second wave of younger audiences globally.
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Transitioning to Darker Comedic Territory on Apple TV
Johnson framed the enduring loyalty of the New Girl fanbase as an absolute blessing, noting that the artistic capital and commercial freedom it granted him directly paved the way for his latest creative endeavors. The actor is currently in the middle of a major promotional push for his brand-new Apple TV series, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, which officially made its global streaming debut on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Created by David J. Rosen and directed by David Gordon Green, the highly anticipated 10-episode project marks a distinct narrative shift for Johnson. The darkly comedic half-hour thriller stars Emmy Award winner Tatiana Maslany as Paula, a recently divorced factual journalist who accidentally plunges into a high-stakes web of blackmail, youth soccer politics, and suburban murder.
Johnson co-stars as Karl Hendricks, Paula’s combative ex-husband who is locked in a messy, tense child custody battle over their young daughter. Premiering to stellar critical acclaim, the twisted whodunit currently boasts a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the sharp tonal balance between unsettling suspense and biting social satire. New episodes of the series are scheduled to drop weekly on the platform every Wednesday through mid-July.