Inside Zooey Deschanel's Friendship With Former On-Screen Love Interest Jake Johnson

In January 2024, former "New Girl" stars Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson graced fans with a mini-reunion. The two were pictured together at the Los Angeles premiere of "Self Reliance," a 2023 comedy starring Johnson and Anna Kendrick. Hulu shared photos from the event on Instagram, featuring the snapshot of Johnson with a friendly arm around Deschanel as the two smiled at the camera. "Keeping good company is always important," the caption read. "Especially at the #SelfReliance premiere."

While the two played on-screen roommates and love interests for 7 Seasons on "New Girl," with Deschanel starring as Jess Day and Johnson as Nick Miller, the two actors have also shared a behind-the-scenes friendship. Since the NBC sitcom ended in 2018, its leading actors have mostly gone their separate ways, with Deschanel pursuing a relationship with HGTV hunk Jonathan Scott and returning to TV for the third season of Apple's comedy series "Physical." Meanwhile, Johnson has seemingly been as happy as ever with his wife Erin Payne while landing roles in major movies and TV shows alike. If anything, the mini-reunion between Deschanel and Johnson shows that the offscreen connection that fueled an iconic "New Girl" romance lives on even today.

In the past, Zooey Deschanel has gotten real about her chemistry with Jake Johnson on "New Girl," revealing that their easy connection was actually worrisome for the writers during the early seasons of the series. "I feel like at first we would be put in a scene and they'd be like, 'Too much chemistry!" Deschanel shared on an October 2012 PaleyFest panel. "It'd just be, like, a normal scene and [the writers] would be like, 'We do not want to develop that [yet].'"

While this might've initially limited Deschanel and Johnson's on-screen time together, that didn't keep the two from connecting behind the scenes. On the "Welcome to Our Show" podcast, which Deschanel hosts with former co-stars Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris, the "500 Days of Summer" star and Johnson talked about the comedic bits that have spanned their friendship, with each commending the other for their longstanding commitment.

"We're still, over text, doing bits that we started on the first season of 'New Girl,'" Deschanel said, with Johnson explaining that his favorite inside joke is the one where they pretend to be managers. While this started with the two playfully bidding for a chance to manage screenwriter Max Winkler's three-legged German Shepherd, it's touched other aspects of their life, with Johnson mentioning that he jokingly told Deschanel that he had "signed" her daughter before she was even born. 

Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson had their laughs on the set of "New Girl," but their shared work was also something they really bonded over. In a 2018 interview with Peter Travers, Johnson opened up about the fact while reflecting on the long-running series. "Zooey and I really did care about the Nick and Jess story," he said. "We would, you know, text and call each other and have discussions about how we wanted to play a moment before we would get on set and get directed." 

During an appearance on the "Son of a Binge" podcast, the "Jurassic Park" actor added that they'd discuss other famous TV show couples, such as Jim and Pam from "The Office" and Sam and Diane from "Cheers," noting that his co-star was knowledgeable about the other dynamics.

Johnson also noted Jess and Nick's final season wedding as a pivotal moment for both him and the show. "I did realize very quickly, 'Oh this is all ending in less than eight days.'" he told Travers. "'But this is a goodbye, even though it's a wedding for the characters. This is our goodbye to each other. We've all been building to this and we got it.'" While the end of "New Girl" was bittersweet for the cast and fans alike, it's reassuring to see such a pivotal connection continue off-screen.