Zooey Deschanel, star of the sitcom "New Girl," has spoken about the challenging working conditions on the show, recalling that the cast and crew often endured excessively long hours on set.
Deschanel shared in a recent episode of Jake Johnson's podcast, "We're Here to Help," that the "hours were insane" and that she and her castmates were frequently "forced to drive home" because they lacked alternative transportation. She described the experience of driving home from work while close to falling asleep, a situation so severe that she sometimes called her mother in the middle of the night for assistance to stay awake.
Johnson, her "New Girl" co-star, corroborated her account, stating that the schedule was "too much." He recounted a recent filming experience for a new comedy series that reminded him of the "New Girl" days, noting how overtiredness can lead to erratic on-set behavior. "You get so weird because you're so overtired," Johnson said. "So all of a sudden, we'd be in takes again and I was doing stuff really just to make Damon laugh and he's doing stuff to make me laugh. And I'm like, I have to go home now."
Despite the demanding schedule, the "New Girl" cast has continued to express fondness for the sitcom, which concluded its seven-season run. Recent discussions about a potential revival have surfaced, with cast member Max Greenfield suggesting in July that creator Elizabeth Meriwether had developed new scripts, stating, "As far as I know, it's happening."