North Hollywood — Tuesday night at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hosted a screening of the most recent episode of Fox comedy New Girl, followed by a Q&A panel with the cast and executive producers Brett Baer, Dave Finkel and Jake Kasdan.
In the episode titled “Virgins,” each member of the gang shares the cringe-inducing story of how they lost their virginity. After the screening, the actors weren’t quite as eager to divulge about their own first times.
Lamorne Morris, whose character Winston was unwittingly deflowered by a prostitute, was first to break the silence. “I didn’t get with my first hooker until I was in my late twenties.”
The audience, a mix of Academy members and New Girl fans, were met with one joke after another, as their favorite loftmates displayed an unscripted camaraderie that felt as though it were lifted straight from one of the episodes.
Max Greenfield, who plays Schmidt, dons a fat suit (”Fat Schmidt”) in the episode to assume the form of his younger, much heavier self in the flashbacks. The application process takes three grueling hours, prompting Jake Johnson to jab, “How was your attitude that day?” The whole cast burst into laughter, including Greenfield, who grinned sheepishly.
“He’s usually an angel!” star Zooey Deschanel interjected as the rest of the cast continued to take jabs at Greenfield.
The cast members regaled a rapt audience with stories from on the set and of memorable fan encounters. One of the most awkward yet hilarious moments came as the cast reacted to an audience member who serenaded Deschanel with an original song, only to have his mic cut off midway through.
The show’s second season wraps with a much-anticipated guest appearance by Taylor Swift. When asked about working with the singer, Johnson joked, “Me and Max are managing her. She’s just a singer-songwriter from the South. If she sticks with us, she’s going to be a star.”
The season finale of New Girl airs May 14 at 9 p.m. on Fox.
