Jake Johnson Had $95 When He Auditioned for ‘New Girl’
New Girl is a beloved TV series that ran for seven seasons and accumulated legions of fans. It starred Zooey Deschanel and a talented cast of performers, including Jake Johnson as Nick Miller. Johnson, who was a struggling actor when he was cast on New Girl, recently opened up in a podcast, revealing that he only had $95 in his pocket when he went to the initial audition for the show. Fortunately for Johnson, the story had a happy ending- and these days, he’s a wildly successful actor with lots of other projects to his credit.
What did Jake Johnson say about his ‘New Girl’ audition?
New Girl debuted on TV in 2011. While the series was an underdog at first, it quickly earned a dedicated fan following. Many viewers called out the excellent performances of the cast—especially Johnson as Jess’s bartender roommate, Nick Miller. Johnson became a fast fan favorite. Still, the actor never thought he would experience that degree of success. In a recent interview on the “Welcome to Our Show” podcast, Johnson revealed that he was struggling at the time of his initial audition.
“I had never tested…I am not what they call a good auditioner,” Johnson said jokingly, recalling how he coordinated with showrunners to schedule his audition for the role of Nick Miller. “I think I had like…95 dollars to my name. But then, you know, when I found out that Zooey was the lead of it, I thought we had a fighting chance.”
Jake Johnson’s career since ‘New Girl’
Certainly, Johnson’s career took off after being cast as Nick Miller in New Girl. However, the actor had to work for quite some time to get the recognition that he deserved in the entertainment industry. Prior to being cast in the show, Johnson had acted in TV shows like Lie to Me, FlashForward, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He also appeared in a few movies, including Paper Heart and Bunny Whipped. However, all of his roles were small, and he struggled to find the role that would perfectly highlight his talents.
New Girl jump-started his career, and in the years following his casting as Nick, he appeared in high-profile movies such as Neighbors, Let’s Be Cops, Jurassic World, The Mummy, and Digging for Fire. He also enjoyed a thriving run on TV, acting on shows like Drunk History and Comedy Bang! Bang! Oddly enough, Johnson’s rise to success mirrors Nick Miller’s in a way: Nick, notably, is a school dropout who struggles with money and finding a sense of purpose until his novel is published and becomes a huge hit. The series even suggests that Nick goes on to attend law school—a far cry from his early days on the show as an aimless bartender.
What is Jake Johnson’s net worth?
New Girl ran from 2011 through 2018, becoming a critically acclaimed series and earning praise from fans of all ages. It helped provide Deschanel with a career resurgence and even after it went off the air in 2018, many clamored for more. While there’s been no real news on a series reboot, the actors from the series have remained popular with fans and Johnson has experienced particular success. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Johnson’s net worth is around $8 million – a long way from the early days of his New Girl audition, when he claims that he had less than $100 in his pocket.
