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New Girl character guide

Who is Jess Day in New Girl?

A bubbly, quirky teacher from Portland who moves into a Los Angeles loft with three single guys after a bad breakup and turns their lives, and her own, upside down.

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Show
New Girl
Debut
2011
Network
FOX
Role
Lead
Gender
Female

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Show
New Girl
Played by
Zooey Deschanel
First episode
“Pilot”Season 1, Episode 1, aired September 20, 2011
Role
Lead
Network
FOX
Occupation
Middle school teacher, later principal
Show run
2011 to 2018
Also known as
Jessica Day, Jessica Christopher Day

Jess Day is the "new girl" of New Girl: an offbeat, song-prone teacher who answers a roommate ad after catching her boyfriend cheating. Played by Zooey Deschanel, she spends seven seasons finding her footing in love and work alongside her loft-mates Nick, Schmidt, and Winston.

On New Girl, Jess Day's story runs through Nick Miller (Husband), Cece Parekh (Best Friend), Schmidt (Roommate), Winston Bishop (Roommate), and Coach (Roommate).

Jess Day from New Girl: Sitcomdle character card

Who is Jess Day?

Jess grew up in Portland, Oregon, and moved to Los Angeles to teach. In the pilot she comes home from a trip to find her longtime boyfriend with another woman, leaves on the spot, and answers an online ad for a room in a loft shared by three men. The guys are wary of their new roommate at first, but she wins them over almost immediately.

Her closest friend is Cece, a model she has known since childhood. Over the series Jess bounces between teaching jobs, gets laid off, works her way up to vice principal and then principal, and becomes the emotional center of the loft.

Personality and comedy

Jess is cheerful, earnest, and gloriously unselfconscious. She breaks into made-up songs, does impressions, plays guitar, and approaches every problem with a craft project or a plan. Fox built its first marketing push around her with the tagline "Simply Adorkable," and the label stuck.

The comedy comes from that sunny worldview colliding with three messy guys and a world that is not always kind. Jess can be stubborn, overly controlling, and painfully awkward about sex and dating, and the show lets her be all of those things while still being the person everyone calls in a crisis.

Key storylines

In season one Jess dates a fellow teacher, Paul, and later Russell, a wealthy divorced dad. Her chemistry with grumpy roommate Nick builds until they kiss during a drinking game in season two. They become a couple at the end of that season, then break up in season three when they realize they want different futures.

Jess goes on to date Ryan, a British science teacher, in season four, crosses paths again with Sam, the pediatrician she dated in season two, and in season six dates Robby until the two discover they are third cousins. At the end of season six she and Nick finally get back together. The final season jumps ahead three years: Nick proposes, they marry, and a flash-forward shows them raising a son.

Behind the scenes and legacy

Zooey Deschanel was developing a series for HBO when she read the New Girl pilot and signed on. She also became a producer on the show and helped shape Jess, pushing to avoid the familiar role of the sensible woman keeping the guys in line. Creator Elizabeth Meriwether drew on herself in writing the character.

Deschanel earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2012 and three Golden Globe nominations for the role. Jess is absent from six episodes of season five, written away on jury duty while Deschanel was on maternity leave.

Key Jess Day episodes

  1. “Pilot”Season 1, Episode 1After catching her boyfriend cheating, Jess moves into the loft with Nick, Schmidt, and Coach.
  2. “Cooler”Season 2, Episode 15Jess and Nick share their first kiss during a game of True American.
  3. “Elaine's Big Day”Season 2, Episode 25At Cece's wedding, Jess begs Nick not to give up on them, and they drive off together.
  4. “Mars Landing”Season 3, Episode 20Hung over and arguing about the future, Jess and Nick break up.
  5. “Five Stars for Beezus”Season 6, Episode 22Jess and Nick finally realize they still love each other and reunite.
  6. “The Curse of the Pirate Bride”Season 7, Episode 7Despite an eye patch and a hospital hallway, Jess and Nick get married.

Season and episode numbers follow the original broadcast order.

Famous sitcom couple

Jess Day: frequently asked questions

Who plays Jess on New Girl?

Zooey Deschanel plays Jessica Day in all seven seasons. She earned an Emmy nomination and three Golden Globe nominations for the role.

Who does Jess end up with on New Girl?

Jess ends up with Nick Miller. He proposes in "Mario," they marry in "The Curse of the Pirate Bride," and the series finale flashes forward to them raising a son.

Why is Jess missing in New Girl season 5?

In the season five episode "Jury Duty," Jess is sequestered on a jury, which wrote the character out of six episodes while Zooey Deschanel was on maternity leave.

What is Jess Day's job?

Jess is a teacher. She is laid off in season two, teaches adult education and substitutes, is promoted to vice principal at Coolidge Middle School in season three, and becomes principal in season six.

When do Jess and Nick first kiss?

Jess and Nick first kiss in the season two episode "Cooler," which aired on January 29, 2013, during a game of True American.

Test yourself: Jess Day quiz

5 questions about Jess Day. Think of your answer, then open the reveal to check it.

  1. Question 1

    What is the name of the loft's famously chaotic drinking game?

    1. Liberty Lava
    2. Patriot Pong
    3. Freedom Fighter
    4. True American
    Show the answer

    Answer: D. True American

    True American mixes drinking, shouting presidents' names, and a floor that is off-limits. The series finale has the gang play a special packing edition before leaving the loft.

    See question 1 in the full quiz

  2. Question 2

    What is Jess Day's profession when the series begins?

    1. Nurse
    2. Lawyer
    3. Teacher
    4. Model
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. Teacher

    Jess moves to Los Angeles to teach, and over the series she works her way up to vice principal and then principal.

    See question 3 in the full quiz

  3. Question 3

    Who plays Jess Day?

    1. Hannah Simone
    2. Megan Fox
    3. Zooey Deschanel
    4. Nasim Pedrad
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. Zooey Deschanel

    Zooey Deschanel played Jess in all seven seasons and earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role.

    See question 5 in the full quiz

  4. Question 4

    In which episode do Nick and Jess share their first kiss?

    1. Elaine's Big Day
    2. Mars Landing
    3. Clavado En Un Bar
    4. Cooler
    Show the answer

    Answer: D. Cooler

    The kiss happens during a game of True American in "Cooler," and it changes everything in the loft.

    See question 9 in the full quiz

  5. Question 5

    What tagline did Fox build its first marketing push for the show around?

    1. Totally Quirktastic
    2. Simply Adorkable
    3. Weird in All the Right Ways
    4. Nerd Is the New Normal
    Show the answer

    Answer: B. Simply Adorkable

    Fox sold the show on its star and that tagline at first, even though creator Elizabeth Meriwether had always meant it to be about the whole group.

    See question 17 in the full quiz

Take the full New Girl quiz (20 questions)

Sources and corrections

Reference pages used for this guide, including character, cast, and episode details.

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