When People Magazine announces the Sexiest Man Alive, the internet typically has a slight chuckle over the absurdity of the title, sometimes even getting upset over who got picked over whom. But this year, the official honoree wasn’t even the main draw.
People pulled off a masterstroke by including not just one male cast member from New Girl, but the entire gang in the 2024 edition. Though the show ended in 2018 after seven seasons on Fox, it feels as if it never left — especially if our collective TikTok’s FYPs is any indication. The cast remains as beloved as ever.
The magazine managed to gather all the male leads — Max Greenfield, Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, and Damon Wayans Jr. — for an interview where the four discussed what the honor meant to them and how they feel about the show now that it’s over and they’ve moved on to other projects. The reunion gave fans the chance to experience the group’s chemistry once again, even if a full-scale reunion is still uncertain. In fact, this People spread may be the closest fans have gotten. During the interview, the cast humorously poked fun at Lamorne Morris for being too famous now to consider a reunion, given his Emmy win for his impressive role on Fargo.
The New Girl cast reunion quickly stole the spotlight from the actual honoree, John Krasinski. Fans on social media were abuzz with excitement, with one user on X (formerly Twitter) expressing disappointment that People didn’t crown the four in a tie for Sexiest Men Alive.
Another user hilariously hoped the person who chose the New Girl cast for the magazine got a raise.
A third simply stated that the four are not only hilarious but absolutely deserved the spotlight.
Jessica Williams, who stars in Apple TV’s Shrinking, even chimed in with her support. In an interview, she described Damon Wayans Jr., her character’s new romantic interest, as charming and hysterical, adding that she’s grown to appreciate his unique comedic style. Upon hearing that the four New Girl stars were in People’s latest issue, she texted Wayans to congratulate him, telling the magazine, “I love all those dudes. I think they’re all hysterical.”
Damon Wayans Jr. is also hard at work on a new CBS series, Poppa’s House, where he stars alongside his father, comedy legend Damon Wayans Sr. The show has already received rave reviews for its hilarious take on generational gaps, blending old-school sitcom vibes with laugh-out-loud moments from start to finish. As for the rest of the cast, whether it’s branching out to dramatic roles or hosting podcasts, they certainly have us all charmed and entertained. But there’s no denying the appeal of seeing them all together in a New Girl miniseries reunion where we could catch up on their characters’ lives. If it worked for Gilmore Girls, it could work for them too.
Reunion or not, the New Girl cast is clearly thriving, and fans remain invested in following them as their careers continue to grow individually.