Jamie Lee Curtis has clarified her earlier comments about 'hating' her time on the set of New Girl, following backlash from fans of the sitcom.
The 67-year-old actress, who guest-starred as the mother of Zooey Deschanel's character Jess in two episodes, initially said she 'hated' the single-camera format during a press event for her upcoming NBC sitcom Newlyweds. She explained that the lack of a studio audience made the experience 'awful' for her, though she praised the show as 'great' and 'very funny.'
In a follow-up Instagram post, Curtis addressed the internet directly, urging fans to focus on more important issues and explaining that her comments were about the format, not the people. She wrote, 'HEY INTERNET! HI!' and added that she was 'gushing about a multi-camera sitcom' she co-created, comparing it to the single-camera experience of New Girl.
Curtis's Initial Comments and Clarification
During the press moment, Curtis said, 'I did a single camera, which I hated,' referring to New Girl. She clarified to NBC that she disliked the single-camera format, not the cast, and elaborated: 'It's a great show, New Girl, very funny, but doing it is just like doing a movie. You know, you've got a camera crew, and nobody laughs. It's silent, and it's awful. For me, awful. Single-camera comedies, for me: not fun.'
Curtis appeared in the 2012 episode 'Parents' and the 2018 episode 'The Curse of the Pirate Bride,' playing the mother of Jess, alongside the late Rob Reiner, who played her ex-husband.
Instagram Response and Praise for Cast
In her Instagram post, Curtis shared a behind-the-scenes photo smiling with Deschanel and Reiner. She wrote, 'As if we don't have bigger issues facing Americans and the world at large and natural disasters and unnatural behaviours of despots than to be concerned about a flip comment picked up at a press moment promoting Newlyweds.'
She praised Deschanel, saying, 'That Zooey Deschanel is an absolute gem of a human and said I got to play with my friend, Rob Reiner, as exes and that was sweet and lovely.' She concluded, 'so please, let's not waste clicks and comments and just move on to WAY more important things. That will be all.'
About 'Newlyweds' and Multi-Camera Comedy
Curtis explained that Newlyweds, premiering this October, is a multi-camera sitcom she co-created with Gail Lerner. It stars Tea Leoni and Tim Daly as a couple who marry on a whim. Curtis noted that performing in front of a live studio audience is 'almost like doing a play where you get immediate feedback,' unlike single-camera comedies like New Girl, where 'there's absolutely no feedback.'
Despite the controversy, Curtis maintained that New Girl is 'fantastic' and the team that made it are 'talented.' Her clarification aims to put the matter to rest, redirecting attention to her new project and more pressing world issues.
