There's something refreshingly un-Hollywood about Jake Johnson. Dressed in a simple navy T-shirt and matching pants, the actor feels more like a cousin you'd catch up with over Thanksgiving dinner than a star from one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 2010s. That down-to-earth Midwestern charm—he grew up in Evanston, Illinois—has become his trademark, and it's exactly what makes him the perfect comedic anchor for Apple TV+.
Johnson's latest project, The Dink, is a pickleball comedy that reunites him with director Josh Greenbaum. The film is part of a growing slate of Apple TV+ originals that are quietly making Johnson the streaming service's comedy king. But don't expect him to brag about it. "I don't know what's nominated, and I don't know what's winning, and I don't know what's currently hot," he admits with a shrug. "I'll find shows eventually, but I'll be like, 'Dude, have you guys seen this? It's great.' And they'll be like, 'Listen, asshole, it won an award four years ago.'"
That humility comes from his upbringing. His father owned a car dealership, and his mother made stained glass and ran art junk shops. "You'd see the same customers over and over, and how you treat people—how you interact—matters," Johnson says. That philosophy has guided his career, leading to frequent collaborations with actors like Anna Kendrick and directors like Greenbaum. It's also why he remains fiercely loyal to the show that changed everything: New Girl.
"My life is a 'before' and 'after' New Girl," Johnson says. The sitcom, which ran for seven seasons and earned five Emmy nominations, made him a household name. While some actors resent being typecast, Johnson embraces it. "I think people who hate it probably got famous a little young, and they got successful young, and they feel that somehow they were destined and deserved it. I really felt what my life would be as an actor and writer who didn't make it." He's even open to a potential New Girl reboot, but only under the right conditions.
Johnson's comedy roots run deep. He grew up watching legends like Chris Farley and Tina Fey at Chicago's Second City, then studied at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where he started his own sketch troupe, The Midwesterners. But his biggest comedic influence is closer to home: his older brother, Dan. "He was and still is the funniest person I've ever met," Johnson says. "I truly believe he's more high-level than a lot of working professionals. My brother's hands down faster comedically, has better taste, better instincts."
Early in his career, Johnson worked with Bob Odenkirk on Derek and Simon: The Show, a full-circle moment since his sketch troupe was heavily inspired by Odenkirk's Mr. Show. "Working with guys like Bob early on, I learned that there's two sides to it. You're also playing against guys like this, and you gotta keep getting better in this game," Johnson recalls. Another key mentor was Aubrey Plaza, whom he met on the set of Safety Not Guaranteed. "What I took away from her was her ability to remain herself even when she's not feeling great. She was a perfect person for me to meet right before New Girl got going."
With The Dink now streaming on Apple TV+, Johnson continues to prove that authenticity and genuine connections are his secret weapons. Whether he's playing the relatable everyman or collaborating with old friends, he's building a career that feels less like a Hollywood script and more like a real, grounded story—one that values family, loyalty, and a good laugh above all else.
