New Girl star Jake Johnson has revealed the three television shows that Prince loved most, as he looked back on the music icon's memorable guest appearance in the hit sitcom.
The legendary singer appeared as himself in a 2014 episode of New Girl after personally asking to appear on the show because he was such a fan.
According to the show's producers, Prince had watched the series while touring and was especially invested in the relationship between Nick and Jess, wanting his appearance to help bring the pair closer together.
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In a new interview with The Guardian, Johnson, who played Nick Miller, recalled spending hours chatting with Prince about sport and television while filming. He also revealed that the singer only ever referred to him by his character's name.
"I grew up loving Prince. We would take road trips from Chicago just to listen to his music in Minneapolis," Johnson said.
"So I thought, I’m going to show this man respect. I’m not going to be weird. And then I heard him say, ‘I’d like to meet Nick now.’ And he was so great."
New Girl star Jake Johnson. Tinseltown, Shutterstock
Asked about the television shows Prince enjoyed most, Johnson said there were three favourites.
"Cheers, Roseanne and New Girl. Those were his three shows."
Prince in concert at the annual Sziget Festival in Budapest 2011. Northfoto, Shutterstock
Prince's appearance in the episode became one of the most memorable celebrity cameos in the sitcom's seven-season run. Zooey Deschanel, who starred as Jess, has previously admitted she initially thought the invitation from Prince's manager was a prank because it seemed so unlikely that the music icon was a fan of the series.
The episode aired immediately after the Super Bowl in the US, giving it one of television's biggest audiences of the year.
During the story, Prince invites Jess and Nick to a party at his home, offers relationship advice and even performs alongside Deschanel.
@fallontonight @zooeydeschanel talked to @prince about pancakes & omelets 🤣 #FallonTonight #TonightShow #ZooeyDeschanel #NewGirl #Prince ♬ original sound - FallonTonight
The singer's appearance has become the stuff of sitcom legend, with Johnson previously revealing another unexpected talent that fans may not know about.
When asked to share something surprising about Prince, the actor replied simply: "He makes a great omelet." Johnson joked that he had been "sworn to secrecy" about anything more.
