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PEOPLE & ARTSWednesday 10 February
Megan Fox is new ‘New Girl’
filling in for Zooey Deschanel
In this image released by Fox, was away. Meriwether now believes
Megan Fox, left, and Hannah the puzzle of writing Jess
Simone appear in a scene “I thought ‘How does Me- out and Regan in added
from “New Girl,” airing Tues- a new energy to the show,
day, Feb. 9, at 8:00 p.m. ET on gan Fox, international mov- which is now in its fifth sea-
FOX. Fox will guest star on the son.
popular Fox comedy while ie star. ...fit into this world?’” “Sometimes challenges
star Zooey Deschanel is on really result in great cre-
maternity leave. said Johnson. “And the wild ative stuff because you’re
forced to step outside of
Associated Press part is she just fits in.” your comfort zone and to
tell a story you haven’t told
ALICIA RANCILIO If you’ve been watching, on the show.”
Associated Press Deschanel returns for the
NEW YORK (AP) — Jake Deschanel’s character, show’s 100th episode,
Johnson admits to being which also happens to be
worried when he found out Jess, has been sequestered the final episode in Fox’s
his Fox comedy “New Girl” arc. “I don’t view it as Me-
would continue filming epi- on jury duty. In Tuesday’s gan replacing Zooey, it’s
sodes while the show’s star, just adding Megan,” said
Zooey Deschanel, was on episode, her roommates Johnson. “So when Zooey
maternity leave. came back it was great
“I thought it was really (played by Johnson, Max because (the characters)
weird,” he said. “At first I Jess and Reagan are really
thought it was really jar- Greenfield, Lamorne Morris funny next to each other.”
ring that Zooey wasn’t So could Fox ever make a
going to be in some epi- and Hannah Simone) de- return to “New Girl”?
sodes. ... I wasn’t sure if the “I hope so,” said John-
show worked without her cide to rent out her room to son. “I know she’s got an
and I was pleasantly sur- enormous movie career.
prised that the ‘New Girl’ Fox’s character, Reagan, When you’re in Japan do-
voice and tone is more ing a press tour, I think it’s
about the writing and the while Jess is away. a little less sexy to (do the
ensemble more than any TV grind), but I cannot say
one person.” Not only did “To bring in somebody enough of what a pleasure
production continue, they it was to work with Megan
brought in a new charac- new who didn’t know all of both on camera and off.
ter, played by Megan Fox Grumpy gaffers are still
of franchise films like “Trans- the backstories and didn’t talking about how great
formers” and “Teenage she was,” said Johnson.q
Mutant Ninja Turtles,” to fill know everything about
the void while Deschanel
the show, those charac-
ters were forced to defend
themselves in new ways; to
sort of bring somebody else
up to speed to their own
weirdness was really fun,”
said showrunner Liz Meri-
wether.
“She’s phenomenal,”
Johnson said about Fox. “I
didn’t know her at all (pri-
or). She is one of the easiest
people to work with. She’s
kind, she’s funny. She’s
also crazy and loves talk-
ing about aliens and lizard
people, which makes work
so fun,” he laughed. “She’s
genuinely fun.”
Tony-nominated actor Ken Watanabe
battling stomach cancer
forced to delay his return to be a little delayed.”
Broadway’s “The King and
I” while he battles stomach Watanabe, who has been
cancer.
The 56-year-old Japanese in Christopher Nolan’s “Bat-
actor, who made his Amer-
ican stage debut last year man Begins” and “Incep-
opposite Kelli O’Hara in the
revival of “The King and I,” tion,” also starred in the
was due to return to the
Rodgers and Hammerstein reboot of “Godzilla” and
musical from March 1-April
17. “Letters From Iwo Jima”
Craig Bankey, Watanabe’s
press agent, said Tuesday and lent his voice to the
the actor has undergone
endoscopic surgery and is fourth installment of the
recuperating at a hospital
in Japan. In a statement, Transformers franchise,
the actor said: “I would like
to ask for your understand- “Transformers: Age of Ex-
ing that the start of my per-
In this June 7, 2015 file photo, formance in New York will tinction.”
Ken Watanabe arrives at the
69th annual Tony Awards at He earned an Academy
Radio City Music Hall in New
York. Award nomination for best
Associated Press supporting actor in the Tom
MARK KENNEDY Cruise-led film “The Last
AP Drama Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — A pub- Samurai.” The “King and
licist for Ken Watanabe
says the Tony- and Oscar- I” is also nominated for a
nominated actor has been
Grammy Award for best
musical theater album.
Word of the diagnosis was
first reported by Kyodo
News service.q
