Finding a role on a hit television show is something that many performers seek out every year, and because these roles are so few and far between, they are incredibly value. While a network cannot guarantee that a show will be a success, they will still try everything in their power to make big things happen for their newest projects.
When the show New Girl was being assembled, Amanda Bynes was in consideration for the role of Jessica Day. This would have changed things drastically for the show, but ultimately, the team found the right person for the job and wound up launching a series that had a ton of success during its run.
Let’s take a closer look and see how close Amanda Bynes came to playing Jessica Day on New Girl.
Amanda Bynes Was Considered For Jess
Back before New Girl hit the small screen and earned legions of fans with its hilarious writing and memorable characters, the casting process was still taking place. The producers needed to find someone who could take the lead on the show and be the perfect Jessica Day, and during that time, Amanda Bynes was in consideration for the role.
By that point, Amanda Bynes had already put in years of work in the business and was an established name that was capable of starring in either a movie or a television show. She was a breakout star on Nickelodeon with All That before getting the chance to have her own series on the network. Clearly, they saw the unreal potential that she had and wanted her to make them bank.
During the 2000s, Bynes would seamlessly transition into film and start to find success there, as well. Movies like Big Fat Liar and What A Girl Wants got the ball rolling, and once she starred in She’s The Man, it was clear that she had everything that a studio could want in a film star.
Despite having put together a remarkable career at a young age, the folks making New Girl wound up going with someone who seemed practically born to play the lead role on the show.
The Team Went With Zooey Deschanel
Sometimes, a performer is just too good of a fit to ignore, and this was precisely the case for Zooey Deschanel. While it may seem like the role was specifically written for her, the truth is that the actress was in the right place at the right time.
With Deschanel in the lead, the show and its talented cast came to the small screen and quickly began to find an audience. New Girl had a fantastic charm to it that people couldn’t get enough of, and to say that this show was perfectly cast from top to bottom would be a huge understatement.
The show ran from 2011 to 2018, airing a total of 146 episodes over the course of 7 seasons. Simply put, the show was a huge hit for the network and it has continued to thrive on streaming services since it came to an end. As the star of the show, Deschanel was making bank from her work, and we can only imagine what her residual checks and syndication checks will look like.
Bynes Hasn’t Acted In Years
As we have seen in the past with other performers, missing out on a role is not the end of the world and many people are able to move on and find success in other projects. Despite the body of work that she put together as a younger performer, Amanda Bynes has not taken part in a project in years.
In fact, when taking a look back at her filmography, Bynes hasn’t appeared in a movie since her role in 2010’s Easy A. On the television side of things, her last television role came back in 2008 in the television film Living Proof. That same year, she also lent her voice to an episode of Family Guy.
Bynes has made the news throughout the years, though not for a hilarious comedic performance in film and on television. Celebrities deal with their personal business being served on a platter to the public, and Bynes is a prime example of this. Despite the lengthy gap in work, people would certainly love to see her get back to acting once again. She was simply too talented to ignore and a return could make for an incredible comeback story.
Despite being fresh off plenty of success and being considered for the role, Amanda Bynes ultimately lost out on playing Jess Day in New Girl.