Zooey Deschanel ‘honoured’ that Bridgerton used New Girl first kiss as inspiration

Zooey Deschanel expressed her surprise and excitement after learning that the hit Netflix series Bridgerton drew inspiration from the iconic first kiss between her New Girl character, Jess Day, and Nick Miller (played by Jake Johnson). In an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle promoting her upcoming film Harold and the Purple Crayon, Deschanel reacted to the revelation, saying, "Oh my God, I'm so honoured, that's amazing." She added that the scene was memorable due to the effort put in by the show's writers and production team, describing the kiss as cinematic and pivotal for the will-they-won't-they relationship.

The connection was revealed earlier by Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell, who told Entertainment Weekly that she and the actors behind Colin and Penelope’s characters sought inspiration from other TV and film moments to craft their first kiss. Brownell specifically mentioned the passionate, unexpected energy of Jess and Nick’s kiss, noting, "Nicola sent a clip of Nick and Jess's first kiss from New Girl, which is also a very passionate, slamming-together kiss."

Deschanel, thrilled by the impact of the New Girl moment on pop culture, expressed her excitement, adding, "The fact that it filtered into a show like Bridgerton is incredible."