Jake Johnson Biography

Fast Facts

• Earned numerous comedy writing accolades while in college, including the 2002 John Golden Playwriting Prize and the Sloan Fellowship for Screenwriting
• Initially a student at the University of Iowa, he eventually transferred to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts
• Had one of his plays produced at the Ensemble Studio Theater when he was about 21 years old, but had little creative control over the finished product
• Quote: "Chicago is a pure comedy scene where you are doing comedy for comedy․"
• Quote: "I am a grinding actor․ From August until April of the next year, I have a day job․ The best part of [a series] is that we get to keep doing it․"
• After success in New York, he relocated to Los Angeles in the late 2000s and worked as a production assistant while securing small roles in various series before landing his breakout role on Fox's "New Girl" in 2011
• Founded The Midwesterners, a comedy troupe based in New York modeled after HBO's "Mr․ Show with Bob and David․"
• Appeared in the music video "Rouse Yourself" by JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound in 2013
• Inspired the web series "Drunk History" after he tried to explain a story about Otis Redding to the show's creator, Derek Waters