Jamie Lee Curtis reveals the TV show she hated working on despite its success

Jamie Lee Curtis is getting candid about a television experience that looked successful from the outside but was far from enjoyable for her behind the scenes.

The Oscar-winning actress recently revealed that she “hated” filming New Girl, despite describing the hit comedy as a great and funny show. Curtis appeared in five episodes of the series as Joan, the mother of Zooey Deschanel’s character, Jess. Her issue was not with the show itself, but with the way single-camera comedies are produced. 

Why Curtis disliked filming

New Girl

Curtis explained that single-camera comedy feels much more like making a movie. Unlike traditional multi-camera sitcoms, there is no live studio audience reacting to the jokes during filming.

For Curtis, that atmosphere made the experience difficult. She described working on a quiet set surrounded by cameras and crew members rather than an audience laughing along with the performers.

Although she praised New Girl, Curtis made it clear that the production style simply was not for her. She has a strong preference for the energy and rhythm of multi-camera sitcoms, where actors can rehearse scenes and perform jokes in front of a live audience. 

Her favorite sitcom experience

Curtis’ preference for multi-camera comedy goes back decades. She previously starred in Anything But Love, which ran from 1989 to 1992 alongside Richard Lewis.

The actress has described that experience as one of her favorite jobs. She particularly enjoyed rehearsing scenes, developing comedic timing and experiencing the immediate response from an audience.

Curtis has continued telling her agents for years that she wanted to return to the sitcom format. Her latest project finally gave her the opportunity to do exactly that. 

Curtis creates her own sitcom opportunity

Curtis is now an executive producer and recurring performer on NBC’s upcoming multi-camera comedy Newlyweds. The series follows an unexpectedly married couple played by Téa Leoni and Tim Daly.

Rather than waiting for the perfect sitcom role to appear, Curtis helped create the opportunity herself. She has embraced her role behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera, expressing excitement about being involved in shaping the show.

Her comments about New Girl therefore aren’t necessarily a criticism of the successful series. Instead, they reveal how strongly Curtis feels about the style of comedy she enjoys performing.

For an actress with decades of experience, Curtis knows exactly what kind of set brings out her best. And after years of wanting another sitcom, she appears to have finally found the format she loves.