{"id":556172,"date":"2026-07-23T19:16:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T19:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/556172\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T19:16:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T19:16:13","slug":"apple-tv-officially-has-a-new-comedy-king-and-his-name-is-jake-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/556172\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple TV Officially Has a New Comedy King, and His Name Is Jake Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s a natural, immediate sense of familiarity I get when speaking to <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/jake-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Jake Johnson<\/a>. I\u2019ve never met him before, but it certainly feels like I have. Perhaps that\u2019s because high school sleepovers were characterized by binge-watching <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/new-girl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New Girl<\/a> and fawning over Jess (<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/zooey-deschanel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Zooey Deschanel<\/a>) and Nick\u2019s (Johnson) epic chemistry. Maybe it\u2019s because I\u2019ve just spent the entire weekend binge-watching his excellent new series <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/tv-show\/maximum-pleasure-guaranteed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed<\/a>. Most likely, however, it\u2019s that we\u2019re both Midwesterners, and Johnson has a down-to-earth quality that never makes him feel manufactured like so much of Hollywood.<\/p>\n<p>Dressed in a simple navy T-shirt and matching pants, talking to him feels less like talking to an actor from one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time and more like catching up with your favorite cousin over a beer at Thanksgiving. It\u2019s this authenticity that has allowed him to thrive in this business, playing the relatable everyman in everything from big-budget comedies to intimate independent films.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s a Critics\u2019 Choice and Gotham Award nominee, but you\u2019d never know it just from looking at him, and I get the sense that Johnson likes it that way. He doesn\u2019t pay attention to the awards shows anyway. \u201cI don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s nominated, and I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s winning, and I don&#8217;t know what&#8217;s currently hot,\u201d he admits with a casual matter-of-factness devoid of any sense of pretension. \u201cI&#8217;ll find shows eventually, but I&#8217;ll be like, \u2018Dude, have you guys seen this? It&#8217;s great.\u2019 And they\u2019ll be like, \u2018Listen, asshole, it won an award four years ago.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Johnson is the kind of guy who values relationships far more than any accolades, something he learned growing up in Evanston, Illinois. His father owned a car dealership, while his mother made stained glass and owned art junk shops. &#8220;You\u2019d see the same customers over and over, and how you treat people \u2014 how you interact \u2014 matters.\u201d This sense of loyalty and fostering of genuine connections is something he\u2019s taken to his own career, frequently collaborating with everyone from <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/anna-kendrick\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Anna Kendrick<\/a> to director <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/josh-greenbaum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Josh Greenbaum<\/a>, the latter of whom he reunites with on his newest film, <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/jake-johnson-apple-tv-pickleball-movie-the-dink-sneak-peek-mary-steenburgen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Dink<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>                        From His Brother to Bob Odenkirk, Johnson Reveals His Comedy Inspirations<\/p>\n<p>        <img width=\"2600\" height=\"2080\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"NEW YORK \u2014 Jake Johnson poses for a Collider portrait photographed by Yellowbelly at The Whitby Hotel on July 13, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Yellowbelly for Collider)\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jake-johnson-yellowbelly-01.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jake-johnson-yellowbelly-01.jpg\"\/><br \/>\n        Photography by Yellowbelly for Collider<\/p>\n<p> Chicago has long been thought of as one of the comedy capitals of the U.S. \u2014 something that Johnson took full advantage of. He grew up going to shows, particularly those at the famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.secondcity.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Second City<\/a> improv troupe, watching legends in the making like <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/chris-farley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chris Farley<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/tina-fey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tina Fey<\/a> perform. After graduating from the University of Iowa, Johnson found himself in New York studying in the Dramatic Writing Department of NYU&#8217;s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. While in the city, he started his own sketch troupe, appropriately called The Midwesterners.<\/p>\n<p>But Johnson\u2019s love for comedy goes back even further, and he knows someone who blows Farley and Fey out of the water: his brother, Dan. \u201cHe was and still is the funniest person I\u2019ve ever met,\u201d Johnson says. \u201cI truly believe he&#8217;s more high-level than a lot of working professionals. My brother&#8217;s hands down faster comedically, has better taste, better instincts.\u201d Being four years younger than Dan, Johnson says he always acted as his partner-in-crime. \u201cEven as a young boy, we were always doing the bits that we still do. My brother and I \u2014 the language he and I created comedically \u2014 is still the language of which I try to live by.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[My brother] was and still is the funniest person I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Johnson might consider Dan the pinnacle of comedy, there&#8217;s another early collaborator who made a large impact on him. One of his first jobs, the comedy series Derek and Simon: The Show, saw him collaborating with <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/bob-odenkirk-nobody-2-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bob Odenkirk<\/a> \u2014 a sweet full-circle moment considering The Midwesterners was heavily influenced by HBO\u2019s Mr. Show, which starred Odenkirk and <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/david-cross\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">David Cross<\/a>. Johnson says being directed by Odenkirk motivated him to keep honing his craft. \u201cWhen I was coming up, sometimes, you\u2019d start watching a show or movie that wasn\u2019t good, and you\u2019d say, \u2018Well, if that&#8217;s on, I could for sure do it.\u2019 Working with guys like Bob early on, I learned that there&#8217;s two sides to it. You&#8217;re also playing against guys like this, and you gotta keep getting better in this game. Bob was one of those guys where I was like, \u2018Wow, he is so deeply talented that it\u2019s crazy, man. He\u2019s got it all in between his ears. He is so smart.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In terms of learning how to navigate the entertainment industry as a whole, Johnson says <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/aubrey-plaza\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Aubrey Plaza<\/a> \u2014 whom he worked with on <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/colin-trevorrow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Colin Trevorrow<\/a>\u2019s 2012 Sundance hit <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/safety-not-guaranteed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Safety Not Guaranteed<\/a> and still considers a dear friend \u2014 was a big help. \u201cWhat I took away from her was her ability to remain herself even when she&#8217;s not feeling great. The way she plays the game of this business is like chess at times. She was a perfect person for me to meet right before New Girl got going, because she&#8217;s really good at navigating the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>                        Johnson Will Always Be \u2018New Girl\u2019s Nick Miller (and He\u2019s Totally Fine With That)<\/p>\n<p>                    <img width=\"2600\" height=\"3250\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"NEW YORK \u2014 Jake Johnson poses for a Collider portrait photographed by Yellowbelly at The Whitby Hotel on July 13, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Yellowbelly for Collider)\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jake-johnson-yellowbelly-02.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jake-johnson-yellowbelly-02.jpg\"\/>Photography by Yellowbelly for Collider<img width=\"2600\" height=\"3250\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"NEW YORK \u2014 Jake Johnson poses for a Collider portrait photographed by Yellowbelly at The Whitby Hotel on July 13, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Yellowbelly for Collider)\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jake-johnson-yellowbelly-03.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jake-johnson-yellowbelly-03.jpg\"\/>Photography by Yellowbelly for Collider<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of New Girl, the sitcom, which ran throughout the majority of the 2010s, is far and away what Johnson is recognized more for and likely always will be. The show was a cultural phenomenon, nominated for five Emmys during its seven seasons. But while some actors embrace their most popular role, others start to resent it, feeling boxed in by one part.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson falls firmly in the first camp, crediting the show for the longevity of his career and opening him up to more opportunities after struggling throughout most of his twenties. \u201cMy life is a \u2018before\u2019 and \u2018after\u2019 New Girl,\u201d he says. \u201cI think people who hate it probably got famous a little young, and they got successful young, and they feel that somehow they were destined and deserved it. I really felt what my life would be as an actor and writer who didn&#8217;t make it. New Girl started when I was 28 or 29, and I already had the thought, \u2018It\u2019s not gonna happen.\u2019 When New Girl happened, I realized, \u2018Oh, because of this show, I get to play this game for another 20 years.\u2019 I don&#8217;t think I get to do The Dink, or Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, or any of the jobs I&#8217;ve gotten to do and love doing without New Girl, so it&#8217;s nothing but love, man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite ending nearly a decade ago, New Girl is still constantly referenced and discussed in popular culture. It\u2019s a classic comfort watch for millennials alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/the-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Office<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/parks-and-recreation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Parks and Rec<\/a>, but it\u2019s also gaining legions of new Gen Z fans thanks to its popularity on streaming. Why does the series hold up so well? \u201cWhat made that show was Liz Meriwether&#8217;s writing and her vision for it,\u201d Johnson explains. \u201cAnd she continues to prove what a talent she is.\u201d (Indeed, other shows on her resume include Emmy-nominated miniseries <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/the-dropout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Dropout<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/dying-for-sex-bdsm-creators-liz-meriwether-kim-rosenstock\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Dying for Sex<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe chemistry of the cast in that era of life \u2014 it was magic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s rare, Johnson says, to find a true collaborator like Meriwether \u2014 someone who knows exactly what they want but is open to suggestions, too. \u201cIf you pitched something new that was different, she would know when to go, \u2018I want to do that,\u2019 and she would also know when to go, \u2018We&#8217;re not doing that. That&#8217;s not this show.\u2019 I\u2019ve worked on projects where somebody doesn&#8217;t have a vision, and they&#8217;re like, \u2018Well, what do you think?\u2019 And I&#8217;m like, \u2018I think you&#8217;re the writer, and I think you need a great vision, or we&#8217;re fucked.\u2019&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In the age of new seasons of <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/scrubs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Scrubs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/tv-show\/malcolm-in-the-middle-lifes-still-unfair\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Malcolm in the Middle specials<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/frasier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Frasier<\/a> revivals, more New Girl practically seems inevitable. Would Johnson be down? Yes, but on two conditions: Liz Meriwether has a great idea, and the whole cast agrees to return. \u201cThe chemistry of the cast in that era of life \u2014 it was magic,\u201d he says. \u201cWhenever Liz says, \u2018This is what I want to do,\u2019 if we were all in, then I would love to get in there [again]. I&#8217;ll always love that show and everybody involved in it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Projects like New Girl make the romantic comedy one of the most cherished genres, but lately, it also seems to be one of the most ignored. Romance author Emily Henry, known for The <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/people-we-meet-on-vacation-review-netflix-tom-blyth-emily-bader\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">People We Meet on Vacation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/phoebe-dynevor-bridgerton-new-rom-com-emily-henry-adaptation-beach-read-january-andrews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Beach Read<\/a>, was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/features\/2026-07-10\/emily-henry-s-beach-read-happy-place-put-hollywood-spotlight-on-romance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">recently quoted as saying<\/a>, \u201cA lot of actors think that it\u2019s less humiliating to pretend to be a Beatle than it is to pretend to be in love.\u201d For Johnson, this couldn\u2019t be further from the truth, as he\u2019s one of the rare few men in Hollywood who have welcomed the genre with open arms. \u201cI really like working with women, and I like being in scenes that have emotions to them,\u201d he explains. \u201cCertain scenes that are just funny for the sake of funny are great, and I like those, but after a while, I want to do a little bit of the quote-unquote \u2018acting\u2019 part of stuff. For me, at this stage of my career, the majority of the way I get the opportunity to do that is if there&#8217;s a love story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Johnson also believes that comedy pairs well with other genres, especially when it balances the scales with more serious moments. \u201cThere&#8217;s great laughs in different energies,\u201d he notes. \u201cIf you can ground a scene, make things that have higher stakes, and have things matter, then, when you hit a laugh, it hits harder, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>                        Between \u2018The Dink\u2019 and \u2018Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed,\u2019 Johnson Is the King of Apple TV Right Now<\/p>\n<p>The Dink is a comedy \u2014 there\u2019s no doubt about that \u2014 but it combines elements from the sports and romance genres, too, to give it a unique flair. Johnson plays Dusty \u201cThe Hammer\u201d Boyd, a former tennis pro who must learn to play pickleball to save his demanding father\u2019s tennis club and, hopefully, finally gain his approval in the process. The movie feels nostalgic, reminiscent of <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/funniest-movie-every-year-2000s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">mid-2000s comedies<\/a> led by <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/will-ferrell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Will Ferrell<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/adam-sandler\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Adam Sandler<\/a>, which makes sense, as Johnson said <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/movie\/the-wedding-singer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Wedding Singer<\/a> was a tone comp he, writer Sean Clements, and director <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/josh-greenbaum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Josh Greenbaum<\/a> often pointed to during production as they set out to create \u201ca big comedy with a lot of set pieces and some sneaky heart in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition to playing the lead, Johnson was also heavily involved in producing the project \u2014 a role he\u2019s come to highly value. \u201cI love producing because I don&#8217;t want to be in something that I don&#8217;t believe in. Being a real, non-vanity producer means, if you give notes, they matter. If you want to package something a certain way, help adjust the tone, you can. We wanted to make a movie that just felt good \u2014 one that you could laugh at and watch twice \u2014 and I think we accomplished that. I think it\u2019s joyful and funny. It&#8217;s a movie I&#8217;m really proud of.\u201d Working alongside longtime friends like Clements and Greenbaum (the latter of whom Johnson worked with on a few episodes of New Girl and an unaired pilot for Apple TV called Habata), as well as the \u201cunthinkably talented DP\u201d Carl Herse, made the process even sweeter. \u201cIt was a very easy group to lead. Everybody who came in was funny and nice, so this was a very easy one in a great way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Johnson was equally impressed with the talent in front of the camera. \u201cI get to walk in and do a scene with <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/ed-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ed Harris<\/a>. That&#8217;s a dream,\u201d he gushes. \u201cI get to do scenes with <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/ben-stiller\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ben Stiller<\/a>. That&#8217;s a dream. I get to do scenes with <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/07\/chloe-fineman-leaving-saturday-night-live-myron-bolitar-1236984191\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chloe Fineman<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/mary-steenburgen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mary Steenburgen<\/a>. I think Mary is one of the nicest people in Hollywood, and when I say that, I want to make sure that doesn&#8217;t take away from her talent, because she&#8217;s a monster talent. But I think just being around her, the way she treats the crew, the way everybody reacts when she&#8217;s around, was something I definitely learned from.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Steenburgen plays Candace in the film, a divorced pickleball player and Dusty\u2019s love interest\u2026 sort of\u2026 It\u2019s complicated. Regardless, the chemistry she and Johnson have is undeniable and irresistible. \u201cChemistry with her is easy,\u201d Johnson confesses. \u201cShe&#8217;s so good in between action and cut, and then she&#8217;s so fun and enjoyable the rest of the time. Sometimes, it&#8217;s harder to build chemistry with people who you have a hard time being around, but with Mary, it&#8217;s so easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We wanted to make a movie that just felt good \u2014 one that you could laugh at and watch twice \u2014 and I think we accomplished that.<\/p>\n<p>Working with Steenburgen may have been a breeze, but that\u2019s not true for every aspect of the film. The role required Johnson to learn how to play tennis, which the actor says took \u201cway more training than you would expect\u201d and included working with Olympic bronze medalist Brad Gilbert. He also had to actually play pickleball on camera \u2014 a lot of pickleball. Johnson did have a stunt double (\u201che looks wildly like me \u2014 it was crazy,\u201d he notes) who would come in for certain trick shots, but a lot of it was him. \u201cThe way Josh wanted to shoot scenes, especially that big finale with Andy [Roddick], was he wanted us to play full points. There&#8217;d be a 12-hit sequence, so you had to not only play, but be able to be where you could control the hits. He didn&#8217;t want to do <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-features\/challengers-vfx-tennis-ball-pov-1235913992\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">that thing that Challengers did<\/a> where you&#8217;re hitting, but there&#8217;s no ball.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Johnson is best-known for comedy, he flexes a different set of muscles in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed as protagonist Paula\u2019s (<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/tatiana-maslany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tatiana Maslany<\/a>) ex-husband, Karl, who fights her for custody of their daughter as she gets caught up in the mysterious murder of a sex worker. Though there\u2019s definitely some humor in the show, it\u2019s a much more thrilling, intense project for Johnson. Johnson has relished the chance to show his range with a more dramatic role. \u201cThe Dink\u2019s tone is very inclusive to the audience. It&#8217;s letting everybody in. Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is not trying to let you in. What I like about Karl is he does not care if you like him or not. With a lot of characters, there&#8217;s a responsibility to be likable enough to carry the story \u2014 that even if you think they&#8217;re an idiot or they make bad decisions, you&#8217;re welcome to go on their journey. What\u2019s really nice is playing a character where you go, \u2018I think Karl believes he is right, so fuck being likable.\u2019&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>When I ask whether drama proved more difficult for him than comedy, Johnson gives me a refreshingly grounded answer. \u201cIt\u2019s all challenging,\u201d he admits before quickly offering some perspective in the same breath. \u201cBut the beauty of the line of work I get to do is that none of it&#8217;s really challenging. We\u2019re making entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With The Dink premiering just a week after Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed aired its <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/maximum-pleasure-guaranteed-finale-tatiana-maslany-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Season 1 finale<\/a>, Johnson looks poised to join <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/seth-rogen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Seth Rogen<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/jon-hamm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Jon Hamm<\/a> as one of the kings of <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/apple-tv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Apple TV<\/a>. \u201cI love working with Apple,\u201d he says. \u201cA lot of places are just throwing stuff up, and that&#8217;s cool if it has a big audience \u2014 every streamer or network has its advantages \u2014 but what&#8217;s nice about Apple is it&#8217;s such a curated taste. It&#8217;s nice to get that brand and that stamp with it, because people know they&#8217;re going to get a certain level of quality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>                        \u2018Spider-Verse,\u2019 \u2018Sunset PI,\u2019 and \u2018Sun Never Sets\u2019 \u2014 Here\u2019s What\u2019s Next for Johnson<\/p>\n<p>        <img width=\"2600\" height=\"2080\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"NEW YORK \u2014 Jake Johnson poses for a Collider portrait photographed by Yellowbelly at The Whitby Hotel on July 13, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Yellowbelly for Collider)\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jake-johnson-yellowbelly-04.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/jake-johnson-yellowbelly-04.jpg\"\/><br \/>\n        Photography by Yellowbelly for Collider<\/p>\n<p> Those who have looked forward to seeing Johnson on their screen every week with Maximum Guaranteed need not fear now that the season is over. He has a bevy of new, equally exciting projects coming down the pipe, two of which are highly anticipated animated films. The first is the epic stop-motion fantasy movie<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/movie\/wildwood-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Wildwood<\/a> produced by<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/laika\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Laika<\/a>, the studio known for Oscar-nominated hits like<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/coraline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Coraline<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/paranorman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> ParaNorman<\/a>. Johnson, who voices the father of a young girl trying to save her baby brother from crows in a magical forest, lights up when I tell him people are<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/new-fantasy-movie-wildwood-trailer-laika-peyton-elizabeth-lee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> counting down the days<\/a> until they can see it in October. \u201cWhat they do as a studio is remarkable,\u201d he raves. \u201cThey&#8217;re saying it&#8217;s their most ambitious movie to date, so it&#8217;s going to deliver. The script was excellent. The story is excellent. The visuals are incredible. I haven&#8217;t seen [the whole thing], but everything that I saw\u2026 if it was a stock, I&#8217;m buying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The other is<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/spider-man-beyond-the-spider-verse-release-date-first-footage-description-cinemacon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse<\/a>, the final film in the critically acclaimed Spider-Verse trilogy. (The first film sits at an impressive<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/spider_man_into_the_spider_verse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> 97% on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>, the second at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/spider_man_across_the_spider_verse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">95%<\/a>.) Johnson voices the iconic Peter B. Parker, Miles Morales\u2019 mentor. While Johnson can\u2019t tell me much about the film, which is set to release next year, he assures me that it will be characterized by the same excellent writing that defined the first two installments. \u201cIt\u2019s coming together in a very exciting way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Johnson also has several live-action projects on the horizon, both in TV and film. He\u2019s set to begin filming a comedy series for NBC called<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/new-girl-star-jake-johnson-nbc-crime-series-sunset-pi-confirmed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Sunset P.I.<\/a> next month alongside<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/jane-levy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Jane Levy<\/a>, where he will play a brilliant yet cynical cop-turned-private investigator in LA. Hailing from<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/jake-johnson-new-sitcom-nbc-brooklyn-nine-nine-creators-tease\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Luke Del Tredici<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/dan-goor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Dan Goor<\/a>, who have worked on everything from<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/tv-show\/brooklyn-nine-nine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Brooklyn Nine-Nine<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/30-rock\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> 30 Rock<\/a> to Parks and Rec and<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/tv-show\/loot-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Loot<\/a>, it has all the makings of a successful sitcom. \u201cWhile I was on the plane, Luke and Dan pitched to me the first five episodes\u2019 stories,\u201d Johnson shares. \u201cThey were so funny. I was like, \u2018All we can do is not fuck this up.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He will be seen next in romantic drama<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/the-sun-never-sets-review-dakota-fanning-jake-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> The Sun Never Sets<\/a>, where he plays the older, divorced boyfriend of<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/dakota-fanning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Dakota Fanning<\/a>\u2019s character. The film, which goes wide in early September, reunites Johnson with longtime collaborator<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/joe-swanberg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Joe Swanberg<\/a>, whom he previously worked with on indie films<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/drinking-buddies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Drinking Buddies<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/win-it-all-jake-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Win It All<\/a>. \u201cI think they are so good, and grounded, and real, and about something, and small,\u201d Johnson says of Swanberg\u2019s films. \u201cIt&#8217;s something that&#8217;s very personal, and it almost feels like a little novel \u2014 you get intimate into it, and then it ends, and you feel like you know all the characters. He&#8217;s such a good director, so everything feels consistent within that world. I wish more people watched movies like that so we could make more of those, because those are my favorite to make.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I like an actor who really commits in between action and cut, so whoever is doing that, I&#8217;m very excited to work with.<\/p>\n<p>As far as bucket list collaborations go, Johnson doesn\u2019t have too many in mind. \u201cHonestly, at this point, I don&#8217;t know anymore. I think I used to probably have better answers. When I was coming up, I really wanted to work with<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/michael-keaton\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Michael Keaton<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/jeff-bridges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Jeff Bridges<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/bill-murray\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Bill Murray<\/a>. I don&#8217;t know if any of that&#8217;s still accurate. I don&#8217;t really care anymore.\u201d Lately, Johnson has been finding joy in kismet and new discoveries. \u201cI hadn&#8217;t seen<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/orphan-black\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Orphan Black<\/a> before I did Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, so I didn&#8217;t know Tatiana, and I loved working with her. She&#8217;s an amazing talent. There are so many shows and movies right now that I haven&#8217;t seen that are great, so really, who I&#8217;m excited to work with is somebody who you probably know and are excited about but who I&#8217;ve yet to hear of personally. I like an actor who really commits in between action and cut, so whoever is doing that, I&#8217;m very excited to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One place you shouldn\u2019t expect to see Johnson anytime soon is back in the director\u2019s chair. Despite his 2023 debut getting solid reviews (<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/self-reliance-movie-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Self Reliance<\/a>, which he also wrote, produced, and starred in, is<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/self_reliance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>), Johnson says he isn\u2019t necessarily champing at the bit to do it again anytime soon. \u201cI think I needed to, for my ego, try on every hat just to see every job, but I do not feel \u2014 at this point in my life \u2014 a big pull to do it again.\u201d While Johnson appreciated the experience and is glad he tried it, he admits that the extra responsibilities kept him from being as present as he\u2019d like to be as a performer. \u201cThe biggest thing that I learned from that was how much I loved the acting in it and how much I&#8217;ve appreciated having directors and writers on set since and the distribution of jobs. I realized that, if there&#8217;s a problem in the scene for later today, I&#8217;m writing it as they&#8217;re lighting this scene. I want to focus on the acting. I don&#8217;t want to be thinking about anything else that day besides the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wearing so many hats also made it more difficult for Johnson to be as present as he\u2019d like to be with his family \u2014 something that\u2019s deeply important to him. Johnson has been married to artist Erin Payne for 20 years now, and together, they have twin 12-year-old daughters. \u201cOne thing I love about production is you start at 6 a.m., and you&#8217;re done by 6 p.m. It&#8217;s still a 12-hour day, but you&#8217;re home at 6.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/maximum-pleasure-guaranteed-finale-jake-johnson-the-dink-interview\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n                        <img width=\"440\" height=\"248\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tatiana Maslany and Jake Johnson smiling next to each other in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed\u00a0\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/maximum-pleasure-guaranteed-10.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/maximum-pleasure-guaranteed-10.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    Related<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/maximum-pleasure-guaranteed-finale-jake-johnson-the-dink-interview\/\" title=\"Jake Johnson Was &quot;Floored&quot; by &#039;Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed&#039;s Finale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tJake Johnson Was &#8220;Floored&#8221; by &#8216;Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed&#8217;s Finale<br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"display-card-excerpt\">The &#8216;New Girl&#8217; star also breaks down the origins of his upcoming Apple TV movie, &#8216;The Dink.&#8217;\n<\/p>\n<p>Johnson isn\u2019t afraid of hard work or long hours, but spending quality time with his children takes priority over everything, which is why \u2014 as of right now \u2014 he\u2019s uninterested in doing stand-up or theatre, which require working at night. But Johnson isn\u2019t ruling out the latter once his kids go off to college. Theatre, after all, was his first love. He got into Tisch thanks to a play he wrote at the University of Iowa, and one of his scripts was produced off-Broadway before he made the choice to move to LA. \u201cI loved<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/sam-shepard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> Sam Shepard<\/a>, and<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/david-mamet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> David Mamet<\/a>, and John Patrick Shanley, and I wanted to be one of those,\u201d he recalls. \u201cBut realistically, I&#8217;m not spending my weeknights away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From a sarcastic bartender to a bitter tennis pro, a hero of the multiverse to an informatician in a dinosaur park, Johnson has played many roles over the years, but it\u2019s clear that \u2018real-life dad\u2019 is by far his favorite. Luckily, he\u2019s seemed to have found a pretty good balance between being an involved husband and father and being one of Hollywood\u2019s most dependable actors, writers, and producers. Between prestige drama series, comforting comedies, and anticipated animated movies, Johnson\u2019s portfolio is one of the most intriguing in Hollywood right now, and it\u2019s set to continue growing and expanding with his eager, open attitude. \u201cHonestly,\u201d he says, \u201cfor each project, I just try to kind of take it as it comes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Photographer: Yellowbelly | Groomer: Rheanne White | Stylist: Annie Psaltiras | Location: The Whitby Hotel, NYC<\/p>\n<p>        <img width=\"780\" height=\"1170\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"fvx0kkqrak5s8pldxihn49zm4ab.jpg\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fvx0kkqrak5s8pldxihn49zm4ab.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fvx0kkqrak5s8pldxihn49zm4ab.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/tag\/movie\/the-dink\/\" title=\"The Dink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tThe Dink<br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                                            Release Date<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJuly 24, 2026<\/p>\n<p>                                            Runtime<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t102 minutes<\/p>\n<p>                                            Director<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJosh Greenbaum<\/p>\n<p>                                            Writers<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSean Clements<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a natural, immediate sense of familiarity I get when speaking to Jake Johnson. I\u2019ve never met him&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556173,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[146,85,46,411],"class_list":["post-556172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556172\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}