Zooey Deschanel 'honoured' Bridgerton used New Girl as first kiss inspo: 'Monumental'

In a will-they-won't-they style on-screen romance, fans always wait for that long-awaited first kiss with bated breath. That first kiss is so important to any good series or film that has built up the tension for long enough, and the actors know it's a big deal to get it right.

Speaking with Yahoo Lifestyle for her new film Harold and the Purple Crayon, Zooey Deschanel was left stunned to find out her character Jess Day's first kiss with Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) in New Girl has filtered down through pop culture and inspired the Netflix behemoth that is Bridgerton.

Bridgerton showrunner reveals New Girl kiss inspiration

Bridgerton's showrunner Jess Brownell previously revealed earlier this year that she, Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton looked through pop culture to gain inspiration for Colin and Penelope's first kiss in the third season of the romance drama. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Jess shared, "I'm a huge Felicity fan and the first kiss between Keri Russell's character and Scott Speedman is so sexy."

"They're in the middle of having this conversation, and then Scott Speedman just lunges at her and it really works. That isn't though the vibe of this first kiss. Nicola sent a clip of Nick and Jess's first kiss from New Girl, which is also a very passionate, slamming together kiss."

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While they opted for a lighter touch for the first kiss in the end, Jess shares where New Girl and Felicity came into play. "I was very specific about wanting it to be softer," she says. "More tentative at first, and then growing with surprising passion. As a woman, soft kisses are really nice, and they look nicer on television, but there are some more passionate slamming-into-each-other kisses to come."

For reference, here's Jess and Nick's first kiss:

Zooey Deschanel reacts to finding out Bridgerton took inspiration from New Girl

When asked how she felt knowing New Girl still has so much influence on pop culture, Zooey was clearly stunned, asking, "They said that?"

"Oh my God, I'm so honoured, that's amazing," she said, almost speechless.

"That's monumental," her Harold and the Purple Crayon co-star Lil Rel Howery added.

"That's monumental!" she agreed.

"But I remember that kiss," Lil Rel said. "When y'all had that moment, it was one of those [big] moments."

"Yeah, it was so fun. Like, I mean, we definitely wanted that kiss to be, like, memorable," Zooey explained. "So it was, like, the way that everything – like the entire writing staff was on set during that kiss, like, everyone was like, 'We have to make it good! Like she walks away, and then he, like, pulls her back, and it's been this will-they-won't-they, for a long time, you know?

"And so it has to be like, like, 'It's not gonna happen – it is!' you know we have to make it cinematic, right? But the fact that it filtered into a show like Bridgerton is incredible, and I never get to be on those shows, so that's my little way of being on those shows!"

"I never get invited to be in period pieces. So I'm putting out it there," she added, much to Lil Rel's surprise.

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"Really? But you wear all that nostalgia stuff!" he said. "You deserve that!"

"Thank you! I do deserve it, I know, I like it, I want to do it!" Zooey added, jokingly saying that the Bridgerton people need to make it happen for her.

Harold and the Purple Crayon is out in cinemas on September 13.

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