'New Girl' Season 7 News: Dermot Mulroney Reprises Fancyman Role
A familiar face reunites with Jess (Zooey Deschanel) when "New Girl" returns for season 7.
The hit Fox comedy is bringing Dermot Mulroney back before closing its curtains for good, according to reports. The actor, who recurred in the show's first season as Russell "Fancyman" Shiller, will appear as a guest star with a multi-episode arc in season 7. His stint begins in the season premiere, which is expected to debut early next year.
Despite dating Jess in the past, Russell will not be back to rekindle his relationship with her. Season 7 kicks off after a four-year time jump, with Jess in a committed and happy relationship with Nick (Jake Johnson). Russell's reason for coming back to Jess' life remains to be seen.
Mulroney's character first entered the picture as a parent of Jess' student. They often argued at the time but later became friends — going to a series of awkward dates before making their romance official. After the former couple called it quits, Russell was still seen in the season 2 episode titled "First Date." Russell has not been on the series since.
After "New Girl" premiered in 2011, it quickly became one of the year's most popular shows with an average of 8.22 million viewers. The season 6 finale was also successful after garnering two million viewers. Season 7 was initially slated to have 13 episodes, but it was later reduced to eight episodes.
Before the season 6 finale aired on April 4, cast member Johnson already hinted that "New Girl" will be ending after the seventh season. "Fox won't tell us [whether the show will be renewed]. But we shot a finale where, if this was the end, the core fan base would be OK," he previously said.
The seventh and final season of "New Girl" premieres midseason 2018 on Fox. An exact premiere date has yet to be announced by the network.
