Max Greenfield's 'New Girl' kicks off second season tonight

Tuesday September 25, 2012 2:30 PM By Kirthana Ramisetti

Photo credit: Getty Images | Max Greenfield, Dobbs Ferry: Zooey Deschanel and Max Greenfield attend FOX Broadcasting Company, Twentieth Century FOX Television and FX post Emmy party at Soleto in Los Angeles. Greenfield, a Dobbs Ferry native, was nominated for his first Emmy for his work on "New Girl." (Sept. 23, 2012)

So he didn’t win the Emmy. But Dobbs Ferry native Max Greenfield still has a lot to be excited for, including the season premiere of “New Girl,” airing Tuesday night on FOX.

Greenfield emerged as one of the breakout TV stars last season, thanks to his portrayal of Schmidt, a charming ladies’ man and roommate of the titular “New Girl” Jess, played by fellow Emmy nominee Zooey Deschanel (pictured together). Schmidt is a womanizer and neat freak often driven crazy by the sloppy habits of his other roomies, but his character evolved once he was coupled with Cece, Jess’s best friend. During the first season’s finale, Schmidt memorably “White Fang-ed” Cece, breaking up with her after their relationship was deepening into something real. 

The second season finds Schmidt single and ready to mingle, especially since his injury in, ahem, a private area has finally healed. As for Greenfield, he celebrated his first-ever Emmy nomination for best supporting actor at Sunday’s Emmy Awards, and now has his eyes set on one of television’s biggest institutions: hosting “Saturday Night Live.”

He recently told “Vanity Fair” about his “SNL”-themed bar mitzvah, which included a “Blues Brothers” cake and tables graced by headshots of the show’s cast members. He also said there was videotape of the event that hasn’t yet aired publicly.

“If ["New Girl"] does well for the next couple of years, and there’s ever a possibility, maybe they would ask me to host SNL, which is just an insane thing to even say out loud.," he told Vanity Fair. "That’s all it would be: I’d walk out and be like, “I’m so excited to be hosting Saturday Night Live . . . play the tape.”

Based on Greenfield’s successes so far, we have high hopes that he will grace the 30 Rock stage sometime soon.

“New Girl” airs at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays on FOX.

Tags: Dobbs Ferry , Max Greenfield , New Girl , Emmy , Saturday Night Live , TV