Damon Wayans Jr. Is Leaving 'New Girl' (Again)
He left the show once before, and now, New Girl" again.
TVLine reports that the actor, who plays Coach on the Fox comedy, will depart the series at the end of its current fourth season. No reason for his exit was explained.
"I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to come back to New Girl in Season 3 to reprise the role of Coach," Wayans told TVLine in a statement. "Working with this incredibly talented and funny cast and crew has been one of the best experiences of my career."
Wayans was originally cast as Coach in the "New Girl" pilot, but bowed out of the series when his ABC show "Happy Endings" was unexpectedly renewed. He was replaced in the ensemble by Lamorne Morris's Winston, though he returned in a guest starring stint in season three, and became a series regular again for season four.
"We love Damon and are so lucky to have had him return for the past season-and-a-half," "New Girl" executive producer Liz Meriwether told TVLine. "We are working on crafting an exit for him that will leave the door open for many more returns, especially since Coach is our resolution to the upcoming 'Who's Jess' Baby Daddy?' storyline."
That last bit was a reference to star Zooey Deschanel's real-life pregnancy, which will not be written into the show. At this point, it's unclear how Coach's departure will be handled, though the loft was getting mighty crowded; perhaps this shakeup will help rejuvenate the comedy, which has dipped considerably in quality since its season two heights.
In the meantime, catch Coach while you still can.
[via: TVLine]
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