A large part of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s success is owed to its cast members, most of whom proved to be pretty wholesome in the show and in real life, too. From Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero to Terry Crews and Stephanie Beatriz, the show's major stars added personality to the hilarious misadventures of the cops and detectives of the fictional 99th Precinct while also adding the right amount of depth in some of the show’s more emotional scenes. Like any long-running sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine also had its fair share of cameos, including those from Nathan Fillion and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Even featuring guest actors from Parks & Recreation and New Girl as well as the actors' own friends, a few of these cameos hit closer to home for some of the cast. From the debut season up to its ultimate eighth season, the real-life romantic partners of some of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s actors had single-episode appearances. Their presence not only added to the overall sentimentality of the comedy series but also provided interesting Easter eggs for more attentive viewers.
Beth Dover As Janice
A large part of Charles Boyle’s character arc in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 1 revolved around his engagement with Vivian (Marilu Henner), which was eventually called off. Back when things were better with Vivian, Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) and his best friend, Jake (series star Andy Samberg), encountered a friendly stationery store employee named Janice, who suggested ideas for wedding invitations. Janice was particularly fond of Boyle — more specifically his handwriting — and even suggested he should become a professional calligrapher. While Janice and Boyle never ended up together, their actors are romantically linked in real life, as Janice was played by actress Beth Dover, wife of Joe Lo Truglio.
Dover has been married to Lo Truglio since 2014, which was around the time of their Brooklyn Nine-Nine scene together. There was definitely an air of romance being shared between the two characters, but unfortunately, Janice never appeared on the show again. Dover is best known for playing Linda, the villainous prison employee who becomes the temporary lover of Big Boo on Orange Is the New Black. She also had a recurring role as Shari in the Wet Hot American Summer franchise, which reunited her with Lo Truglio, as they play ex-lovers. The two actors also both previously starred in the 2007 movie The Ten.
David Fumero As Melvin Stermley
Melvin Stermley was a major character in Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5, episode 15, "The Puzzle Master." Melvin created crosswords for the Saturday newspapers and also worked as a swimwear model. When a series of murders were connected to his puzzles, he sought the help of 99th Precinct detectives Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero). There was no romantic angle for Melvin, though, as Jake and Amy were dating in season 5 and even married in the finale. But the truth is that the actors playing Amy and Melvin have been married since 2007 with the latter played by Melissa Fumero’s husband, David Fumero.
Much like his Brooklyn Nine-Nine character, Fumero has been a model in real life while juggling his acting roles. As an actor, he is best known for playing Cristian Vega in the daytime drama One Life to Live. Interestingly, Melissa Fumero also played the recurring character Adriana Camer on the soap opera, which is where the duo first met. In fact, One Life to Live also marked her professional debut. While she went on to further fame with Brooklyn Nine-Nine, her husband has had a major role in Power along with appearances in several police and detective-related shows such as the NCIS franchise and the Bad Boys spin-off L.A.’s Finest.
Danielle Aubuchon As Jenny
Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 5 started with a two-part episode called "The Big House," which found Jake and Rosa (Stephanie Beatrix) going undercover in prison and adjusting to their new life behind bars. With Rosa’s arc unfurling in a women’s prison, Dirk Blocker’s hilarious supporting character, Hitchcock, also appeared, paying a visit as an outside guest. While it seemed he was there to visit Rosa, with whom he unsuccessfully tried flirting earlier, he instead visited another inmate, Jenny. Rosa’s other colleagues Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) and Terry (Terry Grews) added that they just bumped into him in the lobby. Meanwhile, Hitchcock and Jenny were busy sloppily kissing through the prison glass!
While Hitchock seemed to be closer to Scully than any woman in his life, in real life Blocker was actually committed to his wife, Danielle Auvuchon, who also played Jenny on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The two actors have been happily married since 1990, and their brief, yet passionate meeting on the sitcom only proved this further. An actress herself, Aubuchon debuted with a small role in the 1985 neo-noir Trouble in Mind, which starred Kris Kristofferson and Lori Singer. Her other screen credits include the 1987 fantasy-drama Made In Heaven and the 2000s legal drama series The Lyon’s Den, which starred Rob Lowe and Kyle Chandler.
Joanna Newsom As Caroline St. Jacques Renard
For leading man Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was quite a personal affair, as his close friends and fellow The Lonely Island members Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone made cameo appearances in a few episodes. The show also featured Samberg's wife, Joanna Newsom, in the series finale, "The Last Day." Newsom played Caroline St. Jacques Renard, the associate principal cellist for the Berlin Philharmonic, whom Holt instantly recognized given his passion for classical music. However, Jake just ended up calling her “some nerd” with “a great violin." Caroline didn't hold back, calling him “the ugly one who made fun of my cello."
It made sense for Newsom to play a cellist given her profession as a musician. She is well-known as a singer, songwriter, and composer while also having mastered classical training on the harp. Having released four studio albums since 2004, Newsom is noted by critics for her unique “psychedelic folk” sound and the distinct harp usage in her music. She married Samberg in 2013 and also appeared in Samberg's mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. Her other acting credits include the series Portlandia and the movie Inherent Vice. With both her and Samberg’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine characters poking fun at each other, Newsom’s cameo made for a wholesome Easter egg.