Summary

• Taylor Swift's cameo on New Girl was unexpected but significant, as she played a role in a wedding day dilemma.
• The sitcom's creator, Elizabeth Meriwether, is a big fan of Taylor Swift and was excited to have her on the show.
• Swift's appearance added a fun surprise to the show, showcasing her acting talent beyond her music career.

Taylor Swift's New Girl cameo was one of the most unexpected guest starring moments on the show. Created by Elizabeth Meriwether, the sitcom New Girl made its debut on Fox in 2011, following Jess Day (Zooey Deschanel) as she begins a new life with her three male roommates. New Girl was praised for its tone and sense of humor, along with the performances of its main cast, especially those of Max Greenfield and Jake Johnson. The fun energy of the show also attracted a lot of notable guest stars, including Taylor Swift.

In the New Girl episode, “Elaine’s Big Day”, Cece and Shivrang’s wedding day finally arrived, but things didn’t go as planned. As Schmidt and Winston planned to sabotage the wedding, the event was ultimately stopped by Shivrang’s ex, Elaine (Swift), who arrived to confess her feelings for him. This led Cece to confess her feelings for Schmidt, and so the wedding was called off, with Shivrang leaving with Elaine. Taylor Swift’s appearance was very brief but very significant to New Girl’s creator, who’s a big fan of the pop megastar.

New Girl is available to stream on Hulu and Peacock.

Why Taylor Swift Had A Cameo In New Girl

A Mutual Fandom Led To Taylor Swift Guest Starring In The Sitcom

Unlike other guest stars, not only in New Girl but other shows as well, there isn't anything extraordinary behind Taylor Swift’s cameo, nor was it hard to get her on the show — though Elizabeth Meriwether did have her own fangirl moment when she met her. Speaking to EW in 2013, Meriwether shared she’s a huge fan of Taylor Swift and that she “was fully geeking out about meeting her", though she didn’t meet her right away because she “kind of had to compose herself”.

Not only was Meriwether a fan of Taylor Swift's music, but she revealed that the pop sensation was incredible to work with on set:

She kind of came and nailed it. We love bringing in guest stars, but we really try to make it feel like they’re part of the show and it’s not just stunt casting.

Swift turned out to be a New Girl fan, with Meriwether recalling that she was reciting her favorite New Girl quotes, so having her as part of season 2’s finale was very special both to those involved in the show and to Swift.

Taylor Swift's Other Movie & TV Roles

Swift Will Also Be Making Her Directorial Movie Debut

Prior to her small role as Elaine in New Girl, Taylor Swift had mostly appeared in music-related films as herself, such as Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience and Hannah Montana: The Movie. Her early acting roles also included playing Felicia Miller in the star-studded rom-com Valentine’s Day and voicing Audrey in the Dr. Seuss adaptation of The Lorax. As for TV projects, she appeared as herself in a number of TV shows, except for one episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, where she played a character named Haley Jones.

Since New Girl, she has appeared in more TV shows as herself as well as in more TV concerts and documentaries (all about her and her career). She has also continued to take smaller roles in movies, playing Rosemary in The Giver, Bombalurina in Cats, and Liz Meekins in Amsterdam. While she has still not taken a high-profile leading role in a movie, she will step behind the camera for Swift's directorial debut with an undisclosed movie project.

Taylor Swift’s time in New Girl was short but important, as she made it possible for Cece to come clean about her feelings for Schmidt, stopped her from marrying a man she wasn’t in love with, and gave said man the freedom he – like Cece – needed. It also remains a fun surprise to see the pop star randomly show up for such a small but fun role.