Let's go crazy. Again. Seven years after his sizzling halftime show in Miami, Prince returns to the Super Bowl spotlight, this time as a comedic actor. His Purple Highness plays himself in an episode of "New Girl," which airs in Sunday's highly coveted post-game slot on Fox.
He's not just doing a rendition of "When Doves Cry" and exiting stage left. Although he will perform at least one song, he also dives into sitcom shenanigans, which includes giving Jess (Zooey Deschanel) a makeover.
"We do some strange stuff on the show, and he was up for all it," said Hannah Simone, who plays Jess' gal pal, Cece. "I heard he had a really good sense of humor and he really does. He was wonderful, incredibly open, sweet and charming."
Turns out he's also a big fan of the show. Prince contacted Deschanel by e-mail last season, declaring that he only watched two things on TV: "New Girl" and the news. Still, cast members had their fair share of jitters during his three days on the set.
"It's safe to say that anyone who only goes by one name is going to be intimidating," said Deschanel, who also plays in the indie-pop duo She & Him. "He's a cultural icon."
Deschanel's team is hoping that the royal visit and the high-profile time slot combine to get the show more attention. The sitcom, now in its third season, averages a disappointing 5 million to 8 million viewers a week.
The last sitcom to run immediately after the Super Bowl was "The Office," which in 2009 drew an audience of nearly 23 million, by far the largest in its nine-year history. "Friends" shattered all records in 1996 when it drew nearly 53 million viewers with the help of guest stars Julia Roberts, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chris Isaak.
"It's always exciting when you love something and you get the opportunity to share it with more people," Simone said.
