Jake Johnson
The actor who turned Nick Miller's lovable grumpiness on 'New Girl' into a defining comedic archetype for a generation of TV viewers.
Born 1978 (age 48)·American actor·Birthday: May 28·Generation X
Biography
Jake Johnson didn't take a straight road to sitcom fame. Born and raised in Chicago, he cut his teeth in the city's improv scene before moving to Los Angeles, where he paid his dues with small film and TV roles that showcased his natural, everyman charm. His big break came in 2011 with Fox's *New Girl*. As Nick Miller, the cynical, financially challenged bartender, Johnson delivered a performance that was both hilariously curmudgeonly and deeply vulnerable, making him the show's unexpected emotional anchor. His chemistry with the ensemble cast defined the series' warmth. Beyond the loft, he has shown impressive range, voicing a middle-aged, disillusioned Peter B. Parker in the Oscar-winning *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*, and starring in indie films like *Drinking Buddies*. Johnson's success is built on a relatable, grounded authenticity that makes even the most flawed characters deeply endearing.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jake was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jake Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Jake's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as Nick Miller for all seven seasons of the hit Fox sitcom *New Girl* (2011-2018).
- Voiced Peter B. Parker in the Academy Award-winning animated film *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* (2018) and its sequel.
- Nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013 for his role in *New Girl*.
- Co-wrote, produced, and starred in the 2012 film *Safety Not Guaranteed*.
Did You Know?
His birth name is Mark Jake Johnson Weinberger; he uses Jake Johnson professionally.
He studied film and history at the University of Iowa but did not graduate.
He is an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears.
He performed at The Second City and ImprovOlympic (iO) in Chicago early in his career.
“I'm not a model. I'm a normal-looking guy. If I can do it, you can do it.”
