Max Greenfield explains why Schmidt is much more than a douchebag:
''Just when you think this is the goofiest guy ever, he does something really genuine or really relatable and you go, 'Oh, okay, maybe he's not who I thought he was.' Then right when you have that thought he then goes and does something so ridiculous that it makes you go, 'Oh my God, I can't believe I ever thought that.' He's always kind of keeping you guessing and is always up to something new and I think because of that he definitely has a lot of success. I get a lot of, 'My friend is just like Schmidt!' No one ever wants to say, 'Oh, I'm just like Schmidt!'''

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Zooey Deschanel on stripping down for Jess:
''If I had my druthers, I would be completely like in a turtleneck or pants or floor length skirt all the time. So to be in an S&M style outfit doing that took a lot of my own bravery.''

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(As told to Nuzhat Naoreen)

See interviews with all 32 of our wish list Emmy nominees at the EW Emmy Watch pages