Zooey Deschanel has revealed that the cast of the Fox sitcom New Girl had to "fight" to secure Lamorne Morris the role of Winston Bishop, even though he is now considered inseparable from the show. Speaking on the Zach Sang Show, Deschanel recalled that studio and network executives were initially hesitant about casting Morris, prompting the actors to lobby on his behalf. The anecdote is a reminder of how a now-celebrated piece of casting was far from guaranteed.

Morris had originally auditioned for the role of Coach, eventually played by Damon Wayans Jr., but did not advance after taking a job on another pilot that later failed. When the character of Winston — a former basketball player and childhood friend of Nick's — was created, Deschanel and co-stars Jake Johnson and Max Greenfield backed him, with the cast individually writing to studio and network heads to make their case. Created by Elizabeth Meriwether, New Girl aired on Fox from 2011 to 2018 and also starred Hannah Simone; Morris went on to win an Emmy in 2024 for playing Deputy Witt Farr on FX's Fargo.