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Jake Johnson Was Screwed Over by Hollywood. And He’s Never Been Hotter
Jake Johnson is entering an especially busy period, with three television projects and three films due this year, led by the Apple TV+ comedy “The Dink”. In an interview, he describes developing the film independently with writer Sean Clements and reflects on the changing prospects for mid-budget studio comedies.
“The Dink”, released on 24 July, stars Johnson as a former teenage tennis hopeful drawn into competitive pickleball at his father’s country club. The cast includes Ed Harris, Mary Steenburgen, Ben Stiller, Chloe Fineman and Patton Oswalt; Johnson trained with tennis coach Brad Gilbert despite having little previous interest in either tennis or pickleball. The interview also touches on the 15th anniversary of “New Girl”, lost residual payments and a yearly gift from Tom Cruise.
In short
- Jake Johnson leads Apple TV+ pickleball comedy “The Dink”.
- He developed the independently financed film with writer Sean Clements.
- The actor has several television and film projects due this year.
Explained simply
Jake Johnson is an actor who has experienced financial difficulties in his career, including lost residual payments from television work. He is currently entering an especially busy period with multiple television and film projects scheduled for release this year.
"The Dink" is an Apple TV+ comedy released in July 2026 that Johnson developed independently with writer Sean Clements. The film casts Johnson as a former teenage tennis hopeful drawn into competitive pickleball at his father's country club, alongside Ed Harris, Mary Steenburgen, Ben Stiller, Chloe Fineman and Patton Oswalt. Johnson trained with professional tennis coach Brad Gilbert for the role, despite having limited previous interest in tennis or pickleball.
This comes at a time when the mid-budget comedy genre faces considerable challenges in the modern entertainment industry. Johnson's involvement in multiple projects coincides with broader discussions about how actors and studios are responding to these shifts.
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