Max Greenfield has a strong opinion about Taylor Swift's acting ability, and it is not what most people would expect from a cast member of a show she briefly appeared on more than a decade ago.
Greenfield appeared on the Therapuss podcast with host Jake Shane and said Swift's 2013 cameo on New Girl left the regular cast looking second-rate. He included himself in that assessment, along with co-stars Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson.
"Taylor wasn't quite yet Taylor, but I remember she was on set and we were hanging out and she was so kind," Greenfield said. "She was a better actor than all of us."
Swift appeared in the Season 2 finale of the Fox show, an episode titled Elaine's Big Day. She played Elaine, a wedding guest revealed to be the true love of a character named Shivrang, whose wedding to Cece falls apart during the episode. Elaine and Shivrang leave together to elope, and the fallout sets up a new chapter in the relationship between Cece and Schmidt.
According to The Wrap, Greenfield also recalled a conversation he had with Swift on set about performing. He asked her whether she preferred playing for a small, intimate audience or a large arena. Her answer came immediately. "And I go, 'If you could play like to an intimate audience or a big arena — what do you prefer?' And she goes without missing a beat, she goes, 'If you could fill the ocean with people, I'd like to play for that.'"
Greenfield was not the only cast member to speak well of Swift. Jake Johnson, who played Nick Miller across the show's seven seasons, talked about Swift during a 2024 episode of the We're Here to Help podcast. He recalled the first time he saw her on set, not immediately recognizing her because she was sitting in a hair and makeup chair like anyone else.
"She's such a huge star but her vibe isn't bad," Johnson said. "She's sweet. She's funny. A lot of big stars, they have their own hair and makeup. The first time I met her, I was going to my lady in the corner … and there was a random blonde lady sitting in one of the chairs."
Johnson noted that her behavior stood out precisely because it did not match expectations for someone of her fame. "You would expect her to come fully ready from their own thing, not talk to anybody," he said, explaining that Swift easily integrated with the cast and crew.
Swift's cameo in Elaine's Big Day aired in 2013, when her profile was already considerable but before the stadium-era dominance that would follow. Greenfield's full conversation with Shane is available on the Therapuss podcast.
