Prince to guest star on 'New Girl'

Jan. 14 (UPI) -- It's hard to believe Prince would go near a show that popularized the word "adorkable," but he's apparently a huge fan.

"He contacted us last season because he's a huge fan," New Girl executive producer Brett Baer told E! News. "He knows everything about the show. He contacted Zooey [Deschanel] and Hannah [Simone] directly and asked to do the show. We couldn't work it out last year. But when the Super Bowl thing was floated, it was perfect timing."

The enigmatic performer will guest star on the FOX comedy's planned post-Super Bowl episode this February, and he had his own ideas about his character.

"He said, ‘I want to be involved in the show in a real way and I want to help Nick and Jess with their relationship,'" said executive producer Dave Finkel.

Finkel described Prince as "genuinely funny."

"There's a moment in the episode where he's sitting in between Zooey and Jake on a bench. And it's a silent beef and he's just looking between them trying to figure them out. And it's hilarious. He has crazy comic instincts," Finkel said.

Here's the official synopsis for the episode, "Party Time," which will air after the Super Bowl on February 2.

Jess (Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominee Zooey Deschanel) is ready to paint the town purple when a chance encounter finds her and best friend Cece (Hannah Simone) invited to a once-in-a-lifetime mansion party thrown by music legend Prince, guest-starring as himself. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Winston (Lamorne Morris) and Coach (guest star Damon Wayans, Jr.) are determined to crash the festivities, building toward an unforgettable ending. The episode also will feature special guest cameo appearances.

[E! News, Entertainment Weekly]