Max Greenfield
Max Greenfield is a comedic actor celebrated for his role as Schmidt on the popular Fox series *New Girl*, which garnered him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. He was born on September 4, 1980, in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and pursued acting after moving to the West Coast following college. Greenfield's early career included appearances on MTV's *Undressed*, as well as roles in *Boston Public* and *Gilmore Girls*. He gained recognition for recurring roles in shows like *Veronica Mars*, where he played Deputy Sheriff Leo D'Amato, and *Ugly Betty*.
His portrayal of Schmidt in *New Girl*, which ran from 2011 to 2018, significantly raised discussions about masculinity in modern television and established him as a breakout character. Following this success, Greenfield continued to act in various series, including *The Neighborhood*, which has reached over 100 episodes as of 2024. He also engaged in film projects, such as *The Big Short* and *The Glass Castle*, while reprising roles in *Veronica Mars* and other series. In his personal life, he is married to casting director Tess Sanchez, with whom he has two children. Greenfield’s journey reflects resilience and dedication within the entertainment industry.
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Subject Terms
Max Greenfield
Actor
- Born: September 4, 1980
- Place of Birth: Dobbs Ferry, New York
Contribution: Max Greenfield is a comedic actor best known for his work on the Fox comedy television series New Girl, for which he received Emmy Award and Golden Globe nods. He also had recurring roles on the series Veronica Mars, Greek, and Ugly Betty.
Background
Max Greenfield was born on September 4, 1980, in Dobbs Ferry, New York. He graduated from Dobbs Ferry High School in 1998 and then attended college. After graduation he moved to the West Coast to be near his family. While there he decided to pursue an acting career. The aspiring actor struggled for a time to land jobs. One of his first roles was on the MTV series Undressed in 1999. He followed this with turns on popular shows such as Boston Public in 2002 and Gilmore Girls in 2003. His first film role was in the independent feature Cross Bronx (2004).
Career
In 2005 Greenfield appeared in the film When Do We Eat? and played an entrepreneur who loses all of his money and then decides to become a Hasidic Jew. The same year he landed a recurring role on the UPN (later CW) series Veronica Mars as Deputy Sheriff Leo D’Amato. He revisited this role many times, making appearances in eleven episodes of the acclaimed series, until its end in 2007.
Greenfield received his first leading role in 2006 in the WB series Modern Men. The show centered on three bachelors who turn to a life coach to help them in their romantic endeavors. The show was short-lived, however, and Greenfield found himself once again looking for a role.
After appearances on series such as Life and The O.C. in 2007, the actor was cast in a recurring role on the dramedy Ugly Betty, appearing in eight episodes in 2007 and 2008. On the show Greenfield played Nick Pepper, the assistant of Alexis Meade (Rebecca Romijn). In 2009 he also landed a recurring role on the ABC Family drama Greek, which centered on fraternity and sorority life. Greenfield’s character, Michael, played the love interest of fraternity brother Calvin Owens (Paul James). The two made history when they kissed—the first onscreen same-sex kiss for the channel.
For the next year Greenfield took on a variety of small roles. He appeared on episodes of television shows such as Kath & Kim and the rebooted Melrose Place, which was a remake of the original series from the 1990s. In 2009 Greenfield landed yet another recurring role on the TNT legal drama Raising the Bar. After turns on the shows Castle, Lie to Me, No Ordinary Family, and Undercovers in 2010, he decided to develop his own show. In 2010 Greenfield debuted The Gentlemen’s League on DirecTV. The series—in which he also starred, directed, and produced—followed him and his best friend, Jerry Ferrara, and their fantasy football league.
In 2011, Greenfield finally landed the big break he had been working toward for almost a decade. He was cast as one of the stars in the Fox comedy series New Girl, which focuses on the lives of roommates Schmidt (Greenfield), Jess (Zooey Deschanel), Nick (Jake Johnson), and Winston (Lamorne Morris). Greenfield’s character, Schmidt, is a vain, overconfident, and materialistic playboy wannabe on the surface but gradually reveals more sensitivity and depth as the series progresses. Schmidt was called the show’s breakout character and has raised discussions among critics about changing depictions of masculinity. The show became a hit with fans and critics alike, netting Greenfield Emmy and Golden Globe nominations in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The series received a Golden Globe nod for best comedy series in 2012. He stayed on the show until the series ended in 2018.
In the 2010s, Greenfield guest starred in episodes of several television series, including the comedies Happy Endings (2011), Hot in Cleveland (2011, 2014), and Bob's Burgers (2013, 2015–6, 2018); the thrillers American Horror Story (2015) and American Crime Story (2018); and the Netflix children's comedy drama A Series of Unfortunate Events (2019), based on the book series of the same name by Lemony Snicket. In 2014, he appeared in the romantic comedy They Came Together with Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, as well as in a Veronica Mars film, in which he reprised his character of Leo D’Amato. He then appeared in films such as the biographical comedy The Big Short (2015), the biographical drama The Glass Castle (2017), the comedy thriller The Oath (2018), and the comedy What Men Want (2019).
In 2018, Greenfield began costarring in the CBS comedy The Neighborhood alongside Cedric the Entertainer, Sheaun McKinney, Tichina Arnold, and Beth Behrs. The long-running show topped 100 episodes before it began its seventh season in 2024. In 2019 while still part of The Neighborhood cast, he again reprised his role as Leo D’Amato in the Hulu revival of Veronica Mars.
During 2020, Greenfield also did a number of voice roles, including the voice of Area Man in the Area Man video game (2022) and six episodes of The Flash: Escape the Midnight Circus in 2023. He also played Lev Levy in ten episodes of Running Point, a show about basketball with a 2025 launch.
Impact
In the early years of his career, Greenfield took every acting opportunity that he was offered in hopes of landing his big break. After more than a decade, his perseverance paid off when he was cast New Girl in 2011 and became its most talked-about character. Since then the once-struggling actor has risen to stardom after being recognized with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Personal Life
Greenfield married television casting director Tess Sanchez. They have two children: daughter Lilly, born in 2009, and son Ozzie, born in 2015.
Bibliography
Bryant, Jacob. "Netflix Debuts First Looks for Kate Hudson Comedy ‘Running Point’ and Kristen Bell’s ‘Nobody Wants This’." Wrap, 15 May 2024, www.thewrap.com/kate-hudson-kristen-bell-running-point-nobody-wants-this-netflix-first-look/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Greenfield, Max. “Talking Schmidt: Why We’re Rooting for New Girl’s Max Greenfield at the Emmy’s.” Interview by Bruce Handy and Juli Weiner. Vanity Fair. Condé Nast, 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 July 2013.
Greenfield, Max. “The Max Factor.” Interview by Mickey Rapkin. Elle. Hearst Communications, 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 July 2013.
Keveney, Bill. “On ‘New Girl,’ Max Greenfield Steers the Shallows of Schmidt.” USA Today 27 Nov. 2012: 3D. Print.
"Max Greenfield." IMDb, www.imdb.com/name/nm0339011/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
“Max Greenfield Joins ‘Veronica Mars’ Movie: Actor Confirms He Will Return as Deputy Leo D’Amato.” Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 18 June 2013. Web. 10 July 2013.
Paskin, Willa. “‘New Girl’s’ New Manhood.” Salon. Salon, 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 Aug. 2013.