Photo of Megan Fox on 'Tonight Show,' by Theo Wargo/NBC
Photo of Megan Fox on 'Tonight Show,' by Theo Wargo/NBC

Megan Fox has joined the cast of New Girl in the recurring role of Reagan, a pharmaceutical sales rep who rents Jess' (Zooey Deschanel) room while she's absent due to jury duty.

As we previously reported, the upcoming fifth season of the Fox comedy will be somewhat unusual compared to past years, as Deschanel is currently on maternity leave and will not be seen for several episodes.

The cast, including Deschanel, filmed the first five episodes of the season this past spring in order to accommodate the actress' temporary leave. Fox's character will first appear in the sixth episode.

“It’s insane to me that such a gorgeous person can be so funny, but I guess we just all have to accept it,” New Girl creator Liz Meriwether said in a statement to TVLine on Thursday. “I’ve been a fan of her comedic skills since This is 40, and I’m so excited to have her on the show. We had Megan in mind when we wrote this part — she’s the perfect person to come in and shake these guys up.”

The fifth season of New Girl will begin in January, later than usual but without interruption.