 Jess' best friend Cece (Hannah Simone) regularly visits her, and their former roommate Coach (Damon Wayans, Jr.) also appears in some seasons.The show also features a number of characters that appear as love interests, acquaintances, or family members for the characters in multiple episodes in a season or across multiple seasons.Jessica Christopher "Jess" Day (Zooey Deschanel) is a bubbly, offbeat teacher in her early thirties who is originally from Portland, Oregon.