Hot take: Winston Bishop is the best character on New Girl, change my mind. From the iconic loft shenanigans to his smooth basketball skills to his intense love for his on-screen cat Ferguson, Winnie the Bish (akakaka Brown Lightning) has made us laugh out loud for over a decade. And who doesn’t love a Winston mess around? Not a prank, but Lamorne Morris, the Emmy-nominated actor behind our beloved Winston, is partnering with Mike’s Hard Lemonade this summer to celebrate the dedication and perseverance of all workers.
“It’s awesome to be a part of this campaign in particular just because I’ve had many jobs, and some are harder than others,” says Morris said, whose impressive resume includes Walmart cashier, TGI Friday’s waiter, and telemarketer, in addition to his successful acting credits such as New Girl, Fargo, and the upcoming SNL movie Saturday Night.
Sometimes you just need a lemonade after work.
“Lemonade has been the traditional flavor, my favorite ever since I was a kid. It’s how I envisioned summer hanging out with other people and having lemonade,” Morris told Spoon University. This partnership with Mike’s “obviously matches” for Morris, who loves to kick back and enjoy Mike’s Original Hard Lemonade.
Most Americans value hard work, and no matter what you do, some days are just plain tough. A recent survey from Mike’s Hard Lemonade found workers today are grappling with being overworked with over half of all workers (54%) feeling like their current job is hard.
So, why Morris? Because the actor understands firsthand that all jobs, big or small, can be worthy of a Mike’s Hard Lemonade. From his days of working at TGI Fridays to his college’s bookstore while studying theater to becoming the successful actor he is today, Morris embodies the spirit of hard-earned refreshment.
“Some jobs are really easy, some are difficult. But every worker, at the end of the day, deserves a treat,” Morris said, who is a fan of the sweet little treat phenomenon. (As a sucker for an $8 midday latte and post-work ice cream lover myself, I have to agree.) “At the end of the day, I deserve to kick back and have a Mike’s Hard Lemonade, which is why I decided to partner with them.”
On Tuesday, August 20 in New York City, a city renowned for its hustle and work ethic, Mike’s is teaming up with Morris to host the Mike’s Jobstacle Course, where participants (21+ only) will get a taste of various deceptively challenging jobs, proving that every job has its own tough moments. According to Morris, the most challenging aspect of his current job – acting – is being creative.
“Art is subjective, and it’s up to the people. It’s hard to say ‘I’m going to create this character, and hopefully, it’s received well,” he said. “Plus, it is a collaborative effort on set, and in that initial stage of creating a character and building with your other cast mates and your director and showrunners, and producers, it can be a little bit of a bumpy road.”
Morris’ love for a little treat goes beyond Mike’s Hard, though.
Food is everywhere, obviously.
“When you’re on set, when you’re working, there’s a spread everywhere you go,” said the actor, whose current favorite on-set snack is cashews for “how convenient and delicious and simple they are.”
Before making it as a successful actor, though, Morris studied Theater at the College of DuPage in Illinois, where he worked in his campus’ bookstore, had a job in town, and performed at Chicago’s Second City Improv when he wasn’t studying. Though his college experience wasn’t exactly traditional, Morris shared a common trait with many college kids: missing home-cooked meals.
“It was just cool to be able to go home and have your mom cook for you,” he said.
Morris shared that one of his all-time favorite meals is a perfectly done steak, but there’s a catch, “I don’t think anyone can make a steak better than me.” According to Morris, this talent is “proven, factual, common knowledge,” and “they’re going to talk about it historically.” (Disclaimer: Spoon U cannot necessarily attest, since we haven’t tried it.) So, when it comes to comfort food, he loves his own home-cooked steak, but the actor, who is a self-proclaimed “Man of the People,” also loves the experience of eating out at a restaurant — it’s “the ultimate way to kind of kick back and chill,” he said.
His favorite place to dine out? TGI Fridays. Morris worked at the chain restaurant in college and loves the food and the environment.
“I worked at a ton of restaurants, and when you work at restaurants, sometimes people get tired of the food. At TGI Friday’s, I did not for some strange reason,” Morris said.
And while the iconic potato skins are a crowd-favorite, his favorite meal has remained the same over the years: “The Sizzling Chicken and Shrimp. Always.”
If you want to hear more about Lamorne Morris’s work and partnership with Mike’s Hard Lemonade, he’ll be co-hosting Mike’s Jobstacle Course (ages 21+) at 477 Broadway, New York, New York 10013 on Tuesday, August 20 at 2 p.m. Fans can sign up for a “shift” via Eventbrite. In the meantime, we’ll follow up if and when Morris ever makes the perfect steak for us.