A closed captioning company that misidentified Zooey Deschanel as one of the Boston bombing suspects on live television last week has issued an apology to the actress.

Kala J. Patternson, the president of Kansas-based Caption Solutions says the company “deeply” regrets the incident and “sincerely apologize for this error.” [via The New York Post]

The apology comes just days after Deschanel’s name was entered into a caption as Dallas-Fort Worth’s Fox 4 channel aired the latest on the hunt for bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

“He is 19-year-old Zooey Deschanel,” the closed captioning bar read, alongside a photo of Tsarnaev. The error was caught by journalist Peter Ogburn, among other viewers, who then shared the screenshot on Twitter and beyond.

Deschanel also commented on the mistake later that night.

“Whoa! Epic closed captioning FAIL!” she wrote in response to a retweet by actor Joel McHale.

Tsarnaev, who was arrested on Apr. 19, has since been charged with use of a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property resulting in a death. He could face the death penalty or life in prison.

While Friday’s manhunt for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was one of the most intense broadcasts to air on live television, viewers tuning into a local FOX station were treated to a brief moment of comic relief.

And it’s all thanks to a serious case of closed captioning error.

During the manhunt, journalist Peter Ogburn noticed that a celebrity’s name — not Tsarnaev’s — was identified as the bombing suspect in a station’s subtitles.

“He is 19-year-old Zooey Deschanel,” the closed captioning bar read.

The error has since made the rounds on Twitter, actor Joel McHale and beyond, and to the desk of Deschanel, who re-tweeted Ogburn’s screenshot.

Whoa! Epic closed captioning FAIL! “@joelmchale: Oh my RT @peterogburn: twitter.com/peterogburn/st…”

— zooey deschanel (@ZooeyDeschanel) April 20, 2013

Tsarnaev was arrested in the Boston suburb of Watertown on Friday night following a citywide lockdown. According to The New York Times, the individual was in serious condition at a Boston hospital as of Saturday morning.

Meat is so passé. At least in Hollywood.

More A-listers than ever are sticking to strict vegan or vegetarian diets — and being kinder to animals in general. Among them: Jessica Chastain, Russell Brand, Kristen Bell and Kristen Wiig.

“I don’t want to torture anything — it’s about trying to live a life where I’m not contributing to the cruelty in the world,” Chastain said after being named one of PETA’s sexiest vegetarians. “While I am on this planet, I want everyone I meet to know that I am grateful they are here.”

Chastain’s new menu options have also had an unexpected, positive effect on her waistline.

“I used to think about dieting,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in August 2012, “but I’m vegan now, so it’s not really a problem.”

Click on the gallery above to check out other famous vegetarians.

Then tell us: Are you meat-free, or could you never give up a juicy cheeseburger?

It was more like a laugh fest at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills as the cast and producers of FOX’s New Girl took over PaleyFest. The panel consisted of inside jokes, awkward moonwalks, poking fun at one another and quirky moments from the beloved Zooey Deschanel and creator Elizabeth Meriwether as they had the whole audience bursting with laughter.

Though the night was full of witty one-liners, there was one thing everyone had on their mind: What’s happening with Jess (Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson)?

After news of the show getting picked up for a third season, it was apparent that the writers had plenty of ideas to keep audiences guessing what will be next for the quirky cast. Yet, at the same time they had no specific plans on what kinds of situations the cast could possibly come across.

“There are some benefits to not plan, sort of do what we want. And do what feels right for that episode that we are working on at that moment. Then, try to push ourselves to go as far as we can and next episode solve the problems that we started. It’s a funny way of doing it but it kind of helps to keep pushing, instead of saying, ‘In this moment, this is going to happen and then this is going to happen,’” creator Meriwether added.

But what we can be sure is that there will be plenty of entertaining plots, a death, an Elvis costume and the cast losing their virginity.

Here’s some inside scoop on what fans can look forward to as season two comes to a wrap.

1. Nick and Jess’ future. With the recent kiss between Jess and Nick, viewers are dying to know what’s next for the two. Will they get together, will they make it work, or will they just forget about it? “I think that they are very good together,” commented Johnson. “I personally don’t know if they are ready to be in a long term relationship. But, I like the fact that they are exploring this dynamic and we’ll see what happens.”

2. Schmidt’s (Max Greenfield) and Cece’s future. Another couple who just can’t seem to decide who they want to be with may have some turn of events. When asked if Cece’s (Hannah Simone) wedding was going to happen, the producers couldn’t help but deflect the question. Though they did add, “With an engagement you would think a wedding might be in the future. The story will continue, we really don’t know.”

3. The death in the family and Elvis. It’ll be a turn of events as the gang heads to Chicago after news of Nick’s father passing away. For the emotional episode, the producers brought in an amazing guest cast with Nick Kroll as Nick’s brother and Margo Martindale playing Nick’s mother as fans get introduced to his big family, who word has it aren’t too fond of Jess. Aside from the upsetting family news, Deschanel channels her inner rocker and dresses up as Elvis Presley.

4. The gang loses their virginity.  Now this might be the next most anticipated episode in our books, as the cast gets a blast from the past and we see how the group all lost their virginity. Written by Meriwether, the episode has Nick as his sixteen-year-old self with braces and Schmidt in his “Fat Schmidt” days. Word has it that he gets “overzealous with some lube” as he is “seen in his dorm room moving through space,” according to Johnson.  It’ll be a fun time for the cast as they spend some extra time in the hair and makeup department this week.

5. Schmidt’s first name. The mystery continues on what could possibly be Schmidt’s first name. Producers Dave Finkel and Brett Baer stated, “We wrote it in an episode and we cut it out. We do have some, two maybe, we’ve been going back and forth.” As for Greenfield and his opinion on what his character’s first name might be, “I don’t ever want to know, I think it should be Schmidt forever.” We guess this might be an unsolved mystery for now.

6. Guest stars galore. The rest of the season is sure to bring back some beloved characters as Lamorne Morris who plays Winston alluded to a Justin Long comeback. Aside from Nick’s family members guest starring, we will also see Ellen Albertini Dow, Bill Burr, and Jess’ dad played by Rob Reiner reprising his role on Episode 24. The producers have even thought about introducing Schmidt’s family and exploring the idea with a potential single mother and his relationship with his father. Maybe even a possible spot for Zooey’s sister, Emily Deschanel?

New Girl airs Tuesdays at 9PM on FOX.

What are you most excited to see as the season comes to an end? Are you team Jess and Nick? Tell us your thoughts below!

Are Nick and Jess the new Ross and Rachel? Watch below.

Elisha Cuthbert is the most beautiful woman on television, but the Canadian actress thinks it’s a “crazy” honor.

Maxim made the big announcement this week, along with the release of its stunning cover featuring the 30-year-old star in a purple swimsuit. (Look closely and you can also spot her giant rock from hockey player fiancé Dion Phaneuf).

“To think that one person could be the most beautiful when there’s Kaley Cuoco, Sofia Vergara, Zooey Deschanel? They’re all stunning. I’m not gonna fight anyone about it, though. I’ll accept it with grace,” Cuthbert told the magazine. “But being on a show with two other beautiful women, this is gonna make going to work very uncomfortable. I don’t know, this might be a curse.”

Curses aside, the Happy Endings star does make a good point. With all the gorgeous faces on the small screen these days, Maxim must have had a tough decision when it came to crowning the most beautiful actress of them all.

Who in TV has Cuthbert bested? Celebuzz is taking a look at seven other TV stars that could have taken home the coveted title.

In the article, Cuthbert also dished on one of her most famous roles ever: Danielle the porn star in The Girl Next Door.

“To be honest, I think one reason guys liked that characters so much is because I didn’t go fully nude. My character really could be the girl of every guy’s dreams,” she said. “I remember I had a lot of real porn stars tell me I was like their Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman. Nice sentiment but, you know, a little awkward.”

Do you agree with Maxim’s pick for the most beautiful woman on television? Check out our other suggestions in the gallery, above, and share your thoughts below. 

Chris Brown is back in the headlines, thanks to his alleged brawl with Frank Ocean at a Los Angeles parking lot.

Authorities told Reuters that Ocean is seeking to press charges against the “Don’t Wake Me Up” singer.

Brown still has one year left on his five-year probation from his 2009 assault on rumored on-again girlfriend Rihanna.

On the small screen, New Girl fans let out a great sigh of relief thanks to this week’s smoochfest between Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick (Jake Johnson).

In other Hollywood news, Lindsay Lohan arrived in court with a new lawyer in Los Angeles on Wednesday, just weeks after firing her longtime attorney Shawn Holley.

Judge Stephanie Sautner has set a new hearing for Mar. 1.

For more on the week’s hottest headlines, check out the latest edition of One Minute Buzz, with Holland Reid, above. Did we miss any of the headlines you read about? Weigh in below.

If you had to define Zooey Deschanel in one word, what would it be? Charming? Creative? Well-read?

Okay, fine. Yes, she’s quirky. Maybe even adorkable (if you want to use that word). But as the New Girl actress turns 33, we’re turning over a new leaf and highlighting some of Deschanel’s other qualities.

For one, she’s admirable. Even President Obama is a fan. Last year, the President and First Lady Michelle Obama sent Deschanel a birthday card to let her know how much they appreciate all that she’s done for young women.

She’s also musical. What other primetime TV star has performed at Coachella?

Another very fitting descriptor would be fashionable. Deschanel rarely has a wardrobe miss, and her ladylike style is always refreshing.

That’s why in honor of Deschanel’s birthday, we’ve rounded up some of her best looks from over the years. Yes, many of them are cute, but others may surprise you.

Check out our round-up of birthday girl Zooey Deschanel’s best looks ever.

Do you agree with our picks? And which of Deschanel’s looks is your fave? Share your picks in the comments below.

We showed you Deschanel’s winning Golden Globes’ gown — check out the night’s other best-dressed stars in the video below.

Oh, snap!

Photographers snapped some of the most glamorous shots throughout the Golden Globes ceremony, but at the end of the evening, it was Hollywood’s finest who captured all the juicy behind the scenes action.

Thanks to the help of social media (and a trusty smartphone), celebs documented their every move, whether they were en route to the Beverly Hilton for the show, or mingling with fellow nominees.

So what exactly where the most memorable candids of the evening, you ask?

Just to name a few: Avid Tweeter Sofia Vergara posted a shot of her Modern Family costars tearfully (all in good humor, of course) reacting to their loss against Girls in the Best TV Series – Comedy or Musical category. Meanwhile, funnyman Judd Apatow chatted away with Daniel Day-Lewis, while Kristen Bell and fiance Dax Shepard puckered up as they made their way to the festivities.

Launch the gallery to check out more candid moments from the Golden Globes!

The 2013 Golden Globes brought us many new faces, fresh fashions and inspiring beauty trends.

But this year also brought us some … well, copycat fashions, with many starlets showing up in (gasp!) nearly identical gowns.

Sure, every red carpet has colors, fabrics, designs and silhouettes that dominate the red carpet, but Sundays night’s red carpet saw so many lookalike dresses, it almost seemed like some stars had planned it.

There was Zooey Deschanel and Jennifer Lawrence in strapless, long red ball gowns, and Marion Cotillard only distinguishing her red strapless dress and gold belt from Lawrence’s Dior red dress and gold belt with a shorter hemline.

Then there was the parade of strapless, blush mermaid styles worn by Hayden Panettiere, Amy Adams and Megan Fox.

But these ladies in red and blushing beauties were far from the Golden Globes’ only fashion copycats.

Click through our gallery to see all the red carpet lookalikes.

What do you think of all the stars in similar styles? Is it just a case of “great minds think alike” or a boring case of too many stars playing it safe? Weigh in with your take in the comments below.

It wasn’t just about the gorgeous gowns at this year’s Golden Globes. From sexy smoky eyes and winged eyeliner to old-school Hollywood waves, celebs walked the red carpet with stunning (and some surprising) hair, makeup and nails.

From Zooey Deschanel’s “60s social look” donning a high, bouncy ponytail, red lips and a pearl necklace to Nicole Richie, Amy Adams, Tina Fey and Isla Fisher’s sexy waves—retro-chic locks ruled the red carpet.

The Globes’ makeup was all about the eyes. Claire Danes, Katharine McPhee and Julianne Hough rocked the smokey eye.

If the stars eyes weren’t smokey, they were heavily-lined. Winged eyeliner, worn by Emily Blunt, Carla Guglio, and Taylor Swift made for this year’s pretties peepers.

The buzzed-about Mani-Cam captured the Deschanel’s fun film strip nail art and Sarah Hyland’s dark shade with funky wire accents, while an array of stars, including Julia Louis-Drefuschose Spring’s 2013 hottest trend with soft nude nails.

And the night’s most surprising accessory? Ear cuffs. Both Hough and Giuliana Ranscic rocked these funky ear pieces that feel so rocker-chic and anything but ordinary on the red carpet.

Check out the night’s hottest beauty trends in our gallery.

Which Golden Globes beauty trends are you most excited to try—and which will you be leaving behind? Dish in the comments below.

Catch up on more Golden Globes red carpet style in the video below.

Anne Roderique-Jones

Forget formal black — Zooey Deschanel is red hot.

The New Girl actress matched her strapless, floor-grazing Oscar de la Renta ball gown to the legendary red carpet as she arrived at the Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday.

“Yeah, I didn’t know what anybody else was going to wear,” Deschanel said of her dress choice. “I just chose this because I liked it.”

Deschanel — who is “excited” to be nominated for Best Actress in a TV Comedy Series for her Fox hit New Girl— honored old Hollywood with a nail-art manicure, which has become something of a signature for the always adorkable actress.

“These are film cameras and filmstrips and it’s continuous,” Deschanel said, showing off her golden tips. “It’s serial nails, if you will.”

In a sea of color on the red carpet, Deschanel wasn’t the only star to show up in a scarlet hue for the 70th annual awards show. New mom Claire Danes — up for Best Actress in TV Series Drama for her starring role in Showtime thriller, Homeland — debuted her post-baby body in a red-hot Versace gown, while Silver Linings Playbook star Jennifer Lawrence — vying for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy — was on fire in a Dior Haute Couture creation.

But this year, Deschanel is hoping her dress doesn’t present any malfunctions, as it did at the 2012 Emmy Awards when her powder-blue skirt got stuck on Lucy Liu. “She didn’t even know what was happening. It was pretty amazing,” she recalled of “trying to keep Lucy Liu from walking off with a part of my dress” on the carpet.

“Those dresses are expensive,” she continued. “I don’t want to be responsible for anything. You have to be very careful. [But] this fabric is not as ‘hookable.’”

See who in Hollywood is arriving on the Golden Globes red carpet here.

Is that Carmen Electra or Ke$ha? Electra’s edgy new look made it hard to tell.

Donning a leather leotard, fishnet tights, and cornrows on one side of her down ‘do, the sexy star looked like the spitting image of pop star Ke$ha during an appearance on the Wendy Williams Show to promote her latest single “I Like it Loud.”

The former Baywatch star’s edgy makeover coincides with her decision to focus more on her music. Electra told Celebuzz last week, “I love acting but deep down this is what I’ve wanted to do for so long.”

Electra and Ke$ha aren’t the only celebrity lookalikes that have made us do a double take.

Katy Perry and New Girl star Zooey Deschanel have been mistaken for one another on numerous red carpets.

Meanwhile, Hollywood hunks Zac Efron and Jared Leto both share similar facial features, including stunning baby blues and pouty smiles, leading many to compare the two.

For more of Tinsletown’s twins, click through our gallery of celebrity doppelgangers.

Which celebs do you think should be on the list? Sound off in the comments below.

Will Bart Simpson let his love Mary Spuckler get away this time?

Zooey Deschanel returns to The Simpsons on Sunday to kick off Season 24, reprising her role as Cletus’ daughter Mary, who left Bart for New York City in Season 19 to find herself.

On the season premiere, titled “Moonshine River,” Bart and his family venture off to the Big Apple in search of Mary.

But Deschanel, 32, isn’t the only famous voice to guest star on the Sunday’s premiere.

Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sarah Silverman will all reprise their voice roles as Bart’s ex-lady friends. But Deschanel’s Mary will probably have the most screen time.

In a preview released by FOX earlier this week, Mary can be seen serenading Bart with a country song.

Fans of the long running series can also look forward to previously announced guest stars for the upcoming season, including Justin Bieber, Danny DeVito, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tina Fey.

These celebrities will join a long list of famous faces that have lent their voices to the show. The most recent guest star was Lady Gaga, who appeared as herself on the Season 23 season finale in May.

Other stars that have been “Simpsonized” in seasons past have included Britney Spears, Simon Cowell and Mel Gibson.

Season 24 of The Simpsons premieres Sunday at 8PM on FOX.

Click through the gallery above for photos of celebrities in their ‘Simpsons’ best. Which guest star has been your favorite so far? Share your thoughts below.

On FOX’s breakout hit New Girl, Max Greenfield plays Schmidt, a guy who was probably voted “Most Likely to be Shirtless at Any Given Moment” in high school.

But it’s Schmidt’s lack of modesty that has made him one of television’s funniest characters. After all, it’s not every day that a guy throws a “penis cast removal party.”

“First episode, it’s off. He’s back!,” Greenfield told Celebuzz. “Thank goodness. That needed to happen. But it’s off and he’s a free man again. And that’s a good thing for everybody.”

That is, everybody except for Parker Posey.

The Party Girl actress will guest star on the Season 2 premiere episode, entitled “Re-launch,” as a shot girl at Schmidt’s penis cast removal party. And, of course, with his nether regions now diaper and cast-free, Schmidt is looking for some action.

“When someone like Parker Posey steps on the set, the sparks are flying before anything is even lit,” said Greenfield. “He’d be a fool not to try something.”

And yes, this means that Schmidt’s and Cece’s (Hannah Simone) awkward-yet-adorkable relationship is over… for now. After his attempt to “White Fang” her on the Season 1 finale, it looks like Cece called it quits.

“He’s a free man in every sense of the word now,” said Greenfield. “And it’s going to get truly scary for everyone else involved.”

Watch out, ladies! Schmidt is back on the prowl.

Though he may not always be thankful for Schmidt’s “no shirt, no problem” philosophy, Greenfield is extremely grateful for the show’s success, especially among A-list “movie people.”

“It’s crazy,” he said. “It was nuts when we went to the Golden Globes, and you have all of these fancy movie people sitting in the middle. And then all of the sudden, you’re going to bathroom and Rob Reiner is, like, right next to you, saying ‘I love your show!’ It’s like, what is happening? It’s all very surreal.”

Meanwhile, in between his hectic shooting schedule and creative side projects, Greenfield has also turned Schmidt into a viral internet sensation. Back in April, the actor went rogue and posted a workout video featuring his character Schmidt. Are there anymore spontaneous Schmidt videos in Greenfield’s future?

“I have a couple of ideas,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. My only problem is that I’m so busy with the show, I literally don’t know when I’ll have the time to do it. But we’ll see!”

New Girl Season 2 premieres Tuesday at 8 PM on FOX, followed by new show Ben and Kate, then another all-new episode of New Girl at 9 PM.

TV’s best and brightest wowed on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards in bold colors, glittering embellishments, standout construction and sexy slits and dips.

Dressed in diverse designers and looks, but all equally noteworthy, Tina Fey, Edie Falco, Revenge‘s Emily VanCamp and Once‘s Ginnifer Goodwin were the among the night’s stand-out style stars.

Who else made our best-dressed list? 

Movie stars Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore joined the list of red carpet winners, stunning in bold colors and sophisticated cuts.

Mad Men‘s January Jones took a risk that paid off in an architectural Zac Posen number. Newcomer Jessica Pare wowed in white, while perennial favorite Edie Falco looked incredibly chic in a slimming navy and white gown with a gold belt.

For our entire list of the night’s best-dressed stars, click through our gallery — above. Then share your best and worst dressed picks for the night in the comments section.

The 2012 Primetime Emmys opened with a star-studded bang this year — showing Mad Men‘s Christina Hendricks and New Girl‘s Zooey Deschanel practicing their “I can’t believe I won face.”

Or, “duck face” in Hendricks’ case.

Suddenly, someone sneaks into the bathroom balling their eyes out. Destined to find the answer, these Hollywood ladies search the bathroom stalls.

Who do they find?

Oh, it’s just HBO Girls star Lena Dunham baring it all as she sits on the loo, eating an entire cake — but she wasn’t the source of the noise.

Harry’s Law actress Kathy Bates takes charge, declaring “stand back yoga pants” to Nashville star Connie Britton.

Surprise, surprise, it’s none other than the host of the Emmys himself — Jimmy Kimmel – in the stall next door, complaining about how he can’t host because of his recent botox flop.

How do these A-list actresses fix the dilemma? Watch the clip above to find out.

Zooey Deschanel is even adorkable at the Emmys.

The New Girl star stunned in a pale-blue strapless tiered tulle Reem Acra gown. With her dark locks swept up in a low bun and sparkling in Forevermark jewels, Deschanel showed some skin with her low-cut sweetheart neckline.

What look was the small-screen star going for?

“She wanted to look like a princess,” revealed E! Fashion Police host Kelly Osbourne.

Deschanel, who is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, even added a dash of dork to her classy ensemble. The night ahead of the awards show, Deschanel tweeted a snap of her tips adorned with images of old-school TV sets. “Televisions on my thumbnails…for the #emmys!” the star wrote.

And Deschanel never fails to disappoint on the red carpet. At last year’s Emmys, she wore a strapless pink chiffon Monique Lhuillier creation with a striking red belt.

Check out all the best and worst of the Emmys 2012 red carpet at Celebuzz.

Are New Girl co-stars Max Greenfield and Zooey Deschanel planning to coordinate their looks at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday night?

Well, if the decision was up to funny man Greenfield, the Fox sitcom duo would be the talk of the Emmys — complete with matching tuxedo nails.

“I think it’s something that people are going to be excited about and that people are going to talk about,” teased Greenfield in an interview with Celebuzz. “We don’t want to make too much of a splash so that we take away from the event. You know, we don’t want the Emmys to be all about Max and Zooey — but it will be talked about.”

Jokes aside, Greenfield, a first-time Emmy nominee, will be documenting his big night… for Gwyneth Paltrow?

When he’s not rehearsing scenes for his hit sitcom or writing, directing and starring in his own web series for AXE, Greenfield is an avid reader of Paltrow’s lifestyle newsletter GOOP.  Now that he and “GP” — as he affectionately calls the actress — are on friendly terms, he’s even going to give GOOP readers the inside scoop on Emmy night.

“It’s all going to be documented — everything that goes into such an event and prepping myself for such an event will be documented in this GOOP piece,” said Greenfield. “I think maybe I’ll take a few pictures that night, but I don’t want to be that annoying guy with his camera all night.”

For Greenfield, the thought of even being nominated for an Emmy is unbelievable. ”It felt like a very big 180,” he said, noting that just two years ago his biggest role had been playing a young Sandy Cohen in an episode of The OC. But to be nominated alongside his New Girl co-star Deschanel is even more incredible.

“We were emailing back and forth the entire day,” he recalled. “We just couldn’t believe it.”

As for Deschanel — who was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy — she notes that while she doesn’t have a speech prepared yet, she’s not going to worry about that just yet.

“We work crazy hours, and I try to keep things as low-key as possible because it makes me less nervous,” the actress told Celebuzz and a group of reporters during a Fox conference call. “And I try to just have a good time while getting ready. It’s silly to get upset about anything because the whole thing is supposed to be fun. It’s a treat that we’re all getting appreciated, and it should be something that we all enjoy. So I never freak out. It’s not work — It’s fun.”

What about Deschanel’s Emmy dress? The comedy actress nominee revealed that the dress will have the same vintage look as her 2011 Emmys ensemble. ”I think it’s a really great dress, and I’m really excited,” she said.

Comedy doesn’t get much respect, not even from comic performers. That’s the impression one gets from the Outstanding Lead Actresses in a Comedy Series in this year’s Emmy race.

Allowed to submit just one episode to Emmy voters to show off her chop, each of this year’s nominees chose a sample that was dramatic or dark. That may impress voters with the actresses’ range and versatility, but will it actually help them decide who’s funniest?

It certainly doesn’t make it easier for Emmy handicappers, especially when there are not five or six but seven supremely talented (and, yes, funny) actresses in the running. Guess we’ll have to fall back on the usual method of sizing up the race: Emmy politics.

Here’s how we think the Best Comedy Actress category will shake out.

Amy Poehler: She’s never won, despite five previous nominations (as an actress, producer, and writer). She’s long overdue for Emmy recognition, as is Parks and Recreation. Her episode, “Win, Lose, or Draw,” sees her running the gamut of emotions from laughter to tears as she awaits the results of her nailbiter of a city council election. The show’s comedy may be too sublte for voters, but Poehler feels like a winner. Emmy chances: Strong.

Edie Falco: She’s the first woman to win Emmys for lead roles in both drama (three times for The Sopranos) and comedy (two years ago for Nurse Jackie). She could repeat as the pill-popping nurse, though her character took an especially dark turn this year as she suffered through rehab (largely in the episode Falco submitted, “Disneyland Sucks”). The withdrawal storyline would be surefire awards bait if Nurse Jackie were a drama, but comedy voters might find it overwhelming. Besides, after four wins, voters may think it’s someone else’s turn. Emmy chances: Dim.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus: The two-time winner could be Poehler’s strongest competition. Like Poehler, she swerves from laughter to tears in her submission (titled  “Tears”). Unfortunately for the actress, her new series Veep lacks the strong critical buzz of some of the other contenders’ shows (particularly Lena Dunham’s Girls, which also debuted this spring on HBO). And sharp political satire is always bound to offend and alienate somebody. Still, the Seinfeld alum’s pedigree might be enough to pull her through. Emmy chances: Good.

Lena Dunham: Love it or hate it, Girls may have been the year’s most talked-about comedy. Like some of the other shows represented here, Girls is so deadpan that it’s a wonder voters even recognized it as a comedy. The same is true of Dunham’s performance on the episode, “She Did,” in which the actress doesnt do much until her big scene at the end where her Hannah blurts out how scared she is all the time. Of course, Dunham’s achievement in creating, writing, and directing the series may take away from her chances as an actress, with voters figuring she’ll be recognized elsewhere. Still, she’s the kind of newcomer the Emmys love. Emmy chances: Decent.

Melissa McCarthy: Last year’s upset winner rode the wave of positive attention from Bridesmaids, as well her performance on what was then a fresh and new sitcom. Now, the Bridesmaids hype has subsided, and Mike & Molly, instead of being fresh, now looks like the most conventional (three cameras and a laugh track) sitcom of the bunch. McCarthy’s just as good as ever; her episode, “The Dress,” showed broad comic range as Molly struggled to lose weight to fit into her wedding dress. Nonetheless, it’s probably someone else’s turn to be America’s comedy sweetheart. Emmy chances: Just OK.

Tina Fey: Hard to believe, but 30 Rock has been around so long that it’s gone from fresh upstart to tired chestnut and back to fresh upstart again.  That means Fey, who won this prize in 2008, has a shot again. (Besides, with the show going off the air at the end of the upcoming season, there won’t be many more chances for the Emmys to honor Fey’s Liz Lemon.) On “The Tuxedo Begins,” Fey shows off her increased confidence as a performer by playing essentially two roles: normal Liz and grotesque homeless lady (a persona Liz assumes to get better seats on the subway and at the movies). This episode lacks the heart-tugging element that the voters are suckers for, but maybe the idea of a Fey comeback is heart-tugging enough. Emmy Chances: Not bad.

Zooey Deschanel: On the one hand, Deschanel has managed to translate her wide-eyed, sly quirky charm from movies to TV with effortless ease on New Girl. More than anyone this year except maybe Lena Dunham, she was TV comedy’s new “It Girl.” Like many of the other nominees, she submitted a performance that was fearless and weird, the “Bad in Bed” episode, where she tried to turn on boyfriend Justin Long with her awkward attempts at kinky sex play. On the other hand, that performance may have been too off-putting even among this crowd. And with New Girl a modest hit, she’ll have plenty more chances to win in the years to come. Emmy chances: Iffy.

Which star would you bet on for the win? Tell us in the comments section below.

Now, this is a Fifty Shades of Grey casting idea that we can get behind.

New Girl funnyman Max Greenfield told Celebuzz that portraying playboy millionaire Christian Grey in the big screen adaptation of author E.L. James’ racy trilogy could be the role of a lifetime.

“I want to audition for the movie,” said Greenfield. “I think I’d be great in it!”

But is Greenfield ready for all of those NSFW scenes? 

He added, “Look, when I read the book, I thought, ‘What a comedy!’ I think maybe I can bring a little bit of validity to the situation. Sometimes, you try to figure out life and what it all means, and maybe I only got this New Girl job so that I would be enough of a commodity to get the role of Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey. I’d probably retire after I did that because I think my performance would be just spot-on.”

“I don’t even think it’s a shirtless thing,” he deadpanned. “I think it’s more of a raw intensity thing. Obviously, I’m the man for the job.”

And when it comes to casting his perfect Fifty Shades of Grey co-star, Greenfield said he wants Girls star Lena Dunham to play his leading lady, Anastasia Steele. After all, the actor said, he’d love to guest-star on the HBO series.

“She’s fantastic,” he said of Dunham. “What if Judd [Apatow] and I collaborated and turned Fifty Shades of Grey into a movie together? That’s what I’d like to do. Me, Lena [Dunham] and Judd. It’s a done deal. I’m calling whoever owns the rights and making this happen.”

But will the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon ever pop up on New Girl? Greenfield seemed hopeful that Schmidt might take an interest in the novel after realizing how many ladies he could score — after his penis cast removal, of course.

“I have read anything in any of those scripts about Fifty Shades of Grey, but I’m sure that it’s going to come up. If we were going to do it, we’d have to dedicate an entire episode to it and go all out. Slowly but surely, everyone in the apartment will be reading it. It will be like a sexual awakening!”

New Girl Season 2 premieres Sept. 25 at 8 PM on Fox, followed by another all-new episode at 9 PM.

Would you like to see Judd Apatow direct Fifty Shades of Grey, starring Max Greenfield and Lena Dunham? Let us know in the comments!

WATCH: The making of the New Girl opening sequence.