FILM · 2002
The New Guy
17 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (17)
- #001
Real-life brothers Jerry O'Connell and Charlie O'Connell improvised most of the party scenes, including climbing on the swings, which they did not want to do.
- #002
When Dizzy goes to the county jail to talk to Luther, a Black Flag symbol appears on the wall behind him. Former Black Flag singer Henry Rollins plays the Guard in the film.
- #003
Danielle mentions that her grandmother is Albanian. Eliza Dushku's grandparents emigrated from Albania to the United States in the 1920s.
- #004
Although part of the film was shot there, students at W. Charles Akins High School were not allowed to be extras in the film. Extras had to be at least 18 years old, and at the time Akins had only 9th and 10th graders. However, some Akins High School teachers and staff were hired as extras.
- #005
All the scenes set at Rocky Mountain High School were filmed at the then-new W. Charles Akins High School in Austin, Texas. At the time, half the school was empty because it had just opened and only 9th and 10th graders attended. The sign outside the school was changed to show the name of the high school in the film, which, combined with how recently the school had opened, caused confusion for parents and buses trying to drop off actual students.
- #006
The high school's look and its Scottish theme and mascot were modeled on the real-life Glendora High School in Southern California.
- #007
The counselor's office at Rocky Mountain High School was the only room that did not exist at the real W. Charles Akins High School. Because of a lack of space in the actual administrative offices of the existing school, the office was built in the school's foyer for filming.
- #008
Zooey Deschanel recorded all of her songs for the film herself. In addition to being an actress, Deschanel is also a recording artist with the band She & Him.
- #009
The crew added leaves to the trees outside the first high school in the film. Because of the autumn atmosphere and the fact that the school where filming took place had only recently closed and had little landscaping, the director needed the trees to be polished.
- #010
The film was originally set to be released on May 4, 2001, but it was pushed back a year to avoid competing with The Mummy Returns.
- #011
This was the first film produced by Revolution Studios.
- #012
Three high school cheerleading squads — from Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama, Canyon High School in Anaheim, California, and Lake Hamilton High School in Percy, Arkansas — appeared in the film thanks to a contest run by Mediatrip.com, which they actually won.
- #013
DJ Qualls and Kurt Fuller appeared in various episodes of Supernatural (2005).
- #014
As a child, DJ Qualls liked eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but he can no longer eat them because the eating scenes, including the sandwich Dizzy eats, required multiple takes.
- #015
This was the first feature film for Sunny Mabrey and Nicole Taylor. Taylor's role was not credited.
- #016
As a child, DJ Qualls watched Patton (1970) repeatedly with his grandmother.
- #017
Screenwriter David Kendall worked as a producer, director and writer on the series Boy Meets World. He named Eliza Dushku's character after Danielle Fishel.
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