Ralph Ahn, Fan-Favorite Actor on New Girl, Dies at 95

Ralph Ahn, beloved character actor best-known for his work on New Girl, died over the weekend. According to a post from the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles, Ahn passed away on Saturday, February 26th, at the age of 95. Throughout his career, Ahn appeared in several movies and TV shows, including ER, Gilmore Girls, The Shield, The King of Queens, and a two-episode stint on iconic sitcom The Golden Girls in the late 1980s. His earliest screen credits date back to the 1950s.

Despite appearing on-screen for more than 60 years, Ahn’s most recognizable work didn’t come until his final role. On FOX’s New Girl, Ahn played Tran, the wise and mostly silent grandfather figure to Nick. He first appeared in 2012 and showed up in a total of seven episodes throughout the series. His final appearance came in the show’s second-to-last episode in 2018.

While going through relationship difficulties with Jess, Jake Johnson’s Nick went for a walk in the park and ended up on a bench next to Tran. The man did nothing but smile and nod, but Nick took it all as profound wisdom. Tran continued to return as the person Nick turned to when he needed help, eventually resulting in a relationship between Nick and his granddaughter.

Tran became one of the most beloved guest characters amongst New Girl fans, always putting a smile on their faces whenever he’d appear. It was clear Ahn also left an impact on those he worked with. Johnson, who shared the screen with Ahn for nearly all of his scenes in New Girl, took to Instagram to share his love of the late actor after hearing the news of his passing.

“RIP. So much fun to work with,” Johnson wrote in the post. “He gave so much with literally no lines. I loved when he was on set. I was always expecting to work with him again. Condolences to his family/friends.”