New Girl actor Ralph Ahn dies, aged 95

Writing on Instagram, Johnson – who played Nick on the show – said Ahn was "so much fun to work with" and "gave so much with literally no lines".

"I loved when he was on set. I was always expecting to somehow work with him again," he continued. "Condolences to his family/friends."

Zooey Deschanel, who starred as Jess on the show, commented on Johnson's post, writing: "Noooooo" followed by a crying face emoji, while Lamorne Morris, who is best known for playing Winston, wrote about Ahn's death in a separate Instagram post.

"Damn. RIP to Ralph Ahn," he said. "He played Tran on New Girl. Always the funniest scenes in the episode. This man lives a lot of life, keep his friends and family in y'all thoughts and prayers."

Hannah Simone, who played Cece on the show, commented on the post: "He was so funny and made everyone in a scene with him funnier. Love to his family and friends."

Ahn made his New Girl debut in the season 2 episode 'Menzies', when Nick befriended the constantly-silent Tran in a park and opened up about his troubles.

Ahn went on to appear in seven episodes, from 2012 until 2018 when the show ended.

Outside of New Girl, Ahn had acted in Gilmore Girls, The Division, The Shield, The King of Queens and The Good Life.

Born in Los Angeles to Korean parents, including historical figure Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, Ahn was a part of the US Navy and served America in the Second World War before branching out into acting, following his older brother Philip Ahn – a prolific Korean-American actor.

Ahn began his career in 1953, playing a Korean prisoner in Battle Circus, before taking on roles in Mission Over Korea, Prisoner of War, The Hook, It Takes Two, The Golden Girls, The Perfect Weapon, Panther and Let There Be Light.