Britta For The Win: 'Community''s Gillian Jacobs Joins 'Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World

by Oliver Lyttelton
May 18, 2011 5:26 AM
8 Comments

Castmate Danny Pudi Will Appear In Seth Rogen/Barbra Streisand Comedy 'My Mother's Curse'

Picking the MVP on NBC's excellent sitcom "Community" is a near-impossible task -- the tremendous ensemble cast, which includes Joel McHale, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie and Ken Jeong, turn in top-notch work week on week, and each episode tends to show new strengths for a different character. But if we had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Britta, the politically conscious drop-out played by Gillian Jacobs.

Jacobs, previously best known for her ace turn in the Sam Rockwell-starrer "Choke," started off on the show as a relatively one-dimensional love interest, but she's added new depths over the past two seasons and has rapidly become the sitcom's secret weapon. And Hollywood have taken notice: Jacobs was recently down to the last few for the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy "The Dictator," and while Anna Faris landed that part, she's just been cast in one of the more intriguing projects around.

The Hollywood Reporter bring news that Jacobs has joined the cast of "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," the apocalyptic comedy-drama that started filming this week. The film, written and directed by "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" scribe Lorene Scafaria, stars Steve Carell as a man who, when an asteroid is about to bring about the end of the world, enlists his neighbor, to be played by Keira Knightley, to search for his childhood sweetheart. Jacobs will play an Ecstasy-dropping waitress that the pair meet en route, joining William Petersen, Adam Brody, Rob Corddry, Lindsay Sloane and Derek Luke in the supporting cast. Focus Features picked the film up last week, so this will likely get a high-profile release sometime in 2012: we've heard good things about the script, so we're certainly intrigued, considering the casting.

Jacobs isn't the only cast member to start making waves on the big screen: Joel McHale has "Spy Kids 4" and "What's Your Number" later in the summer, and Seth MacFarlane's "Ted" next year, while Alison Brie is currently filming the Apatow-com "Five-Year Engagement," and Donald Glover will cameo in "The Muppets." And the equally great Danny Pudi, who plays Abed on the show, is joining them: a recent Vulture interview reveals that Pudi's just filmed a small role in the Seth Rogen/Barbra Streisand comedy "My Mother's Curse." Oh, and while we're thinking about, that project also just added another NBC stablemate, Yvonne Strahovski of "Chuck" to its cast, in a more substantial role. Everything's connected, when you think about. Hey, someone should write an ensemble indie drama about that! That's never been done before.

More: Films, Actors, Actresses, My Mother's Curse, Seeking A Friend For The End of The World, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs

8 Comments

| Reply
Emma | June 3, 2011 4:23 AMReply

Hopefully Gillian Jacobs won't have a huge part in this movie because she's not a good actress. She is by far Community's weakest link.
shark | May 19, 2011 2:01 AMReply

Yeah, Donald Glover just HAS TO BE huge. He's raised the crying freakout to an art form.
Piotr | May 18, 2011 11:21 AMReply

Wow. So wrong. Probably a nice lady and a good actress, sure, but Britta is THE WORST. Name one thing she did this year that can't be described as "annoying." True confessions time: I hate the show. Season 1 = funny. Season 2 = swimming aimlessly trying to stay afloat. I said it. Deal with it, internet.
Professional Opinion Haver | May 18, 2011 9:26 AMReply

It's definitely a sign of the cast's greatness that it's so tough to pick a favorite.

But the correct answer was and will always be Donald Glover. Dude is going to end up a comedy legend.
rabiman | May 18, 2011 6:16 AMReply

You had me until the tagline:

The film, written and directed by “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” scribe Lorene Scafaria

After that unbearable abortion of a film. . .
Jon | May 18, 2011 6:00 AMReply

Thanks! Hate to nitpick but, after seeing the behind the scenes stuff on the season 1 DVD, YNB just seems like the nicest woman on television and I'd hate for her feelings to be hurt.
Oliver Lyttelton | May 18, 2011 5:38 AMReply

Oops, oversight. Will fix now -- who doesn't love Shirley?
Jon | May 18, 2011 5:37 AMReply

Whoa, Yvette Nicole Brown is the only Community regular who doesn't get a mention up top? Ouch!