“In season one, there was just this clear cut antagonist in Senor Chang,” Community series star Gillian Jacobs explained during the Paley Center for Media’s PaleyFest panel honoring the comedy for the second year in a row. “But now there are different dynamics within the group.”
Though Jacobs used that as reasoning for Pierce (Chevy Chase)’s sudden deviation into “Mean Girl” syndrome, it very easily can be applied to the Jeff-Annie-Britta triangle, too. After all, season one ended with some big developments there, but season two has shifted focus to instead look at budding bromances and Britta’s odd relationship with her one outside friend.
LA TV Insider Examiner caught up with Jacobs last night in Los Angeles to discuss Britta’s evolution, willingness to go out on limbs even when she looks ridiculous, and who she may sleep with in this season’s version of a paintball extravaganza.
First and foremost, she was quick to point out that “Britta doesn’t think she’s making fun of herself when she [dresses up]; she thinks she looks awesome. But there are times when I’m humiliated inadvertently. Any time she takes a really strong stance on something, it’s usually going to backfire.”
So in that regard, not much has changed since the pilot. But in other ways a lot has. After all, Britta was “the girl” in the pilot episode. In fact, she caught our protagonist’s attention so much that he programmed her number into his cell phone as “Hot Blonde- Spanish,” rather than learning her actual name. But now she has been plucked from her pedestal and is much more the buzz-kill.
“You’re the worst; please leave!” Jacobs joked about how the Greendale gang often sees her.
For the record, though, Jacobs is able to laugh at herself much more than Britta can, and she is therefore anything but a buzz-kill off-screen!
The Community cast has begun to incorporate Improv and adlibbing into scenes more and more on set as they have grown more comfortable with their characters and with each other as scene partners. Jacobs admitted to having no Improv background, which resulted in an early fear of being able to match up, but now she said she feels like she may be getting better.
As long as she’s not in scenes with Donald Glover or Jim Rash, though-- those two manage to break her with their witty zingers early and often, she shared! In fact some of Glover’s more memorable lines have been his own adlibs, including “Set your phasers to love” and “I have the weirdest boner.”
Community has not yet been renewed for a third season, but Jacobs said that if they are lucky enough to get one, she would like to explore Britta’s world a bit.
“It seems like we spend twenty-four hours a day at Greendale!” She pointed out, which is not really enough time to have other friends or real lives, really.
But Britta does have brothers-- something we learned very early on and have yet to see them. So instead of watching her attend another protest or perform another modern dance, Jacobs pitched the idea of her friend James Badge Dale to come on and play a brother.
“He doesn’t think he’s funny, but I think he’s funny,” she told us. “[Or he could just be] angry and humorless like Britta. It could work really well!”
Check out our video chat to the left for more and be sure to tune in when Community airs on NBC every Thursday night at 8pm.
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