Community is an American TV sitcom created by Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon. The series revolves around a group of adults enrolled at a community college in Colorado. Community has become known for its use of meta-humor and its homage to film and TV tropes. The show was subject to critical acclaim and commercial success until its final cancellation in 2015. While the show struggled with ratings during its run on television, Community gained a cult following and won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Comedy Series in 2012.
Community is known for its ensemble cast featuring Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Donald Glover, and others. Since the series wrapped, the cast has all shown interest in the potential creation of a spin-off film. However, until that comes to fruition, many fans of the show have wondered where the cast of the show has gone and what they are doing now, if anything at all. Unlike many shows, Community’s ensemble cast’s vast amount of talent has led every member down a path of success rather than obscurity. Here’s where the cast of Community is today.
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Joel McHale
A former lawyer who enrolls in college after being suspended by the bar for claiming to have a bachelor’s degree without actually having one is Jeff Winger, portrayed by Joel McHale. Jeff’s personality is sarcastic yet manipulative as he is determined to get what he wants, often meaning not doing any real work. McHale first appeared on TV as the host of The Soup, a series that focused on recaps of pop culture and TV moments of that week, in addition to acting as one of the main characters on Community. After the show ran its course, McHale went on to star in a number of films, including The Happytime Murders, and a number of voice-acting roles, including voicing Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge and Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms. His career on TV also seems to be flourishing as he has appeared on a number of shows both as himself and as a character. His next film California King is in production, though no release date has been confirmed.
Alison Brie
Alison Brie plays the role of Annie Edison, the overachieving and youngest member of the group who is over-organized. Annie was an outcast in high school with her addiction to Adderall causing her to be overly anxious. Brie had her breakout role as Trudy Campbell in Mad Men, earning herself a Screen Actors Guild Award before moving on to star in Community. After Community had run its course, Brie went on to voice the character of ghostwriter Diane Nguyen in BoJack Horseman and to play the role of Ruth Wilder in GLOW. Most recently, Brie is lined up to play Becky in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Roar, with another role in the film Somebody I Used to Know alongside Community co-star Danny Pudi.
Danny Pudi
Playing the role of the movie-loving Abed Nadir is Danny Pudi. Abed struggles with social interactions due to the implication that Abed has autism; as a result, he often uses film and TV references as a buffer between himself and his surroundings. Despite his constant references to fictional scenarios, Abed is often the most mature of the group, thanks to his outstanding observational skills. Pudi received three major awards nominations for his performance on Community ,which helped earn him his current role as Brad Bakshi on the Apple TV+ Mythic Quest. Pudi is lined up to star in a number of upcoming films including American Dreamer and Somebody I Used to Know.
Gillian Jacobs
Anarchist and activist Britta dropped out of high school to travel the world. As much as Britta wishes she looks progressive and informed, she in fact appears to be a negative influence on the group, coming off as pretentious. Gillian Jacobs plays the role of Britta, the first role of the actress’ to achieve major recognition. After her appearance on the show, Jacobs went on to star as Mickey Dobbs, a radio producer struggling with her sobriety, in the Netflix series Love. Jacobs also gained a recurring role on Girls and has appeared in a number of films since starring in Community, including Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Ibiza, and the Fear Street trilogy. Jacobs’ career shows no sign of slowing down as she has starred in the recently released film The Contractor and has a title role in the upcoming film The Seven Faces of Jane.
Yvette Nicole Brown
Divorced Shirley Bennett has enrolled in college to help her start her brownie business. On top of being a vocal Christian and a good mother, Shirley also has a quick temper. Playing the role of Shirley is Yvette Nicole Brown, an American actress and comedian who has made guest appearances on shows like That ‘70s Show, The Office, and Mom. Most recently, Brown received a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in A Black Lady Sketch Show. While much of Brown’s career has been in TV, Brown has appeared in a number of films, including the upcoming Disney+ exclusive Disenchanted.
Donald Glover
Donald Glover, actor and rapper, plays the role of Troy Barnes, a former high school quarterback who lost his scholarship when he separated his shoulders doing a keg flip, a stunt he pulled on purpose to relieve himself of the pressures of stardom. At first, Troy tries to pull off the stereotypical jock appearance, but soon reveals himself to be just as nerdy as the rest of the group, becoming best friends with Abed. After Community, Glover went on to star in a number of films, including playing the beloved Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but his best work yet is his role as Earnest in the FX series Atlanta, for which he was both actor and creator. His work on Atlanta won him two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes. Glover recently made headlines for his self-interview in Interview Magazine.
Ken Jeong
Ben Chang is an unstable Spanish teacher at Greendale Community College who often takes extreme actions against his students. As much as Ben would love to fit in with the rest of his students, his persistence only makes the students more reluctant to include him. Playing the role of Ben Chang is Ken Jeong, an American comedian, actor, and even a licensed physician. Jeong rose to fame for his recurring appearance in The Hangover trilogy. Jeong has gone on to appear in a number of films and TV roles since Community, including Crazy Rich Asians and the upcoming shows Adventure in Wonder Park and The Pentaverate. Jeong is one of the most recognizable actors on the show and his career has only flourished thanks to Community.
