Joel McHale

February 7, 2013

Joel McHale's AMA

I'm going to answering questions for the next hour. Oh and by the way Community returns tonight on NBC 8pm



Is danny pudi's smile as heartmelting in real life as it is on screen?

Yes but he can only hold it for 12 hours


I totally Britta'd that.

Yeah, I've been Britta'ing the last 16 minutes. I don't know what I was doing wrong but I'm finally able to reply


You're the worst.

agreed. Now you guys will see the full display of my intelligence when you see how crappy and long it takes me to type.


Megan Ganz wanted us to ask: “Ask him which he loves more: my episodes, or my company.”

I love Megan. One of the best around


Joel, first of all, welcome to the Internets.

I know that you're a married man and probably have a happy marriage. However, most of the Reddit community is wondering this:

  1. During Alison Brie's "Santa Baby" lapdance . . . what did you think about to avoid an awkward erection?

  2. Also, did you know Ken Jeong has a medical degree from UNC (Go Heels) . . . and would you ever trust him to operate on you?

  3. Finally: Favorite Childish Gambino song?

I had to imagine Ken Jeong's medical degree to avoid the awkward boner. I was also wearing a cup(as I always do). Picking a favorite Childish Gambino song is like picking your favorite type of puppy. They're all good.


Would you ever do a rap verse on a song with Childish Gambino? Like Tina Fey did?

Can't wait for tonight!

I would but it would end my career. So...I guess I have an out if I need it


Will Mankini ever get a cameo on Community?

His fee is too high


Honestly how much does Donald try to rap on set?

In between take Donald wears head phone and composes on his lap top. He quietly raps to himself and sings. I didn't know what he was doing in first season when he did that. Turns out he was making some of the best music out today


Who the hell are you always texting? Everyone you know is here.

Also, how would you describe tonights premiere in one word?

Tech support


Would you rather fight 1 Chang sized duck or 100 duck sized Changs?

This is a toughy


From an actors perspective, how has the attitude of the set changed since Dan Harmon's departure?

We as a cast have become more vocal on about jokes in scripts and such. Since we've lived with these characters for four years we have a pretty good sense of what they might say or do. Or I like to think I have a pretty good sense. Damn, I hope I do by now


Dear Mr. McHale,

My question is simple: are we ever going to see Dean Pelton wearing this? http://imgur.com/CYw9O3m

Dear Lord I hope not. That would make him look ridiculous.


What's it like being more handsome than the guy who's famous for being handsome?

Thank God for make up


Fuck, marry, kill: Donald Gover, Danny Pudi, Ken Jeong

All three actions, to all three of them, in that order


[deleted]

Getting training for me was very helpful. I can't speak for anyone else.

She smells like....victory


Was the paintball (Modern Warfare) episode of Community as much fun to shoot as it looked?

Some of the most fun I've ever had. It was like won an auction item where I got to pretend to be an action star for two. The director Justin Lin is a genius


What was your favourite epsiode to film out of the first three seasons?

Also, Annie or Britta?

That's impossible. They're so different. I still can't believe we did a My Dinner with Andre parody. Such great writing and a tour de force by Danny.

BrAnittnie


What the hell are regionals?

They're right after semis!


In the Soup, has Lou been played by the same dog the whole time, or has he been replaced by similar looking dogs like Lassie?

He played Seacrest's clydesdale once.


First, I'd like to start off by saying you're on my top 5 celebrity 'to-do' list so keep up the good work. My question is: How does the show feel without Dan Harmon?

The show is different in that the creator of it isn't there. So that was weird. Thankfully there were some writers from the beginning to help guide for all the new people. I haven't seen any of the eps but I know some must be good because the scripts were great. Cast member Jim Rash wrote a terrific one among many others.


Given that Chevy Chase seems like a nightmare and didn’t really want to be there, was he professional about it every time “action!” was called? It seemed like most of the cast does a good job of acting out scenes with him when cameras are rolling, and I actually laughed at a large portion of all Pierce scenes. Also I call major bullshit about how you only did pushups to get those pecs. I love you.

When Chevy was in the zone and liked what he was doing he would nail it.


I'll ask the question that all Community fans are wondering about the new season:

Is it still Community?

No. It is now Game of Thrones


Dan Rather is doing an AMA at this moment as well. So, Joel, who would win in a fight between you and him?

Regular Ultimate Fighting rules or K1?


I was wondering if Community actually got six seasons and a movie, what would you like to do for a movie?

I would like it to be shot like Les Mis and take place in the same era


Why do you think you have been typecast as kind of a jerk? Do you think that it may be due to your sarcastic delivery on The Soup? By the way I’m a huge fan of all your work (except for Spy Kids 4, that was kind of pathetic) if you are ever in central IL and want a free meal let me know.

I'm always in Central IL


Love you Joel!

How many push ups can you do in one sitting?

Out of all the episodes that have aired, what's your favorite?

I use those perfect push up thingys and it's hard. Usually 40


Who is your favourite actor on set to work with? Is Danny Pudi as cool as Abed in the show?

Danny is one of the best people on the planet. People are attracted to him like he's the president.


Hey Joel!

do you think Community would benefit from putting the episodes up on Netflix (perhaps all at once) in the future, like House of Cards? Also (perhaps a common question): has the dynamic of the show changed since Harmon left? If so, in what way? Thanks for the AMA, looking forward to the premiere tonight!

I know we're now syndicated on hulu so I don't know how it works with Netflix. We're also now on Comedy Central.


You give a lot of speeches as Jeff on the show, so does the rest of the cast every try and make you laugh or break when they are out of the shot?

They feeling on set is wonderfully goofy. The cast is very gracious if letting me stumble through my speeches until I get the words right


"The universe is an endless, raging sea of randomness. Our job isn't to fight it but to weather it together on the raft of life. A raft held together by those few, rare, beautiful things that we know to be predictable...us."

We have seen a lot of changes in Jeff's character during his journey toward becoming a "good person." Do you think these have been innate changes to Jeff's personality, or do the other members of the group bring out the best in him? In other words, if the forces of life eventually had Jeff on his own away from the group, do you think he would revert back to some of his old personality traits? Why or why not?

Huge fan of the show. You are all awesome. Thanks for doing this AMA and being a part of something so special to me.

I hope any change Jeff goes through take place glacially. I think that's more real. In real life it's usually not an about-face. I love that he's slowly learning and has to learn some of the same lessons over and over again. Jeff relies on the group. They're his family. That alone is a big change for him.


What was it like growing up in Italy?

I don't know. I left when I was 3. Food was really good but it was pretty much breast milk the first year I was there.


Alright, be honest with me. How long DOES it take to get that perfect kind of bedhead?

6-8 hours. Depending on what time I go to bed.


Love Community but I also love The Informant!

What is Steven Soderbergh like in real life?

Soderbergh had wanted to, he could have had a very successful career as a actor and comedian. Brian Williams too


Are you and the cast like a family off-set as well as on it?

EDIT: OMG. Joel McHale. Best Day of my Life

Yes, we have a conference call every night and sign off the way they did on the Waltons.


If you could do a project (like a show or a movie) of your own idea, what would it be?

I really would love to do a Community movie. Hopefully will have more seasons after this


Which show has the best snarky lines: The Soup or Community?

Not sure but Brian Williams and Dr. Oz nailed on the Soup last night


Hi Joel. I want to ask you about your guest appearance on Sons of Anarchy. Was Katey Sagal as every bit of a sweetheart as I've heard?

She's absolutely a great person all the way around. She should have gotten all the awards for how good she is on that show. Sutter is an incredible creator


Why the change in the set of The Soup, more of a budget for 2013? #thankgoditsOct19

We got money for graphics now!!


Hi Joel. So you have 3m twitter followers. @nbcCommunity has 100k. Did you have any idea the Soup was so popular? And assuming half a million are porn bots, can't you bully the other 2.4m into following @nbcCommunity, given the move to start monitoring social media interaction?

I've always been terrible at story problems


What’s your favorite Alison Brie moment? All of them? It's totally all of them.

I loved the paint falling on Annie and Abed


Who is the funniest cast member on the set of Community?

Donald puts on a one man show daily. So funny. Jim also makes me fall on my ass laughing.


Do you think a live episode of Community à la 30 Rock could work? Who would be the Julia Louis-Dreyfus to your Tina Fey?

That would be terrific. Can we borrow some money from you to cover the extra costs?


I may sit in the bathroom at school so i can watch how this AMA rolls out. What are your thoughts on skipping Theology IV to do this? (Also, very big fan!)

Theology IV? Did you skid I,II, and III?


Does it even feel like a job, working on the set for Community? It just looks like you guys have a blast.

It's a dream come true to work on a show like this and with such a good cast.

By the way I have to go soon, I'm guesting Fallon. I have to get dressed.


how big is your forehead REALLY?

IMAX


Do you have any interest in doing more serious projects after you're finished with Community?

I'd like to be in Mildred Pierce II


Okay Joel, you're clearly in a bad space today, but Pierce is our friend. And the Barenaked Ladies are triple platinum, are YOU?

It's been...


On a scale of 1-10 how much do you hate Todd?

11!


Hi Joel! Happy October 19th.

Ice cream, gelato, or frozen yogurt? Favorite flavor?

Edit: thank you so much! And yes, please come back!

Gelato. Dark Chocolate Peppermint

Guys, I have to go. I have to go to Fallon or he's going to be pissed. I'd love to do this for two hours next week. Will that work?


Hi Joel! Giant fan of the show, been following since season 1...two questions 1. Do you have a favorite episode(s)? 2. What episode did you have the most fun shooting?

I loved Modern Warfare, Blanket Fort, Remedial Chaos Theory, My Dinner with Andre, Kiss from a Rose, Foosball, John Goodman. The list goes on and on.


Are you excited for the season opener or anxious to see how it's received? Also, how hopeful are you for a fifth season?

I can't wait to hear what people think. The fans of Community are the best in the world. I truly think the way you support the show is unique. The passion is incredible. My gratitude is bursting. Okay, I have to go. Fallon will kill me if I don't get dress and go. Let's do this next week. Sorry this was only an hour. Thanks a ton for watching at 8pm tonight. Six Seasons and Movie!


This interview was transcribed from an "ask me anything" question and answer session with Joel McHale conducted on Reddit on 2013-02-07. The Reddit AMA can be found here.