Community Scripts Would Regularly Tell One Actor To Improvise Their Lines

Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) stands out in "Community" for his hilarious one-liners, often in the form of random zingers that come at the very end of a scene. It turns out, the magic that makes Troy so special on-screen is more than Glover's ability to read a well-written script. The man improvised many of his lines himself. In an interview with MS NOW, show creator Dan Harmon explained how his team of writers would often handle Troy's one-off commentary, saying, "If we were operating at a fast enough pace, we would put at the end of a scene, 'And then Donald says something funny.'"

They'd leave the cue and let Glover's comedic genius do the rest, and the results speak for themselves. Glover's consistent ad-libbed humor was a key factor for many of the best "Community" episodes. The actor was so good on his feet, he could often bring home a scene with an amusing line that would catch people off guard. This added a signature element of humor to the show that many diehard fans found endlessly amusing (even if a few outliers, like fellow actor Chevy Chase, never thought "Community" was all that funny).

Harmon pointed out that at first, the "leave it to Glover" cues were kind of a joke. As cynical writers, they expected pushback for asking him to do their jobs. Not from Glover. "Donald's response," Harmon said, "would be to riff a line funnier than we could have come up with."

Dan Harmon added that the primary reason they cast Donald Glover was because he was "a superstar." At that point, Glover was already producing content on YouTube, but he hadn't reached the levels of fame that he has now. But the casting team for "Community" didn't need a long resume. They could immediately tell he was someone with the charisma and raw genius to bring something special to the show.

Choosing to hire superstars, even if they were still diamonds in the rough, was a casting strategy. Harmon added that Joe Russo (who directed a number of episodes and was an executive producer on the show) was behind this push. According to Harmon, Joe Russo said, "Let's just cast stars if we can spot them. Let's not worry about who fits the character or what you had in mind. Let's just cast people that are clearly going to be stars." It was Russo who brought Glover to Harmon's attention. They both saw his genius and decided to cast him.

The "shoot for the stars" tactic worked. "Community" ended up stacked with all-star talent, from Jim Rash's Dean Pelton to Joel McHale's Jeff Winger and the rest of the talented ensemble cast. This collection of superstardom was able to create a one-of-a-kind brand of comedic energy as they riffed around the study table, derailed classes, and generally made Greendale College a more entertaining place to be. All that's missing now is that long-awaited "Community" movie.