Trivia: A television personality most familiar to viewers for his stint as the host of the E! network's satirical pop-culture commentary The Soup (updated and reworked from the channel's original Talk Soup), Joel McHale grew up in the Seattle area and attended the University of Washington as a theater major, where he earned his master's in drama. After relocating to Los Angeles, McHale signed for guest roles and bit parts on series including Will & Grace and Oliver Beene, then landed a small role as Mr. Jacks in the Sam Raimi feature Spider-Man 2, followed by parts in Catherine Hardwicke's Lords of Dogtown and the sketch comedy outing The Onion Movie. On the side, McHale also emceed a series of Burger King commercials. He culled his broadest fan base on The Soup, however, distinguishing himself with sharp sarcasm and a quick wit. He had a breakthrough when he was cast as the lead in the cult hit sitcom Community on NBC, and he continued to act in projects such as The Informant!, Spy Kids: All the Time In the World, and 2012's Ted.

Trivia: Pennsylvania native Gillian Jacobs learned her trade at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, where she competed in the Public's Shakespeare Monologue Contest. She subsequently studied at Juilliard, and began her professional career a few years later, with a role on the series The Book of Daniel. Though the show didn't last, Jacobs was soon busy with new projects, like 2007's Blackbird and 2008's Choke. Then, following an appearance on the series Royal Pains in 2009, Jacobs joined the cast of the comedy series Community, and signed on to appear in a number of films including Watching TV with the Red Chinese and The Box. In 2012 she had a small part in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.

Trivia: Actor Danny Pudi began his career with guest appearances on TV's West Wing and ER. This led to a four-episode arc on Gilmore Girls in 2006, and another recurring role on Greek. Then in 2009, Pudi joined the cast of the comedy series Community, opposite Joel McHale and Chevy Chase. His role as Abed, a pop-culture obsessed misfit who can only relate to the world through movie and TV references, made him a breakout star from the show on which he played many scenes with Donald Glover.

Trivia: Was signed as a teen to Motown Records as part of the East Coast Family group, which included Boyz II Men. Brown performed on the mildly successful single "1-4-All-4-1" from the album The East Coast Family, Vol. 1. Moved to Los Angeles after college and landed her first big role appearing in the gospel play His Woman, His Wife. Secured her first television role---a two-episode appearance on Girlfriends---after sending a postcard to the show's casting director. Worked on Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh for four years, even though her character, Helen, was originally supposed to be a one-time role.

Trivia: One of her first acting jobs was an episode of Hannah Montana. Worked as a clown at children's birthday parties before being cast as Trudy Campbell on Mad Men. In 2009, simultaneously appeared on Mad Men and on new comedy Community.

Trivia: Is a member of the Groundlings improv company in Los Angeles. Is sometimes mistaken for the musician Moby. Got his big break playing the role of Dean Pelton in the sitcom Community. Cowrote the screenplay for the film The Descendants (2011).

Trivia: Was born in Detroit but raised in Greensboro, NC; he is the son of Korean immigrants. During high school, he played violin and was elected to the student council. Graduated at 16 and earned Greensboro's Youth of the Year award. Won the Big Easy Laff Off comedy contest in New Orleans while completing his medical residency. Made his feature-film debut as Dr. Kuni in Judd Apatow's 2007 comedy Knocked Up. His wife, Tran, is also a physician, as well as a breast-cancer survivor.

Trivia: Jonathan Banks began his film career in the sort of roles described by character actor Frank Faylen as "sneezers." For example: if you sneezed, you'd miss Banks' microscopic part in 1980's Stir Crazy. He was more visible in such roles as the hitchhiker in the 1982 biopic Frances and Algren in the 1983 seriocomedy 48 Hours. On television, Jonathan Banks was cast as the scurrilous extraterrestrial Commander Kroll in Otherworld (1985) and as Frank McPike, Ken Wahl's choleric boss, in Wiseguy (1987). Banks would continue to appear in several more films over the coming years, like Dark Blue and Reign Over Me, as well as TV shows like Breaking Bad.

Trivia: Actor/writer/producer Steve Agee was a driving force in the creation of The Bogus Witch Project before his brief appearance in Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic led to a more substantial role in the comedienne's surprise Comedy Central hit The Sarah Silverman Program. In between those two projects, Agee kept busy by appearing in the short film Chad Vader, the Internet comedy series "Yacht Rock," and the Bob Goldthwait-directed comedy Sleeping Dogs Lie. Agee would continue appearing on screen in films like Super, and found success for a number of years as a writer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Trivia: Best known for his trademark deadpan delivery and behind-the-mic evocations of the stoner mentality, Sacramento-born stand-up comedian, character actor, and television mainstay Brian Posehn graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 1984 before cultivating his schtick at age 21 as a "road comic" in contests across the country and with appearances on MTV's 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour. Many small-screen turns followed, including bit parts on Seinfeld (as Artie, a patient in the episode where Kramer "contracts" gonorrhea) and Friends. In two roles with a slightly higher profile, Posehn joined the Mr. Show sketch comedy troupe on HBO and became a periodic fixture on NBC's Just Shoot Me, as mail clerk Kevin Liotta. Posehn occasionally contributed as well to Comedy Central's Jerky Boys-like puppetcast Crank Yankers. A handful of big-screen roles followed, including that of a store clerk in the yuk-yuk (Jim Carrey-less) comedy sequel Dumb and Dumberer (2003), Jimmy in Rob Zombie's 2005 splatterfest The Devil's Rejects, and a spot as himself in Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic. As an offshoot of Mr. Show, Posehn teamed with Bob Odenkirk and many others to co-author the script of 2002's Run Ronnie Run!, a project intended for the big screen (ala Jackass: The Movie) but disastrously reedited and all but disowned by its creators. Following The Devil's Rejects, Posehn signed on to provide a voice for helmer Mr. Lawrence's second directorial outing (which Rob Zombie scripted), 2007's animated The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. He had some prior experience, via his voice work on a number of animated series, including Mission Hill, 3 South, and several Adult Swim projects. Something of an underground, counterculture figure, Posehn -- a self-proclaimed "metal head" and comic-book devotee -- is good friends with the gifted Southern California-based comic Patton Oswalt (whom he joined on the Comedians of Comedy tour) and, more tellingly, with Anthrax's Scott Ian (with whom he collaborated on the tongue-in-cheek song, "Metal by Numbers.") Posehn has been married to comic Melanie Truhett since 2004.

Trivia: The son of an itinerant piano tuner-father and a restaurateur-mother, Richard Erdman was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Colorado. Having taken drama lessons since his early childhood, Erdman was 15 when he was brought to Hollywood by his mother to be "discovered." It wasn't until he'd held down an interim job as a sports reporter for the Los Angeles Examiner that Erdman finally appeared in his first film, Warner Bros.' Janie (1944). Rapidly outgrowing juvenile roles, Erdman played character parts in Hollywood films like Stalag 17 (1953) and in such European productions as Four Days Leave (1950) and Face of Fire (1959). In 1961, Erdman co-starred on the short-lived sitcom The Tab Hunter Show, playing Tab's millionaire-playboy buddy, Peter Fairchild III. In 1973, Erdman made his big-screen directorial debut with The Brothers O'Toole. Since that time, Richard Erdman has kept busy as a voice-over actor, offering a wide range of vocal characterizations for dozens of TV cartoon series, as well as the 1994 animated feature film The Pagemaster.

Trivia: Comedian Tim Heidecker is often recognized for his colllaborations with fellow comedian Eric Wareheim. The duo, who met while both were students at Philadelphia's Temple University, have created and starred in two successful Adult Swim series: Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004) and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007). The two have also released several comic albums; created and starred in the film Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012); and codirected a series of popular Old Spice commercials starring actor Terry Crews. Outside his collaborations with Wareheim, Heidecker has been featured in film roles (including 2011's Bridesmaids) and released additional comic albums, including a 2011 collection of onetime presidential candidate Herman Cain-inspired music.

Trivia: Comedian Eric Wareheim honed his skills at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he met his writing partner Tim Heidecker. He would go on to collaborate with Heidecker on a number of projects, like the Adult Swim comedy shows Tom Goes to the Mayor and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, the latter of which became a particular hit, mixing live action and animated sketches. In addition, the duo created and starred in the film Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012). Wareheim has also starred in and produced a number of comedy sketches for the web, and directed music videos for bands like The Bird and the Bee and MGMT.

Trivia: Performed comedy with Andy Dick while at Columbia College. Wrote and submitted a spec script for The Simpsons and received a rejection letter, which he kept and framed. Made his network debut in 1992 on the Fox comedy The Ben Stiller Show; he later became a writer for the show. In 1995 joined the writing staff of the HBO series Mr. Show With Bob and David. Made big-screen debut in the 1996 romantic comedy Breathing Room. Created the adult animated program Moral Orel in 2005. In 2009, became a recurring cast member on the NBC sitcom Community. In the second season, cowrote the holiday episode "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas," which was presented in stop-motion animation. Was inducted into his high school's Alumni Hall of Fame in 2011.