Anyone who’s watched an episode of Community featuring Gillian Jacobs’ character “Britta Perry” will immediately notice the delicate balance of sweet and sassy she has managed to perfect in her craft. Although this particular recipe can potentially typecast an actress, damning her to play the perennial “bad girl,” Jacobs’ roots in theatre have given her the chops to span a wider spectrum. Currently, she ‘s appearing in over-the-top blockbuster The Incredible Burt Wonderstone as a magic fan who has a one night stand with Steve Carell’s titular character. The film follows Las Vegas magician Burt Wonderstone as he attempts to reunite with his former partner Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) to take on dangerous street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carey, in a hilarious bleach-tipped weave).
Jacobs grew up in Pittsburgh PA, performing Shakespeare with the Pittsburgh Public Theater. She went to Julliard for high school before settling in New York to work Off-Broadway, taking on roles like an oversexed drug addict in The Little Flower of East Orange, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman and an assault victim in Chris Denham’s Cagelove, her performance in which received praise from The New York Times. She eventually forayed into film and TV, receiving small roles in shows like The Book Of Daniel, Royal Pains and The Good Wife.
Much of the acting she’s done has called for props like a stripper pole or a crack pipe, however her work on Community shows us that she can do way more than play the wayward coquette. Catch her flaunting her talent this year in not only the Incredible Burt Wonderstone, but also Cleveland, I Love You (the next iteration of vignettes about love and loss following suit with Paris, Je t’aime and New York, I Love You), Teddy Bears, written and directed by Thomas Beatty and Milo directed by Jacob Vaughan.
Watch the Behind The Scenes video of Gillian Jacobs for The Untitled Magazine’s Cinema Issue 5
– Photography & Video by Indira Cesarine
– Coverage by the Untitled Magazine
