Community star Danny Pudi opens up about his struggles as an actor after playing Abed. Pudi is set to reprise his memorable role as Abed Nadir in the Community film set to debut on Peacock. He’s one of several returning for the Peacock project, including Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong. Series creator Don Harmon has said that Donald Glover is open to returning for the movie, which McHale indicated would begin filming in the summer.
The cast of Community and Harmon, as well, have gone on to several projects since the comedy ended in 2015. In a new interview with The Daily Beast that discusses his time as Abed, Pudi was asked about how he managed to move on from such a career-defining performance. Pudi was open about the fact that his post-Community pilots failed to launch.
The answer is, I don’t know. I did a pilot. I did a couple of pilots, actually, afterwards, and I was hopeful for both of them. Neither of those pilots went, unfortunately. And then it was just sort of this idea of being open to finding the next role. I definitely struggled with wondering if I would find something as special, as specific, as connecting as Abed, wondering if I was able to be seen in a way that was unlike that character as well.
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How Abed Became So Important To Community
At the start of Community, Abed looked to be defined by a few traits. Like the rest of that initial ensemble, it took the show some time to find its groove. As the different elements came together and the series grew more confident, Abed was involved with some of Community‘s most creatively daring episodes that branched far away from what might be expected of a network comedy. He also grew beyond the show’s initial conception, neither the zany supporting character that is dismissed by Jeff nor a strange character that simply devolved into a series of gimmicks.
Community was able to utilize the pop culture buff Abed without using him as a crutch. And, thanks to Pudi’s portrayal, it remained one of the comedy’s strong points. While he did portray a celebrated character, as Pudi mentions, it can be a struggle to be seen beyond that role.
Pudi has nonetheless found strong roles since Abed, particularly on the Apple TV+ comedy Mythic Quest. And with his recent rom-com reunion with Alison Brie, plus the upcoming Community movie, he seems happy to slip back into the shoes of Abed.
More: Community’s Lie Detector Episode Was Pierce’s Gift To Abed – Theory Explained
