Hey guys! Let's do this! I'm Yvette Nicole Brown, AMA!

Thanks, everybody! That was fun! Those three hours just flew by. I've gotta run but I promise to stop by from time to time and keep answering the questions that have already come thru that I wasn't able to get to. That's what I get for trying to answer EVERY question and writing BOOKS as replies! LOL! I'm honored that you all were so welcoming to me on my first day on Reddit! And I can't thank you enough for watching our show! YOU GUYS ROCK! xoxo Yvette :)

Do you ever say "I'll make your ass sense" in everyday situations? I thought that was the greatest line ever.

Ha! I can honestly say that I never have. ;) Maybe someday!

Is there any type of episode you'd like to do next season? (Like the Law & Order episode)

I've been begging for a full on Muppet episode where we're all made of felt and bounce around instead of walk. ;)

What does Joel's hair smell like?

Sunshine and morning dew

Can you please clear this up for us: who is Jeff always texting?!

HA! We jokingly said his therapist at the Comic con panel!

Hey Yvette! Huge fan of your work on Community! Thanks for doing an AMA. Because I know that questions about Dan Harmon are inevitable, I am just going to ask if you are able to speak at all about your perspective on working with him, and the situation surrounding his exit. Thanks!

Harmon is very dear to me. He gave me the job of a lifetime and from my first audition was my biggest supporter. I don't know if this is known but Shirley wasn't written to be a black chick in her thirties. She was originally written to be a white woman in her late 40's or early 50's. She was to be a love interest for Chevy. Hence the early episodes where Pierce keep hitting on Shirley. But Dan saw something in my take on the role and gave me a chance. I don't know much about his exit except for what I've read like you guys. I think it was a business decision NBC or SONY felt they had to make for whatever reason. Dan's comments about it will surely be more insightful than anything I could speculate about. But that said, he is loved and will be missed by us all.

I remember seeing you on Drake and Josh back in the day. How did you get from Drake and Josh to Community?

Just auditioned and was blessed to get both gigs...with lots of guest star roles and commercials in between. ;)

Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck?

Ha! One horse-sized duck! ;)

Will we ever hear you on a Childish Gambino track?

I hope so! I've been begging Donald since Cul de Sac. We're lucky to hear what he's working on before everybody because he does his music between takes on set when we're in production. Every time I hear a beautiful melody...and he has LOTS... I always beg to sing it. LOL! So far no bites, but hope springs ETERNAL!!!

I just posted on my twitter that the AMA has begun over here. But I will copy and post the URL, too! :)

What do you love about each cast member? It seems like you guys are truly a family, so there should be something that you love about everyone right?

I love Gillian's decency and intellect. I love Alison's talent and drive. I love Donald's creativity and gentleness. I love Danny's heart and joyfulness. I love Joel's commitment to family and generosity. I love Jim's fearlessness and kindness. I love Ken's playful spirit and loyalty. Did I miss anyone?

I don't have a question, but I just wanted to say you're an absolute peach. Thanks for brightening my Twitter feed daily. :)

Thank you, dear!

Thank you so much for doing this, Yvette! First off, I just want to say, that on the outside, Shirley seems like she would be the one of the most boring characters on the show as an older, Christian mother, but you give her so much energy and positivity that makes us all love her. You do such a phenomenal job, and I couldn't imagine anyone else in that role.

Can you give us a little preview as to what we can expect to hear from any of the commentaries you are on in the upcoming season 3 DVD? Those commentaries are without a doubt my favorite part of the DVD releases. Really the main reason I've bought them.

Thanks so much! Whoo, that's a tough one, we recorded the commentaries so long ago. Expect a lot of Dan Harmon he did quite a few of them. And expect a lot of me and Stink (Gillian) we were the cast members who's scheduled allowed for the most commentary drop ins. I hope that's good news. LOL!

Will we see Evil Shirley appear with Evil Abed in a feature episode?

And how much of your character did you create versus the writers/director telling you how to act as her?

ooh! That would be GREAT!!! I like Evil (drunk?) Shirley she's takes no prisoners. I think it's probably a 50/50 situation. They write the words...except for "That's Nice" I initially ad-libbed that which apparently I do a lot when I'm acting. Someone on twitter posted a link of me saying "that's nice" randomly on an episode of Entourage I did...and I get to interpret them however I like. I made the choice to give Shirley two vocal ways to express her thoughts. And the writers and directors have let me choose which to use on any given line. I was shocked to find out her "miss piggy" voice is her sexy/seduction voice. And if you look back on previous episodes, Shirley has tried to seduce a LOT of people in strange situations. "Why do you hate me and Jesus" from the first season comes to mind. LOL!!!

Which cast member makes you laugh the most when the cameras aren't running?

Donald Glover for SURE! He's very naughty, though. I couldn't share ANY of his bits or jokes. And most of them time, since I'm Prudy McPrude I'm ashamed of myself for laughing. LOL! But Donald is hilarious!

Who takes care of Annie's Boobs in between filming?

Crystal's trainer, Tom takes care of her. ;) She's on "Animal Practice" now... we've lost her to another NBC show.

And yes, I know what you were trying to do with that question. ;)

Hey Yvette! If there's one kind of episode that you hope you'll have the chance to do in S4, what would it be?

My dream since season one has been a storyline with Donald. I think this season it's going to finally happen!

Yvette! Who is your favorite person on the show? Character and/or real person.

Danny Pudi is one of my favorite human beings (see what I just did there) on the planet and on set. And I think every community cast member would say the same.

Hi Yvette, big fan, how good are you in real life at foosball?

HA! Nowhere NEAR as good as Shirley!

What's it like working with Chevy Chase?

It's like a fountain of joy!

Yvette, what's it like being a Christian playing a Christian character on television? Have you ever tried to push back against a bit or storyline? Thanks, love the show!

It's been a true privilege. :)

And I pushed back a bit on the Shirley/Chang hook-up story because I know that if I was in my last moments on earth facing a zombie apocalypse I would spend that time praying not having sex on a bathroom floor with the person I hate the most. LOL! I, Yvette ADORE Ken Jeong, but Shirley hates Chang. I don't care what she was facing, hooking up with him just didn't seem like something she would do. But the needs of the story won out and I think that how it played out ultimately deepened the entire story.

What's an aspect of Harmon you think will be missed in the upcoming seasons?

His heart. He's a truly a beating heart of a man. The sweetness in each community episode is Harmon.

Hi Yvette! Im not sure how often you get this, but Shirley started off as a character I wasn't very interested in, and has since become my absolute favorite. I guess this is sort of a nerdy question, but do you have any thoughts about how Shirley has evolved since the pilot? Especially in regards to her really dynamic and awesome friendship with Jeff (which is by far my favorite relationship on the show)

Also, can I just say that you are such a lovely and courteous woman. I feel like you really go the extra mile to get involved with fans, and every time I see you in an interview, you are always so open and insightful about the show and the culture surrounding it. Thank you for everything!

Thanks so much for that awesome post!

I think Shirley has calmed down and settled into being a part of the group. She's less judgmental and more fun and game for their shenanigans and I think that's been the biggest shift. I don't think she was ever a buzzkill but maybe being a mom made her more structured and focused initially than she is now. And I love her dynamic with Jeff too! I hope that continues in season 4

And thanks for your comment about my manners. It's important to me to be kind to folks. I feel like life is hard enough without being a jerk. LOL! So I do go out of my way to make folks feel welcome and supported. I'm glad that comes thru when you see me. God bless!!!

Hey Yvette, love the show! Quick question...which of Jim Rash's costumes did you enjoy the most?

His Tina Turner was EPIC

You should get as many people from the show on Reddit as possible. That would be awesome.

noted

Who's your favourite bit-part/side character?

Good question. Hard to answer. They are all so delicious. I love Danielle's "Vicki" and Charley's "Fat Neil". They both bring so much to those roles and now that their love affair is out in the open, watch out world! I of course love Richard Erdman's "Leonard", he's a TREASURE!

Hey Yvette so happy to see you on reddit!

How much do you think the show will be affected now that Dan Harmon isn't on the team anymore?

I can't wait for season 4!! XD

We all love and miss Harmon as much as you guys do. But here's the thing, the new guys are really nice and very dedicated to keeping the show EXACTLY how we all know and love it. I've met them for a one on one and they couldn't be cooler guys. We're all gonna be okay, even Dan. I promise! :)

Um, make that FIVE hours and 47 minutes! LOL! Where DOES the time go! I am really stepping away from my computer now. But thanks so much for so many cool questions!!!

Have you visited the Hawkthorne subreddit yet? It's a work in progress but they are making Journey to the Center of the Hawkthorne from Digital Estate Planning. Its awesome so far!

http://reddit.com/r/hawkthorne

Hey Guys! I HAVE played the game but I haven't made it to the subreddit yet... just found out that what a subreddit is, actually. Newbie Alert! :) Will make it over there soon!!!

If you could be anything other than an actress, what would you most like to be and why? :)

I always wanted to be a singer. But if we're talking non-industry related I've always wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. 5&6 year olds are so awesome. I was a day camp counselor for two summers when I was a teenager and my time with them to this day is the most fun I've ever had. They're open, fun-seeking little bandits. Truly free of the stresses of life and full of imagination. Just love that age to pieces!!!

I hate to be that person who brings up shipping, but if the Shirley/Andre situation hadn't panned out, what would be you're favorite pairing for Shirley?

I'm thinking Shirley and Abed would be an unexpected pairing. Danny and I used to joke about that all the time when we first got cast and ages hadn't been defined. Danny always wanted Abed's age to be unknown and for it to be revealed somewhere in season 6 that he was actually 58 years old. Making everything he did...even a romance with Shirley...totally understandable or even more weird in retrospect.

I love you. I'm curious, how much of Shirley comes from you? Are you two similar in any ways? Thanks and keep being amazing.

Shirley and I are similar in that we both love Jesus, say "that's nice" and call people pumpkin and sweetie. LOL! I hope I am not as judgmental or violent as her. Other than that she is her own person.

Yvette, I love you as Shirley! Which episode from the first three seasons has been your favorite to film?

The flashback episode was the most fun. All of us, cast, crew, writers, production staff all had to be on the top of our game because we were everywhere all at once and there were like 70 some scenes in all to shoot. Finishing that and seeing how great it all came out is one of my proudest moment as member of the cast

Do you like Paintball?

I've never played except on the show. Can't say I'd like it for real... a paintball hit hurts like HELL without padding. I'm talking spine-shattering pain!

What was working with Chevy like?

It's as awesome as you can imagine! :)

Love you in community. Also wanted to say I liked you in one of my fave movies, The Island =)

so YOU'RE the one who saw it! Thank you!!!

Out of your co-stars (the other six study group members, plus Chang and the Dean), who's your favourite to work with?

Hard to say. They're all awesome for different reasons. If it's an emotional scene, Gillian, hands down. She gives you SO much to work with even when the camera's not on her. Alison, Danny, Donald and Ken are just FUN! 100% fun all the time. Joel and I focus when we have Shirley & Jeff scenes. We become Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington. LOL! He makes me wanna be better and I hope I do the same for him and that's always fun. And Jim just exudes love. What's not to love about that?! :)

You are pretty cool.

thnx!

Thanks for doing this AMA! I love Community and I am rooting for you guys to have 6 seasons and a movie!

Were you happy that Shirley's baby turned out to be Andre's? Or were you secretly hoping that it would be Chang's?

I am overjoyed that it was Andre's baby. Chang babies have tails, girl! LOL!

Yvette! We've spoken twice on Twitter, so third time's a charm, maybe? ;)

My question is about another show. Psych! When will you be on? Make Dulé get you on that show!

I'd love to and Dule has tried. It's more a scheduling problem on both sides than interest problem. I'm all for it!

Hi Yvette! Can you tell us about any funny shenanigans that go on off-camera between you and the rest of the Community cast? Any stories about Donald would particularly be awesome (I have a huge crush on him lol). Also, as someone who grew up watching Drake and Josh, do you have any funny stories from that set? Do you keep in touch with Drake Bell and Josh Peck at all?

I still see the Drake & Josh gang. Usually every year at Dan Schneider Holiday party. It was always a fun set to be on and there weren't many shenanigans because Drake, Josh and Miranda even as kids were all so professional. :)

As for Donald. Whoo... so much I could tell. I could write BOOKS on his foolishness! And I mean that in the best way. He does a great President Obama impression but he only does it to hit on me. It's hilarious.

Sidebar: You've chosen a good crush. Donald is a good egg.

Hi Yvette! I am a huge fan of Shirley and your Joe Manganiello tweets with Retta had me cracking up :D

My three questions for you:

1) Are there any scenes you would love to do, or an aspect of Shirley you would really like to bring out?

2) Do you like to bake?

3) Who would your dream guest-star on Community be?

1) Any scene with Donald Glover "Troy" 2) I like to back pot pies. But cakes and other baked goods intimidate me. 3) Sandra Bullock

[deleted]

Hey Ohio!!! I think being from Cleveland 100% helped me in my career. We Ohioans are scrappy, pull yourself up by your bootstraps people which is exactly what you need to be to survive this industry...which can be tough and full of rejection. Growing up so far from it all made me dream big and eventually..after college...I made the big move. I was terrified but I believed in myself and my dreams and did it in spite of my fear. And it all worked out. God is GOOD! ;)

Hey Yvette!! Glad to have you out to Reddit, welcome to this amazing part of the internet.

How much a blast was it when you were off set hanging out with fellow cast members? If you could say just one word to describe each, (Joel, Alison, Gillian, Danny, Chevy, and Donald), what would those words be.

Thanks for reading! <3

Joel: Committed Alison: Driven Gillian: Intelligent Danny: Love Donald: Talented Ken: Loyal Jim: Caring

Did I miss anyone?

This joke is totally not getting old. I mean that non sarcastically. The more responses that leave out Chevy, the better this joke gets.

;) I have no idea what you're talking about.

If you could get Joel to sing more on community like when he did ' 'kissed by a rose.'. What song would you choose?

Ebony Eyes by Smokey Robinson and Rick James. :)

Woohoo! I love seeing Community cast AMAs! Two questions...

1) Which single shot in the show took the longest to film? (You can approximate, obviously.)

2) Any favorite bloopers that didn't make the reels?

Thanks for doing the AMA!

I can't remember the episode, but it was in the first season and it was a crane shot that went from the study room out to the front of the library. It took HOURS to film and was on screen for like 3 nanoseconds. LOL!

And most of the bloopers I love have made it in!

What has been your favourite moment of improvisation on Community, whether it was done by your or another one of the cast. Thanks for doing this IAMA! Community is my favourite show, six seasons and a movie!

Good question. Probably the "choo-choo train" alison did in a scene early on when the study group was guilting Jeff about talking to Chang. I think that was when she did it.

Hi Yvette, I love you on Community!
1) I remember you mentioning that you wanted to treat yourself with a trip to Paris if Community got picked up for its 4th season. So have you travelled during the break?
2) Are you doing any other projects besides Community?
3) What do you look forward most next season? We already know that Shirley is a foosball pro. What secret skills do you want Shirley to have?

Thanks!

1) Ha! No Paris yet. Does my trip home to Ohio to talk to the kids at my old High School count as traveling? ;) Had a blast at Warrensville Heights High though!!!

2) Yes! A cartoon called "Pound Puppies" on the HUB network. I play "cookie" and I have a part in the new "Percy Jackson" sequel which comes out in March!

3) I think Shirley is academically smart...this was hinted to in the sandwich shop episode. She really knows her stuff. I hope she puts those smarts to good use in season four. Somebody has to graduate! LOL!

What do you think is the impact of the fan campaigns, like the #SixSeasonsAndAMovie one? Do networks actually take them in consideration?

I think they help immensely! And I'm so grateful the fans care enough to spend their time supporting our little show. Now, I don't know if that means we'll ultimately get six seasons and a movie but we did get a cover of TV Guide and have won NUMEROUS fan polls because of all your hard work! THANK YOU!

As a fan of both Drake and Josh and Community, what is it like having two roles that are essentially the opposite of each other? And which is more fun?

They are both fun for different reasons but I can say that I was relieved when i saw myself playing Helen on "Victorious" and realized Helen was nothing like Shirley. WHEW!

Hi there, big community fan here, just a quick question:

How do the shows like the Christmas claymation episode or the Video Game episode with Pierce's father come together? What with all of the animation, voice overs, etc. because it's pretty unusual for a live action television show to do complete episodes with no live action.

Those are the easiest for us as actors to do because voiceover takes NO time. I can voice a full episode in like 15 minutes? To film a full episode takes EIGHTY hours. (five 16hour days).

I love the songs sprinkled throughout Community. What is your favourite musical moment from the series so far?

Sensitive Night from the first season Christmas episode. The lyrics Dan Harmon wrote are so funny to me.

What are some of your favorite TV shows besides Community? Which show would you love to be on?

I'm such a TV geek. Prepare yourself for a LONG list... 1) Scandal... I'd love to be on this but I know in my heart I'm not worthy! LOL! Shonda Rhimes is the tops! 2) Revenge 3) Pretty much EVERYTHING on HBO: Girls, VeeP, Newsroom... 4) Homeland and Episodes on Showtime 5) The Good Wife 6) Vintage Cosby, Golden Girls, Laverne & Shirley, Seinfeld & Friends 7) Family Guy... did two eps! HONORED! And the list goes on and on... New shows: 1) Nashville 2) Last Resort 3) 666 Park Avenue I truly could go on and on...

If you could write one episode, what would it be about?

Muppets! LOL!

Hi Yvette!

Is there anything fans from Europe can do to help convince NBC that they're mad for not giving you guys more funding than they do? The outdated ratings system really seems to hurt shows like Community where a lot of the viewers now watch online rather than on TV "live" so to speak.

Unfortunately, not that I know of. Just watch us on TV (not online) if we're available in your country and buy the DVD's when they're available to show them that we have a fanbase outside of the US. That's saved other shows when their domestic revenues or ratings were low.

In the season 3 out takes you are rapping with Alison Brie, any other rapping moments with her? I love her raps they are hilarious and adorable....

She raps a LOT. But that vid is my only appearance as her "hype man" LOL!

"That is NOT my job!"

noted!

Yvette, I love what you do on Community! I wish you had more episodes with Jeff and Abed!

I wanted to ask something random, since other people have asked what I was thinking, so here goes. How often do you get recognized on the street? Do people ever think you're somebody you're not? What's the funniest "recognized" story you have?

And thanks for all you do on Community!

I get recognized a few times a day, I'd say... when I leave my house, that is. I'm a bit of a hermit. ;) One of my friends calls me "THE Brown Recluse" Nice, right? LOL! Most folks know who I am maybe not by name but surely by the show they saw me on or character name. But if I'm mistaken for someone else it's usually either Sherri Shepherd, Octavia Spencer or Jill Scott. I get Jill now even more than Sherri. I feel so bad for them because I wish they'd just had the fan moment they thought they had. LOL!