Alison Brie. Author Asim Bharwani. Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Facts about Alison Brie


 

Alison Brie Schermerhorn is commonly referred to by her stage name, Alison Brie. She is an American actress who is best known for her television roles as Trudy Campbell on the AMC period drama series Mad Men from 2007 to 2015, and Annie Edison on the NBC sitcom Community since 2009.

She rose to stardom on Sept. 17, 2009 when the sitcom Community premiered on NBC. Her character, Annie Edison, has arguably developed more than any other; a testament not only to the show’s superb writing staff, but also the actress’ vast talents. She has transformed herself from a high-strung, nerdy caricature of a girl into the confident, mostly self-assured woman we’ve seen during Season 6.

Alison is the kind of woman that knows she’s kind of odd and celebrates it more often than not since she has a level of confidence that is nothing short of impressive. The fact that she recognizes her oddities and embraces them is what makes her a truly interesting person. Here are Top 10 Facts about Alison Brie.

1. Her Last Name Is Schermerhorn

Alison Brie at the 2012 Comic-Con in San Diego. Author Gage Skidmore. Wikimedia Commons

We call her Brie because that is the name that she uses all the time. However, very few people know her real names. In one of the interviews she disclosed that her actual last name is Schermerhorn to the surprise of many. She comes from a family of mixed parentage. Her mother is Jewish, while her father has Dutch, Scottish, and Irish ancestry. What an interesting phenomenon. Considering her career path, installing her middle name as her last name seems like the right choice. If she was going to be a mean old elementary school teacher, Schermerhorn might have stuck.

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2. She Worked As A Clown Before Becoming An Actress

Clown. Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash

Clowns are just regular people in face paint and goofy clothing. While it is thought that she started her career in comedy, the true position is that she was actually a clown for a while to make ends meet and to get noticed. Whereas, she’s put the clothing and face paint away she’s obviously still embraced the silly side of her nature from time to time. Because of the above she managed to start her acting career at an early age, performing in Community Theater shows at the Jewish Community Center in Los Feliz, giving rise to her featuring in the sitcom Community premiered on NBC.

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3. Her Upbringing Has Contributed To Who She Is Now

Alison had a strict upbringing particularly from her mother whom she has often credited for her success. She has always practiced the values instilled in her as a child and in interviews always talks about it and is always to share with others. One of the greatest lessons she advocates for is respect whenever possible. She remembers the lesson at least and is willing to give just about anyone a fair shake so long as they know how to show respect as well as receive it.

4. She Has Always Believed in Being Optimistic

Every day is a different day for her and it comes with its own challenges. This is an ingredient that plays a very big part in the success of any person and this talented artist is not an exception. It doesn’t mean she hasn’t had her down times or her bad days, since being an optimist doesn’t mean that you walk around with a smile permanently glued on your face and think that everything is sunshine and rainbows for everyone. But being optimistic does mean you can see the bright side of a situation, and tend to look at the positives as well as the negatives. In the roles that she has performed this has been a driving force.

5. She Is A Jew

Jews. Photo by Anton Mislawsky on Unsplash

As stated earlier, she comes from a family of mixed lineage. Therefore knowing who you are and what lineage you come from is very important. Her mother was always fond of saying that if Hitler was still alive he would come and take them…you know, because they’re Jewish. This was in a bid to remind them that they were Jewish. One of her famous quotes, “[on growing up with a Christian father and Jewish mother]. My mother, God love her, is a very proud Jew and would always make sure we knew we were Jewish. I remember being 6 years old and her saying, you know you guys are Jewish. If Hitler came today he would take you…”.

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6. She Loves Both Comedy And Drama

She has performed bell in both comedy and drama and earned accolades making her famous. He often states that she  doesn’t really choose between the two since her love for them is fairly equal and she’s shown that she can do both without much trouble. Her career to this point has proven that she can step into either genre without much issue. Her remarkable flair for both comedy and drama proved that she was ready to tackle ever more exciting and higher profile roles.

7. Alison Sometimes Had To Switch Characters In A Short Time

As if having to transition from a Meta comedy like Community to a period drama like Mad Men wasn’t difficult enough to begin with, Alison sometimes had to jump from one character to the other in a very short period of time. Like, the same day. She emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after television actresses by simultaneously playing two very different roles on two very different series: an earnest and somewhat naive coed on eccentric cult comedy “Community” (NBC, 2009-14; Yahoo!, 2015) and the betrayed suburban wife of a 1960s advertising executive on the critically acclaimed drama “Mad Men” (AMC, 2007-15).

8. Brie Starred In Several Major Film Roles

With an impressive acting career, Brie starred in several major film roles, including as Rebecca Walters, Sidney Prescott’s assistant, in the slasher horror film Scream 4 (2011), and Suzie Barnes in the romantic comedy film The Five-Year Engagement (2012). She voiced Princess Unikitty in the animated comedy film The Lego Movie (2014), and voiced a character in an episode of the animated series American Dad!, which aired during their eighth season.

9. She’s A Big Fan Of Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman in 2018. Author MTV UK. Wikimedia Commons

Alison is known to be a big fan of Jason Bateman. Because of his unique style and sense of humor, this guy is loved by many and has been around for some time. Alison draws a lot of lessons from this guy and has attended a few of his shows where she has learnt a thing or two from his delivery and used for her own shows.

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10. She Can Also Make A Fool Of Herself

A unique characteristic about her is that she can imitate nearly any meme. We all know Alison Brie is up for pretty much anything, and that includes making a fool of herself with Paul F. Tompkins. Her “Ermahgerd” is particularly inspired. Both of her most well-known roles are based on the same person.