NBC’s ‘Community’: Danny Pudi scores ‘Hot in Cleveland’ gig before season 5 filming

If there is one benefit that comes with “Community” having only 13 episodes for this past season, it is that it has freed up some of its actors to take on other projects. For Danny Pudi, for example, he has just booked his second major guest-starring gig following one on USA’s “Royal Pains.”

According to TVLine, the “cool cool cool” actor will guest-star on an upcoming episode of the TV Land titan “Hot in Cleveland.” As for what sort of character he will be taking on, the role is something a little bit closer to Evil Abed than Abed himself. He will be a volunteer at a local senior center, and while he may seem nice on the surface, there is something very dark bubbling up underneath. We figure that it will be nice for the actor to show off yet another side, especially as he starts to look towards his future as an actor.

For Pudi and the other “Community” stars, there has to be a certain level of cognizance since the series really is not going to be around forever. The original whispers suggested that season 4 would be the end, and now the same thing is being said about season 5. However, we’re still holding out hope that with the return of Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna, the show will pull in old viewers and deliver those six seasons (and a movie?) that so many fans have long been hoping to see.

Oh, and there’s one other wrinkle about Pudi’s “Hot in Cleveland” casting: This is for the upcoming live episode, which will happen on  Wednesday, June 19 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Want to read more about Harmon’s “Community” return? If so, the best place to check out the news is over here!

Photo: NBC