Gillian Jacobs (born October 19, 1982) is an American film, theatre and television actress, best known for her role as Britta Perry on the NBC comedy series Community. Jacobs was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Martina Magenau Jacobs, was a Carnegie Mellon University director of alumni relations at the Heinz College. Her father, William F. Jacobs Jr., was an investment banker.She was raised in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon. She is of French, German, Irish, and Scottish descent. Her family owned the Jackson Koehler Eagle Brewery, established in 1847 in Erie, Pennsylvania, where her grandfather, John Martin Magenau Jr., served as President and CEO until its closure in 1978. Jacobs began studying acting at the age of eight, and attended acting classes on Saturdays at the Pittsburgh Playhouse while growing up.She perfo...