An introduction from Lena Dunham: “Gillian Jacobs stars in Community and is coming to Girls next season. I’m so transfixed by how smart, funny and beautiful she is. She’s the greatest.”

When Lena Dunham sings someone’s praises, the world joins in. And that includes Stylist, especially when Lena tells us she’s cast American actress Gillian Jacobs in the next season of Girls. Unless you’re already a fan of US cult comedy Community, you may not have heard of Jacobs, but all that’s about to change. She’s already a bona fide comedy legend in the States, due almost exclusively to her breakout role as Britta in Community (think The Big Bang Theory meets Arrested Development via The Breakfast Club), where she plays an uptight high-school dropout who, in her late 20s, resumes her studies at community college. She’s also about to hit our cinemas shortly in Life Partners, an indie flick about codependent best friends that was well-received on the film festival circuit earlier this year, and comedy Walk Of Shame with Elizabeth Banks that has blockbuster written all over it.

We have a feeling, however, it’s her turn as the new character on Girls that will push the 31- year-old to next-level stardom. Series four introduces Jacobs as a multimedia artist who shakes up the group’s already rocky dynamics and challenges Hannah’s ideas about art. “Gillian is incredibly smart,” Dunham says. “Even though she could just subsist playing some sort of ingénue, she’s allowed her personality to shine through and inform all the choices she makes in her career. I really admire her, so when there was finally the right part for her on Girls, I was thrilled. It was just as much fun as I thought it would be to work with her. And we came in wearing the same Sandro sweatshirt; it was great.”

Identical choice in clothing aside, it was also recently announced that super-producer and Girls executive producer Judd Apatow has cast Jacobs as the lead in Love, his upcoming Netflix series on relationships, which we’ll be binge-watching come 2016. Here, Stylist meets the infectiously funny, warm and engaging rising star that is Gillian Jacobs…

How do you know Lena?
I first met her years ago because my friend produced her 2010 movie Tiny Furniture. We’ve got friends in common from New York, as I used to live there before I moved to Los Angeles, so I would run into her sporadically.

How did you end up getting a part in Girls?
I was in New York earlier this year walking down the street and randomly happened upon the set. I wandered in and got talking to Jenni Konner, who runs the show, and she asked if anyone had talked to me about this role they wanted me to do. I said no, then as I walked out the door, I got a call from my agent saying, “Girls want to talk to you about a part,” so it was a really lucky walk down Lafayette Street. Lena was someone I wanted to work with, so I leapt at the opportunity.

What can you reveal about your character?
She’s called Mimi-Rose and some of the characters find her very irritating. She’s a successful multimedia artist and I think that makes Hannah insecure.

Have you had to do any embarrassing scenes?
I’m totally game for whatever Lena and Jenni want to do, but I haven’t had to do anything physically embarrassing. I wasn’t in a neon mesh shirt with no bra like Hannah was in one of my favourite episodes (Bad Friend, season two), but my character is kind of pretentious, so I’ve said some things that are cringe-worthy.

Gillian Jacobs talks TV, female comedians and never drinking alcohol