Studying acting when she was eight years old, Gillian Jacobs attended acting classes on Saturdays at the Pittsburgh Playhouse before then performing with the Pittsburgh Public Theater. She simultaneously competed in an annual Shakespeare Monologue Contest and was cast to portray the role of Titania in its production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The Juilliard School graduate landed her first acting role on TV series "The Book of Daniel" as Adele Congreve.

In the years that followed, Jacobs appeared in such TV series, as "Fringe" (2008), "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (2009), as well as "Monsters vs. Aliens" (2013). She has been a regular on NBC's sitcom "Community" since 2009, starring as Britta Perry. The role won her Favorite Ensemble TV Guide Award as well as Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Best Comedy Supporting Actress category.

Small screen aside, Jacobs was best known for acting in high-profile films, including "Blackbird" (2007), "Choke" (2008), "Gardens of the Night" (2008), and "The Box" (2009). The other commercially success features she had starred in among others were "Helena from the Wedding" (2010), "Bad Milo!" (2013), also "Walk of Shame" (2014).

Jacobs, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native, was born on October 19, 1982. Her birth name is Gillian McLaren Jacobs.