Danny Pudi, best known for his role in the NBC series Community, was born and raised on the south side of Chicago.

Pudi, son of an Indian father and Polish mother, knew at a young age that performing was in his future.

While studying at Marquette University, Pudi was the recipient of the inaugural Chris Farley Scholarship, named after the famed comedian who graduated from the school in 1986. Pudi then went on to study at The Second City, a Chicago-based improvisational theatre that was formed in the 1950s.

Before making his debut on mainstream television, Pudi appeared in advertisements for products including Snickers, Verizon, McDonald’s, Pokémon and, most famously, T-Mobile.
 
Pudi has made cameo appearances in The West Wing, Cougar Town and Hot in Cleveland. He also has appeared in numerous films.

He currently plays Abed Nadir on the hit comedy Community, an NBC sitcom recently renewed for a 6th season by Yahoo! Screen.