Exclusive

Joel McHale on New Love Interest: "Eat That, Patrick Dempsey!"

Community's leading man sure gets around on the hit series! We're spilling on what's up next for the lovelorn lawyer and who's making her way back to the small screen

By Megan Masters Nov 18, 2009 9:40 PMTags
Lauren Stamile, Joel McHaleMichael Bezjian/Getty Images; Jim Spellman/Getty Images

Joel McHale is still hot for teacher! 

NBC confirms to us exclusively that former Grey's girl Lauren Stamile, who recently appeared in Community's Halloween episode as Jeff's (Joel) stats teacher, will return for a multiple-episode arc later in the season.

"Lauren played Patrick Dempsey's love interest on Grey's Anatomy and is now my love interest," Joel tells us. "So eat that, Patrick Dempsey!"

(Did we ever mention how much we love Joel McHale?)

But wait a minute. When we last saw Lauren's character Michelle, Jeff was desperately trying to hook up with her and it didn't seem to go anywhere.

So what happened? Well, we just hit the Community set and here's the juicy secret...

Come January, we're going to see that it actually worked when lovable jerk Jeff hit on the new professor.

"Jeff and I have been keeping this a secret for a while," Lauren tells us of the first episode after the new year (and community college winter break). 

We were on set for the big secret reveal and can tell you that it's bound to be a Community classic. "There's a strict policy about students dating teachers for legal reasons, as the dean describes it," explains Joel. Lauren adds: "The dean comes into our office mid-makeout and he doesn't quite catch us, but he's suspecting things."

And this is where the funny arrives. Lauren tells us, trying to keep a straight face: "All of Jeff's friends catch us kissing and Chevy Chase's character, Pierce, tweets it to the world," to which Joel interjects: "Pierce twitters it, which everyone is amazed by because he doesn't even understand his own phone."

As for the romance, it's the real deal...for now. "We're not sure what kind of trouble we're in, but we basically have to register that we have a relationship," says Joel. 

Wait, so what about Jeff's warm-and-fuzzies for Britta (Gillian Jacobs)? More important, will someone please give the absolutely lovely Lauren (bite your tongues, Grey's Anatomy fans!) a much-deserved gig that does not involve coming between two lovebirds?!

Joel tells us: "Britta is obviously not wanting any part of me, so I have moved on—and I have found a woman who is a lot taller than her. In your face, Britta!"

(If you haven't figured this out yet, Joel just doesn't do the whole "serious answer" thing.)

So far, Lauren has shot two episodes and is slated for more. So if Jeff and Britta are "off" for now, isn't it nice to see Joel get some lovin'? Agreed? What do you think of this hookup and which lady are you rooting for? (We know you're loving Annie (Alison Brie), but seriously, she's only 18!)

________

Take a look at more TV Couples We Love.