Here’s The Actor Not Named Bill Murray Who Will Be Playing Jeff Winger’s Dad On ‘Community’

No one actually thought that Community would be able to snag Bill Murray to play Jeff Winger’s father, as was Dan Harmon’s dream casting choice, but we still convinced ourselves that it could happen. And once that plausible situation happened, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett would remarry, a corgi would be put on the American flag, and Alison Brie would finally start returning your phone calls and agree to that date at In-N-Out Burger.

Sorry, folks, but your in-n-out with Alison ain’t gonna happen: someone else has been cast as Mr. Winger.

Jeff will finally come face-to-face with his estranged dad, William Winger, and William will be played by…James Brolin. Community‘s producers tell EW that the Emmy winner (Marcus Welby, M.D., Hotel), spouse of Streisand, and father of Josh, will guest-star in the NBC comedy’s Thanksgiving-themed episode, titled “Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations.” In the episode, which airs in November, Shirley hosts an awkward gathering at her place with the study group, while Jeff winds up at the house of his father, whom he hasn’t seen since he was a kid, and a different kind of discomfort ensues. (Via)

He’s got the forehead for the gig. If anything, this just brings the show one step closer to casting James’s wife, Barbra Streisand, as Annie’s mother (and a chance to reference the 1977 classic, The Car). Bring in the Babs, bring in the Broadway types, bring in the ratings — I mean, it worked for Smash, right? Right…?

In bizarro Community news, here’s what the cast’s stand-ins look like:

It’s nice that James Gandolfini’s brother, Jesse, got into the acting game, too.

(Via EW) (Via Reddit)