Jim Rash only began as a recurring character on “Community,” becoming a regular in season three. The dean would pop up here and there to deliver announcements or say something odd, but Dan Harmon and the writers quickly caught on to what a comedic goldmine they had in Rash, a consummate improviser and Oscar-winning screenwriter game for just about anything. This included the costumes, which began in season 1 with the politically correct “Mister Winter.” In season 2, the costume department started going hog wild. Lady Gaga, Scarlett O’Hara, a bumblebee with a front stinger … the costumes weren’t just more extravagant, but they also opened doors into his sexuality, which purposely is never strictly defined. Talking with Variety, Rash said of playing Dean Pelton:

“It’s just a dream. You get to be this very heightened individual amid a more grounded circle. Whether it’s donning many, many costumes or lovely polyester, it’s been a blast.”

Not only do the costumes have the dean stand out from his community college compatriots, but they allow for some true variety in Rash’s own life, who doesn’t describe his own wardrobe in such glowing terms as he does his character’s, saying, “There’s nothing on my body on a day-to-day basis that I would want to keep.” I’m not sure he would want to go around dressed as Tina Turner all day, but doing “Community” gave him the opportunity.

But even through all the wildness, Rash still got to play a fully realized human being, mixing silliness with a fleshed-out inner life. As he said to HitFix:

“As long as Dan [Harmon] continues and they give us that heart and understanding of who these people are I think you can always enjoy the insanity.”

And we do.