Birdgirl star Paget Brewster discusses being pitched the spinoff series, the difference between it and Harvey Birdman, Community's future and more.

The world is getting safer and wackier again, thanks to Birdgirl season 2. The adult animated comedy acts as a spinoff of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, the Adult Swim comedic spoof and spinoff of the original 1967 Hanna-Barbera cartoon.

Birdgirl season 2 continues the odd hijinks of the titular superhero, her alter ego Judy Ken Sebben and her friends as they navigate the hurdles of modern corporations and her obsession with her vigilante identity. Paget Brewster leads the cast of Birdgirl alongside Rob Delaney, Sonia Denis, Kether Donohue, John Doman, Negin Farsad, Tony Hale and River L. Ramirez.

Related: Harvey Birdman: The 10 Funniest, Most Ridiculous Supervillains To Appear On The Show

Ahead of the show's season 2 finale, Screen Rant spoke exclusively with star Paget Brewster to discuss Birdgirl, the differences between it and Harvey Birdman, balancing Judy and Birdgirl's personalities, the future of Community and more.

Screen Rant: I love when a show like Birdgirl comes along because for those who mostly know you for Criminal Minds, it gives them the opportunity to see the comedic chops that you have, whether it be from Community, Another Period or even Two and a Half Men.

Paget Brewster: Whoa, you've done your research, I love it! Thank you for saying that.

I'm not gonna lie, I've enjoyed your work for years, so no research was needed. I also find Birdgirl interesting, because it came so long after Harvey Birdman came to an end. How long had this been in the works before finally getting off the ground?

Paget Brewster: I started recording Birdgirl [when she] was created in 2005 on Harvey Birdman and then I think it ran another couple of years, and then the show ended. We we thought, "Well, that's that." Then I want to say, five or six years ago Erik Richter, one of the creators of Birdgirl and Harvey Birdman, called me in to do the voice on something else he was working on. I remember going to the studio in Burbank and he said, while I was in the recording studio and he was in the control room, "Oh, we're gonna pitch Birdgirl as its own show," and I said, "Are you serious?" and he said, "Yeah." I said, "Oh, please let me audition for it," because I just thought, "Oh, if it's gonna be its own show, they're gonna go get someone really famous." But he was like, "No, I don't think you understand, you're Birdgirl. You have been Birdgirl, so if Birdgirl goes, will you be Birdgirl?" I was like, "Yes, I'll be Birdgirl, I would love to, of course I would love to!"

It happened, I think, within eight or nine months of that, it was done and he said, "Okay, it's a go. We're doing it," and we just started recording and we were at Margarita Mix, which was the same recording studio in Hollywood where we used to record Harvey Birdman. It was nice to be back there, it's a kooky studio, they've got a lot of stuffed iguanas and, I don't know if they serve margaritas, it's a very tropical, cool studio. That was the last thing I did before COVID hit and we all went into lockdown was recording, I think, season 1 of Birdgirl at Margarita Mix. We finished recording and we were kind of standing in the hallway like, "So, I guess we're not — No hugging. Maybe I'll see you?" and we just didn't know.

So then when we were all in lockdown, we were going to record from home and my husband and I built a recording box out of these, they're like walls called Gobos that you use to record in a recording studio, they were these walls on a hinge with a furnie pad over the top and a microphone to record Birdgirl. I thought, "Oh, this thing's gonna last a long time" and I had a vocal booth made to record anything, because I knew we were going to be locked in for a long time. I couldn't have taken longer in answering whatever your original question was. [Chuckles]

That gave me the timeline that I was looking for. With that quick turnaround time from when they pitched it to you to when they got it going, what was it like when you started to see the scripts and see the different take that they were bringing to the character from Harvey Birdman?

Paget Brewster: I'm telling you, I still did not see it. I saw, for season 1, reading them and laughing and going, "Oh, wow, this has taken on its own world. They've really invested in creating this world and these characters and these relationships and it's its own thing." This is what one dreams a spin off will be, it doesn't even feel like a spin off, it's its own world. But even then, there's no way to know what they do in animating, because I record, I don't see anyone else and it goes away and it gets animated and it comes back. I don't know that they're doing different animation styles and all these crazy little jokes that take a second.

I'm rewinding to see," Wait, what was it? What did I just see?" It's such a layered, bizarre, almost trippy, like micro dosing. Watching an episode of Birdgirl is what I imagine taking a small amount of mushrooms would be like. It's wild and I'm laughing and sometimes I'm like, "I don't even know what I just laughed at." I don't know if I completely understand this show, and I'm one of the voices. [Chuckles] It's trippy and it gets better, I think season 2 is even better than season 1 and season 1, I was already so excited once I saw them like, "How did they do all this?"

I certainly felt the same way when I started up season 1 like "Oh, wow, I'll just go along for the ride."

Paget Brewster: Like crazy. And season two, like all this weird animation and Judy and Birdgirl are still evolving into more strange, interesting [directions]. [Laughs] They both have problems, they're both their opposite, it's a split personality, it's just all really interesting and I'm really just along for the ride. I just do what they say for a long time and they have a huge library of fighting sounds and now sex sounds, where it's like, "Okay, once we finish recording Judy, then we'll record Birdgirl and then we're gonna have to do all of the fighting sounds and then you're gonna sing this song from the '50s." I'm like, "Okay. Whatever you say, I don't know what you're doing but it'll work out."

It's worked out great so far. With that said, I love how this show does expand on Judy's struggle finding that balance between herself and Birdgirl. What are some of the challenges for you in finding that layer for her through her voice?

Paget Brewster: I think the challenge would be, because unfortunately when I watch it, I feel like, "Oh, I'm not making enough of a vocal difference between Judy and Birdgirl, but they are the same person so I shouldn't beat myself up over that" and then that sounds very much like Judy spiraling out about what she's done wrong. So it's really just making Judy a little bit more neurotic and vain and then I tried to think with Birdgirl that she thinks she's tougher than she is.

So it's kind of trying to put a little bit of not Christian Bale from Batman but like she just thinks she knows everything. I don't know, I can't explain it, it's nice that we record them separately, because we go all the way through the script once as Judy or twice, not just once, it takes a while to record. [Chuckles] And then we go start recording again from the top as Birdgirl and then the kicking and the sex sounds. [Laughs] That sounds so weird, but it is in keeping with the show, I hope I'm doing a good job of making them two different people, even though they are the same person, and that's the challenge is they can't be too different, but they are emotionally and mentally different. Now I'm wondering if I did do a good job. [Laughs]

I think you did, I could certainly tell when when they were different.

Paget Brewster: Okay thank you. [Laughs]

I love that season 2 also further explores her childhood with her wild father, Ken. What has that been like for you getting to further explore her backstory just as much as her present day story?

Paget Brewster: I just love. It's so cliché, but I genuinely love everything they write. What's really nice is if I don't understand what is happening, and that happens fairly often, I would say at least once a script I'm like, "What, I don't know what that meant," they'll explain to me what it's from. What's exciting about that is trying to sound like Little Judy, because there's Little Judy the libido that pops out of Judy then there's Little Judy as a kid at Little Judy's the restaurant and the flashbacks with The Wanky, the flashback to getting The Wacky and trying to sound younger, but then I think they also effect it. [Chuckles]

I think they may at one point have said, "Yeah, don't try to sound younger, we're just going to effect it later." It's all exciting and funny, but there's so much of it and I just want to see what they do next, because you can mine. years of Judy and Phil and the whole past. I don't know who, copyright-wise, they're allowed to bring back, but we'll see. They got an Abba song and a Britney Spears song in there, so who knows, I think they're capable of anything.

I would like to see more Hanna-Barbera characters come back from Harvey Birdman. I think that would be fun.

Paget Brewster: Oh, it would be so great. We weren't able to get Yogi Bear, I'm not sure what's allowed, or even Peter Potamus. I don't know who owns what anymore, unless it's just three companies own everything, so then wouldn't we be able to get permission to have all the cartoon characters we want? [Laughs] If we're living in a Metaverse kind of world now, we should be able to have anyone show up on Birdgirl.

I guess we'll have to keep our eyes peeled for the future because yeah, I think I think there's plenty of room for it. Speaking of the future, have you talked with the creators about what they have in mind for season 3?

Paget Brewster: We don't know if we have a season three? I don't know when we'll find out. Did you hear something? Did you hear we had a season three?

I've not heard anything, I'm holding out hope.

Paget Brewster: They wouldn't tell me, I wouldn't know. I'll get an email from Erik a week before we start recording and he'll be like, "Hey, so season 3." [Laughs] I hope we get a season 3.

This interview is also an announcement, I'm telling you directly.

Paget Brewster: Because I will it! [Laughs]

Since you did mention earlier building your own recording booth for COVID production, did you find that affected your performance at all in comparison to recording in the studio?

Paget Brewster: No, actually I give it my all every g-----n time, Grant, I don't know who you think I am. [Chuckles] No, it didn't because it's this company, I don't know what it's called, you design a vocal booth that's modular, you can take it apart and take it somewhere else in case, you know, we have to sell the house. But it was big enough, because when I'm recording, I do have to do running or jumping up and down or dribbling water, Birdgirl's very, there's a lot going on with her and with animation in general, so it had to be big enough to run and shout.

I think because we were separated and everything was recording remotely and separately, I think I was offering more in all the record sessions with every animated show, just saying, "I don't want to take up your time, but do you want me to do that again?" Because I wanted to make sure they had everything they needed, because everybody was so separated and I love doing animation and I know that it was saving us. That's how my husband and I were making money, he was recording me, I can't do all that in the booth, I don't know what to do, he's recording it and then he sends recordings out to people afterwards. So I did narration for a Disney series, I did seven or eight, I don't even know how many more cartoons, I'm recording Praise Petey today. Also I'm like really a conspiracy theorist, I don't know how long COVID is gonna last and also I think aliens are coming, so really it's been like, "Oh, I'm going to maximize this booth and do everything I can do to do animation all the time."

So I give maybe more than I used to, because I've gotten more experience in the last two years than I had for 15 years before, and that was doing a lot of shows for a long time, like Dan Vs and DuckTales and I started on Godzilla I think in 1997 or something. But I want to do more of it, and I know it's so hard to break into, because I have so many friends saying, "How do I get into doing voices for animation," and I'm like, "Well go take a class at this place, because they kind of know all the casting directors." People want in and so I value it and I love doing it and it's a really specific kind of acting, where you don't have to worry about what you look like or are you standing in the right place for the light and do you look fat in these pants, like, you don't have to worry about anything.

It's just having to give everything vocally and you do the line again and again and do it faster, do it angry, do it like you're crying. It's just really exhilarating, there's something about voice acting that's just different and exciting. When you know you got it right, it feels kind of like a drug, there's something I don't know, I can't explain it. I sound like a drug addict, I sound like I'm into drugs, I'm not, I'm into wine, I like white wine. [Laughs] I don't know, because before I think I said micro dosing, and I don't even know what that means. Because I haven't done it.

So though you're excited about voice acting, we are maybe going to get to see you return to live action soon with Criminal Minds in the works at Paramount+.

Paget Brewster: I hope so. They're saying it's gonna happen. We're all hoping so, there's nothing official in I don't know, little birdies are saying [something]. I got in trouble for saying, like almost two years ago, that I didn't think it was gonna happen, because we've been talking with them since 2020 and it just hasn't come together yet. Then I got in trouble for tweeting and saying I didn't think it was gonna happen and then then they put out a thing saying, "Yes, it is gonna happen," and I was like, "Great, I'm glad to be wrong. I want it to happen. We all want it to happen."

I don't know what I'm allowed to know, I just know that I can't say it's happening. I've heard it's happening, it sounds like it might be happening, we're all really hoping it happens. I think it would be like a limited series, it would be Paramount+ and I think it would be a limited run. So that would give me, like, six or seven months to do animation if it happens, then I can do that. So yeah, I really hope so, we all really hope so.

We'll have to keep our fingers crossed. Well, before I let you go, as a fan of Community, I love seeing how big the cult following for it has grown since it hit Netflix during pandemic. What has that been like for you seeing that following grow over the past few years?

Paget Brewster: First of all, I didn't know that, you're telling me, I thought we never got Netflix numbers and we never find anything out. I just know that more people seem to be excited about Community and I see people in Greendale T-shirts at the supermarket. I had a fan draw Frankie Dart and left it for me at Meltdown Comics, the comic book shop in Hollywood. People seemed to be getting more into it, I didn't know it was because Netflix had them all, but yeah, that's great. And they have the Yahoo season, they have my season?

Paget Brewster: Whoo, I win! [Laughs] Yeah, that was a great experience. I was gone from Criminal Minds and I was shooting Another Period, a Comedy Central show, and my agent called and said, "Hey, Community called," and I played a character like a year or two before, just a one off in the basement, the IT lady. They said, "Community's asking if you would play a character in season 6 for Yahoo?" and I said, "The answer is yes." The agent was like, "Wait, do you want to know anything about it?" and I said, "No, no, I don't care. I want it. Whatever it is, I want it, I want to play that. I want to do that." They were like, "Well, you know, it's run by Dan Harmon," and I was like, "I know Dan, I know what you're gonna say, I want it. Give me that show. I want it, whatever it is a player." I did know Dan and I know he could be kooky, but he's a genius. You know, you're a fan, it's its own world, that guy's brain, and it can be crazy. [Chuckles]

Those days were really long, like you sit around that table man for 17 hours, it was hard, but it was great and such a great experience. Those people are all so wonderful and all of the actors and the writers and producers and just everybody on that show, it was a labor of love. And it was nearly impossible, it was nearly impossible to do, sometimes they would have to bring in a teleprompter because we didn't have a script and it didn't matter, because they were always great episodes, no matter how hard it was to make. It was just great and I wouldn't trade a minute of being on that show for anything.

So a lot of us fans are still holding out hope for six seasons and a movie and I've talked with Joel and Yvette and they're hopeful. If a Community movie came around, would you come back if Frankie was involved?

Paget Brewster: Oh, no question, there's no question. I would assist the medic for free just to be part of the movie. Yeah, I would love to. There's so many great people, though, that have been in Community, that would be a tough call for Dan and Rob [Schrab] and those writers to have to figure out like, "Oh, who do we bring back?" Because like, they're all so good and it's a great show. [Chuckles] I do hope there's a movie, but I also trust that Dan will do the right thing for that world. So if there's going to be a movie, he'll make a movie, if it doesn't feel right, he won't and I trust in that, that wacky weird man. I trust his judgment.

In season two of Birdgirl, the Birdteam is back and still not learning from their mistakes. Judy Ken Sebben (Paget Brewster) and the Birdteam attempt to navigate the troubles of modern corporations, tackling everything from ethics in new tech, to cancel culture and rejuvenating skin sack health fads. Will they fail? Spectacularly! But sometimes it's not about the solutions we come up with, it's about the new problems we make along the way. Being a superhero isn’t easy, especially when you are trying to balance the professional and the personal. Just ask Judy/Birdgirl.

More: Birdgirl: The Show's 10 Best Quotes

Birdgirl season 2 is streaming in its entirety on HBO Max now.