Before she was Annie on "Community" or poor, mistreated Trudy on "Mad Men," Alison Brie's career was a total laughing matter.

As in, she was a clown. A literal clown.

In a new interview for NPR's "My Big Break" series, Brie revealed that before she was cast in her recurring television roles or made it big voicing Princess Unikitty in "The LEGO Movie" or pleasuring Snapple bottles in "Sleeping With Other People," she worked in LA as a party clown.

"We always had to drive to Compton first to pick up our suit and do our makeup in this warehouse, and then go get gas, like at the nearest gas station, dressed fully as Sunny the Clown," she told NPR. "People were cool about it. They were just like, 'Sup girl?' And I was like, 'Sup?'"

The "Mad Men" audition, when it came along years later, didn't seem like it would be a game-changer: AMC at the time had no original programming, and the role was written as a one-episode guest star spot.

"So at the time, it also was not like, 'When I get this job it will change my career trajectory entirely,'" Brie said. "It was more like, 'Maybe no one will ever see this show but at least I would have good material for my reel,' or whatever."

Read more about Brie's big break at NPR. In the meantime, here's a rare vintage clip of Brie's clowning days:

JK.