Back to School with Quinta Brunson (‘Abbott Elementary’)

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Lemonada Media

Society & Culture, Film Interviews, Tv & Film

4.8 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 October 2022

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today we’re joined by “Abbott Elementary” creator and star, Quinta Brunson! On the heels of its two historic wins at this year’s Emmys, we discuss the guiding principles behind its second season (6:02), its incomparable cast (9:41), and the show's personal connection to Quinta’s upbringing in West Philadelphia (14:49). Then, we unpack her earliest comedic influences (19:21), performing in improv in college (26:31), and the solace she found in Second City Chicago (29:09).

On the back-half, Quinta reflects on moving to Los Angeles at twenty-three (33:27), the feelings of alienation that followed (35:02), and the Comedy Store performance that irrevocably altered her course (36:55) and brought her to Abbott Elementary (46:56). To close, she shares her hopes for the years to come (51:00).

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Pushkin. This is talk easy. I'm Sam For actor, comedian, writer Quinta Brunson.
0:46.7	If you peruse the internet from 2014 to 2017,
0:50.7	you likely saw Brunson performing in comedy videos for BuzzFeed.
0:55.0	She then went on to co-create and star in series like Quintaverse Everything,
1:00.0	a Black Lady Sketch Show, and most recently the hit ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary.
1:06.3	The show recently made Brunson the first black woman
1:09.3	to receive three Emmy comedy nominations in a year and only the second black woman to win the award for
1:16.0	outstanding writing for a comedy series. In it Brunson plays Janine Teague, a dedicated wide-eyed second grade teacher in a predominantly
1:26.1	black elementary school in Philadelphia.
1:29.5	After its premiere in 2021, Abbott Elementary quickly rose to prominence, with some critics claiming that the show
1:36.9	had single-handedly revived the network sitcom.
1:40.8	The character is partially inspired by Brunson's mother, who taught kindergarten in Philadelphia public schools for nearly 40 years.
1:49.0	While of course a comedy at its core, Abbott is also a celebration of teachers, the ones
1:55.2	endlessly fighting for their students, the ones working above and beyond in
2:00.9	under-resourced districts, the ones that really care.
2:04.8	It has just now return for its second season,
2:08.2	which you can watch every Wednesday at 9 p.m. Eastern time,
2:11.9	and then the next day on Hulu. For today's talk, Quinta and I
2:16.3	discussed the driving force behind season 2, the shows that inspired her from
2:21.2	in-living collar to Welcome Back,
2:23.3	Connor, the formative schooling she received growing up in West Philadelphia,
2:27.7	how she forged her unlikely path in comedy, and so much more.
	...

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