It’s no secret that Quinta Brunson is one of Hollywood’s “it girls” with her highly successful ABC sitcom, “Abbott Elementary.”
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Wednesday (Nov. 3), Brunson discussed how she knew her show would be successful and how much Jordan Peele inspired her. “I really admire Jordan Peele’s career, just for making the leap to a whole other genre and killing that s**t. I don’t know if I’d necessarily want to do it, but it’s inspiring that he did. I love people who inspire me to feel that if I ever want to change my mind, I can,” she said. “I think that’s what he proved, big time — especially as a sketch person. It’s not that you need the proof, but it’s nice to see someone do it.”
When reflecting on the difference between the first and second season of her Emmy Award-winning sitcom “Abbott Elementary,” the 32-year-old actress said she knew the success the show was going to receive. “I felt very prepared for what was to come with ‘Abbott Elementary.’ There was something about making a pilot, and everyone involved felt it,” she said. “I did a pilot once where I was like, ‘Oh my God. If this goes, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I am going to hate my life. I don’t want to move to Vancouver. This show isn’t that special.’ It would’ve been my nightmare if that pilot had gone. Whereas with ‘Abbott Elementary,’ it was like, ‘If this doesn’t go, I don’t know what I have to give to the world because this is the best I can do.’ I could see us winning awards. I could see us becoming really popular.”
Brunson said she is grateful that the second season has an additional seven episodes but does not want her cast and herself to become overworked. “I have never known the meaning of bittersweet so well. It’s amazing. It’s job security for a lot of people for a long time,” she expressed.
She added, “It’s more ‘Abbott Elementary‘ for people to watch! But I was like, ‘F**k, that’s so much TV!’ It’s not a concern of producing all of these stories — it’s about making sure that things run smoothly, trying to make sure my cast and I don’t burn out because it is a lot.”