April 10, 2025
Quinta Brunson opens up about how “powerful” it was to obtain criticism from Black ladies about her “Abbott Elementary” character.
Quinta Brunson is talking candidly in regards to the “powerful” criticism she’s confronted from Black ladies relating to her Abbott Elementary character, Janine Teagues.
The Emmy-winning actress and comic joined Amy Poehler on the Good Dangle podcast, the place she opened up in regards to the challenges of receiving critiques about her hit present, significantly relating to her character and the way deeply Black ladies relate to her.
“I’ll be actual with you. She’s a Black character. Black audiences have so few consultant characters on display screen, and Black womanhood alone is so sensitive,” Brunson mentioned. “So when loads of ladies have been seeing Janine not current as they wished her to, that grew to become powerful — and I perceive it.”
She continued, “However I feel it’s essential for us to have characters who’re extra sensible than they’re the best possible illustration of us. I feel it creates layers for us, not solely on TV however within the public eye.”
Over its four-season run, Abbott Elementary has earned excessive scores and racked up main accolades, together with wins on the Emmys, Golden Globes, and Display Actors Guild Awards. In 2023, Quinta Brunson took house the Golden Globe for Finest Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Collection.
The sequence follows a various group of lecturers navigating life at a public college in Philadelphia. Brunson stars as Ms. Teagues, main a standout solid that features Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard, and Janelle James as Principal Ava Coleman. Whereas the present has been broadly praised for its relatable storytelling and heartfelt portrayal of public college lecturers, Brunson admits she “wasn’t actually fascinated by illustration” when creating Janine’s character — however acknowledges that, in the long run, “she grew to become illustration” all the identical.
“The attention-grabbing wrestle about taking part in comedic characters is [that] you need them to be flawed and have stuff to study,” Poehler mentioned, noting how tough it will get “the minute folks — both your self or different folks — begin to get in your head about what they need to be representing.”
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