This story about Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Tyler James Williams and “Abbott Elementary” first appeared in TheWrap Magazine’s Awards Comedy Series issue.
If Quinta Brunson is the heart of “Abbott Elementary,” the Emmy-winning ABC comedy she produces, writes and stars in, the show’s supporting cast is its soul. Set in a struggling Philadelphia public school, the series has been praised for its realistic portrayal of America’s education system, while also finding humor and hope hiding in plain sight.
The show’s first two seasons worked hard to shed light on the plight of the American schoolteacher, but that’s far from the only lesson “Abbott Elementary” has been providing viewers. Forget English, say “see you later” to math, because according to its cast, the series is all about chemistry.
“Chemistry is an amazing thing. You either have it or you don’t,” said Sheryl Lee Ralph, who won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy last year for her portrayal of veteran kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard. “You meet some people and immediately you don’t get along. You meet a few people and immediately you click and it’s just magical. And for all of us, we clicked and it was magical.”
Ralph and his co-stars brilliantly play Janine Teagues, Brunson’s eternally optimistic second-grade teacher. There’s Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams), a no-nonsense first grade teacher who has a crush on Janine. He was in line to be principal, but Ava Coleman (Janelle James), the most proudly self-absorbed public servant the state of Pennsylvania has ever known, fired him. Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) is a tough-talking second-grade teacher whose family is possibly full of connected kids. Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti) is a sixth grade teacher who is always tripping over himself to prove the bona fides of his white ally. And Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) is the custodian who goes in and out to deliver a deadpan killer.
“Every person needs to be on their game to make this program work,” Williams said. “Yes, there are clear main arguments, but we work as a group. And it’s one of those sets you rarely see. That’s not something I’m saying just because I’m a part of this, but because I see these people work every day.”
“We had beautiful chemistry, obviously, in the first season,” Walter added. “That’s part of the reason people came to her. What’s interesting is that on a lot of shows, people fall in love with a show after a great season 1, but then fall into a sophomore slump. We never had that. It got better in Season 2. We’d read scripts and be like, ‘Holy crap, this is the best one yet!'”
As the show has settled into its second year, the cast enjoys exploring more unexpected storylines. While the tension between Janine and Gregory has been around since the very first episode, a surprising variation on that dynamic has played out more recently. “I didn’t even realize it until the last episode while we were shooting it, but for me, Season 2, from Gregory’s perspective, is the yes or no of his friendship with Jacob,” Williams said. “Looking back over the course of the season, they were setting this up bit by bit. And I think it’s one of the most beautiful story arcs we’ve ever had.”