Abbott Elementary has been a breakout hit for creator and star Quinta Brunson, who named the show after her sixth-grade teacher in Philadelphia. While the show’s success has been an emotional rollercoaster for Brunson, she was not at all prepared for what Jimmy Kimmel had in store for her on Tuesday night: The late-night comedian arranged for the Ms. Abbott to Zoom into the show. Within moments of reconnecting with the inspiration for her series, Brunston was in tears. At one point, she jokingly called out Kimmel for ruining her makeup.
Ms. Abbott was, of course, a delight, and she recalled the first time she learned that Abbott Elementary was named after her. Via Entertainment Tonight:
“It was confirmed one night when I was watching 6abc news,” Ms. Abbott said. “They were talking about the Abbott Elementary show shortly after the pilot. The newscaster said, ‘Ms. Abbott, if you’re watching, Quinta would like to reconnect with you.’ I was like ‘Oh my god!'”
The teacher also shared stories of having Brunson as a pupil, saying she was “very driven at that time” and that the Black Lady Sketch Show alum grew out of her shell to become “our class spokesperson.”
Much like Abbott Elementary, the reunion was a delightful break from the ongoing craziness of the pandemic, schools banning books, and an unfortunate mangling of the true nature of the Holocaust. Seriously, thank you, Jimmy.
(Via Entertainment Tonight)
