'Abbott Elementary' | Variety Studio presented by Google TV
Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti and William Stanford Davis step into our video studio at San Diego Comic Con 2024.
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00:00Because as we're kind of looking into season four, has Ava found somebody to match her freak?
00:04No!
00:06That is a good way to put that.
00:08What?
00:10I'm dead.
00:12They need to give you a raise.
00:14I'm dead.
00:16I do not know, but that sounds exciting.
00:24School is apparently out of session and you guys are spending your summer break at Comic-Con?
00:29Is that how this goes?
00:31Okay, what is it like bringing Abbott Elementary to Comic-Con and having a full billboard on the side of Petco Park?
00:38I mean, when you drove up, what was that reaction like?
00:42It was a four and a half hour drive to get here and the entire way people were sending me pictures of that.
00:49So it was like it actually hit me before I saw it, but it was so much better in person.
00:56Yeah, no, a picture is not.
00:58Definitely worth the drive just to see that.
01:00Yeah.
01:02It's wild. It's surreal.
01:04And like you said, we see people posting pictures and stuff before we actually get up here.
01:08But to kind of roll up and see that, for me, I'm still processing.
01:14Yeah.
01:16It's cool.
01:18I think I'm going to process this after we're long off the air.
01:20So many things that have happened.
01:22I'm going to need a year to sit down.
01:25Yeah.
01:27It's a long time Comic-Con fan and I've been just like a fan of the entire thing.
01:32I still remember going through installations for like Outlander in its first year before anybody else had seen it.
01:38But I was a fan of the books and I like got buttons and whole little doodads that they give you in my giant bag that I lugged around.
01:45And to think that it's like now we're in front of a panel of 2,600 people with a poster on the, it's wild.
01:52It's incredible.
01:55With our pictures and backpacks and the whole thing with people walking around, you know, it's incredible.
01:59It's wild.
02:01I've always wanted to come to Comic-Con since I was a little girl because I just wanted to, I really wanted to go to the Hall H Marvel panel.
02:07Still can't make it there because we are busy.
02:09But it's wild that the show, the first Comic-Con Abbott appearance was two years ago.
02:20And it's just wild that the show made it before I did.
02:24So this is my first year here and to see all of it in person, especially AvaFest, which is a real festival that is really happening for the people of this.
02:33It's everything AvaFest represents.
02:35It's a good time.
02:37She would be so proud.
02:39My God.
02:41She would be so proud.
02:43It's just so cool.
02:45I'm happy everyone, I'm happy it's free and people can come enjoy it whether they have a ticket or not.
02:47That's very Abbott spirited.
02:49Lisa said she was getting pictures.
02:51I've been reading people saying that they're having a genuinely good time.
02:56I'm so into this idea.
02:58It's actually fun.
03:00It's not just the facade and four walls.
03:02It's an experience.
03:04I'm just so honored and proud of the show that we're representing.
03:11Shout out to the ABC team.
03:13They take inspiration from the show and build that.
03:15I snuck into it yesterday.
03:18I wanted to experience it while people were there.
03:20I snuck in.
03:22What did you wear?
03:24I wore a mask, glasses, hat.
03:26You name it.
03:28I also think people don't realize how short I am.
03:30It takes a while for them to process.
03:32It was just to watch people having fun in that way.
03:34Families, kids, grown people just enjoying that was the highlight of almost my life.
03:41Top ten moments in my life.
03:43Wow.
03:45That's crazy.
03:48I haven't seen it yet.
03:50I really want to see the marching band.
03:52How moving it is.
03:54Then all of our voices screaming.
03:56It's crazy.
03:58Usually it's just a panel or you hope to see somebody you might know.
04:05For me, Comic-Con was always really fun because of people dressing up.
04:09Even if you're here as an actor, you're an observer, too.
04:13It's a show.
04:16I don't ever remember anything like an actual full carnival going on.
04:19This is new.
04:21Thank you, ABC.
04:23The season three finale, 2,900 fans just got to watch that again.
04:28Could you hear their reaction when Janine and Gregory finally kissed?
04:33I couldn't hear them.
04:35I missed it.
04:37Were they upset?
04:39They were devastated.
04:41They booed.
04:44Cheryl reacts when we first read through a script like the audience in real time.
04:48Cheryl, as we're in table read, will be going through the scenes.
04:52Then she gets to the thing like the kiss.
04:54It's like, oh!
04:56That's probably what happened rather than the cheering.
04:59I did hear laughs.
05:01I didn't hear anything.
05:03It was fine.
05:05I didn't hear anything either.
05:07I think it's because I was watching it.
05:09My inner monologue was probably screaming.
05:12The loudest thing could have been happening.
05:14I wouldn't have heard it.
05:16I'm glad the audience was reacting to it.
05:18Screaming because you like the kiss or because you're yelling at your performance?
05:20No! Watching them!
05:24They were screaming with excitement.
05:26Everybody was very pleased.
05:28They were happy that we've solidified.
05:30They will versus will they or won't they.
05:34Did we do that?
05:36I have no idea.
05:38I don't remember solidifying anything.
05:40This is not necessarily the ending of the story with these two.
05:45Where do they stand at the end of the summer?
05:47That's a really good question.
05:49That's a really good question.
05:51I say we should answer that by October.
05:55I think you can put another answer to that.
05:57In October.
05:59On October 9th.
06:01On October 9th, we'll give you some kind of an answer.
06:03Until then, it's just too early to call.
06:06Just like election results.
06:08I completely understand.
06:10All around the same time.
06:12It'll be all around the same time.
06:14We've all experienced young love.
06:16So, you know, how that goes.
06:18That is a tease right there, ladies and gentlemen.
06:26Quinta, to your tease,
06:28in the Indigo Ballroom,
06:30you teased a crossover.
06:32How many?
06:35First of all, how exciting is that?
06:37The opportunity to crossover this show
06:39with something else that you love?
06:41It's unreal.
06:43I was a big fan of
06:45on the Disney Channel
06:47when they would do
06:49The Suite Life on Deck with Hannah Montana.
06:51Does anyone remember that?
06:53That was three shows in one.
06:55That was crazy.
06:57But those things are what reinvigorate TV viewers,
06:59TV watchers,
07:01and I think it's always fun to find ways
07:04to reinvigorate our audiences.
07:06What's important with Abbott
07:08is we protect the show.
07:10It's a mockumentary,
07:12so we have to protect what we're doing.
07:14But to find a way for it to still be possible
07:16to do something cool like that,
07:18it makes me really, really happy.
07:20It's just like an ode to the medium.
07:22I rewatched an episode
07:24of Full House
07:26where Steve Urkel came on.
07:28I was screaming in my house
07:30like I wasn't a grown person
07:33but I just live for those kind of magic moments
07:35and I'm excited to be able
07:37to bring one to TV with Abbott.
07:39I don't think this is our first one.
07:41I feel like the show does a lot of really cool things.
07:43The camera work,
07:45we've done extended
07:47one-shot Birdman-type scenes.
07:49We've done
07:51circular
07:53in-motion scenes.
07:55Our group work in tight spaces.
07:57We're doing
07:59cool stuff.
08:01Our crew and our
08:03cameraman and everything.
08:05I'm excited to see how they're going to
08:07do this one. It's a cool show.
08:09It's a sitcom, but it's a cool show.
08:11I would not be associated.
08:13That's a good point.
08:15Doing a crossover too is that
08:17shows have different styles.
08:19They have different styles, different tones.
08:21Anytime you're combining something that could be
08:23slightly different in the way it's shot, it's also interesting.
08:25It's exciting. It's really fun.
08:27I'm pumped.
08:29I'm really pumped.
08:31I don't know what to say. I'm excited about the whole season,
08:33first of all. Let me just say that. Not just that one
08:35thing, but I'm really excited about
08:37the season four and getting back into our groove.
08:39Last season, we
08:41were truncated due to
08:43the strikes happening,
08:45but now we're back.
08:47I would have never thought I'd be...
08:49I'm tired quite often, but I never
08:51thought I'd be excited to get back to 22, but I'm
08:53honestly very excited. The room for
08:55storytelling, the room for what we can do
08:57with these characters is unreal
08:59already. Just the episodes we've broken already
09:01have just benefited from
09:03getting back to that 22 and knowing we have
09:05space. Because you guys have gotten about
09:07six of those 22
09:09stories broken, basically, at
09:11this point. Oh, yes. How do
09:13you know that? I forgot Patrick said that.
09:15Inside math.
09:17I'm short. You didn't
09:19realize I was there. I was actually just pretending
09:21to be Quinta a lot.
09:23That makes so much sense.
09:25I buy it.
09:27Will you tell us about all of the ideas
09:29for season four as Quinta since you've
09:31caught you're the one who...
09:33Absolutely not.
09:35That's a pretty spot on Quinta.
09:37That's pretty good.
09:39Clearly, the crossover is either
09:41The Simpsons, The Bear, Grey's Anatomy
09:43or Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
09:45Correct? I think that those
09:47are all ridiculous
09:49crazy things to say. I don't know.
09:51I don't know what it is. Even if you guessed
09:53it right, I wouldn't tell you.
09:55Nice try, though.
09:59That is why they pay me the small-sized bucks.
10:03But I do have to know, Janelle,
10:05because as we're kind of looking into season
10:07four, has Ava found somebody
10:09to match her freak?
10:13That is a good way to put that.
10:17I'm dead.
10:19They need to give you a raise.
10:21I do not know,
10:23but that sounds exciting.
10:25That proposition, like, who is that?
10:27Who is that human being?
10:29That's going to be difficult.
10:31Who can match her
10:33freak is the question.
10:35I feel like it's a very small number.
10:37Who would keep her on her toes?
10:39Who would I trust to match her freak?
10:41This person right here.
10:43I am...
10:45I'm excited.
10:47The gauntlet has been
10:49thrown.
10:51That is such a crazy way to ask.
10:53That's a crazy way to ask that question.
10:55I love it.
10:57I can't even take full credit for it.
10:59One of my colleagues said it, and I said,
11:01there you go.
11:03Looking out for me, girl.
11:05It may be my favorite question ever asked
11:07in an interview.
11:09She said, everybody else get the kiss.
11:11No, I'm joking.
11:15That is not a one.
11:17That's okay.
11:19You have had incredible boyfriends on this show.
11:21And actively on the Warriors.
11:25Active roster.
11:27It's not enough.
11:29I need more.
11:31Don't act like you've been shortchanged.
11:33She wants a kiss.
11:35Oh my God.
11:39I have spoken too much.
11:41I don't know anything more
11:43than what Quentin has revealed so far.
11:45Truly, we find out
11:47when we get the scripts.
11:49We've only gotten two.
11:51There's no freakiness going on thus far.
11:53I don't know.
11:55Quentin's great at walking in and going,
11:57I'm so excited.
11:59We have this great storyline that's coming up
12:01in three episodes.
12:03I can't tell you anymore.
12:05I'm so excited.
12:07Which is great.
12:09We're excited too, but we know nothing.
12:11Even when she tells us,
12:13like a month before I did it,
12:15but that's all she gave me.
12:17No context.
12:19It's never what you think it is anyway.
12:21It's always well done.
12:23I don't think ahead.
12:25I trust the process.
12:27I know whoever matches my freak
12:29will be sufficient.
12:31Now I can't stop thinking about it.
12:33I know.
12:35I can't stop saying it.
12:37I love that.
12:39That's really great.
12:41I know.
12:43Total curveball.
12:45I am curious also about our
12:47another, it's not a real relationship,
12:49it's another relationship.
12:51In terms of the roommate agreement,
12:53will we still see
12:55you two living together next season?
12:57What kind of sub-lease
12:59did you have to sign
13:01for this?
13:03She's talking to us.
13:05It was a year long binding agreement.
13:07And I insisted that he match my freak.
13:09I think so.
13:11Can you speak to that?
13:13I guess I'll give you something.
13:15They are still living together
13:17as of now.
13:19As of episode 6, they are still living together.
13:21I fully expected when the storyline
13:23first came out that it would be
13:25a slow growth towards
13:27potential murder.
13:29And that it would be awful.
13:31What are you saying?
13:33I was saying that he would piss me off
13:35so badly.
13:37That there would be a
13:39come to Jesus.
13:41I'm sorry, I wasn't listening.
13:43No, we're not
13:45going to play Murder, She Wrote.
13:47Or maybe.
13:49That's your crossover.
13:51Murder, She Wrote.
13:53That's what people expected.
13:55But now you guys are actually like...
13:57We're actually friends.
13:59Listen, we can have crossovers,
14:01we can have spin-offs.
14:03Continue to expand the Abbott Elementary universe.
14:05I think what's interesting
14:07about this is that his character
14:09has clearly pushed Melissa
14:11to be a little bit different than she's been.
14:13And she is very intent on
14:15being for her
14:17X number of years of life.
14:19And he is now like, no,
14:21do this.
14:23Because you're very quiet.
14:25No, I agree.
14:27I think any of the moments where we get to leave
14:29Abbott a little bit, I feel like when we see
14:31the characters in a different place, it really
14:33reveals things that we can't do in the school, obviously.
14:35Any time we get to zoom in
14:37on one of the pairs,
14:39I feel like we also get to explore
14:41the eccentricities
14:43of their personalities
14:45in ways we haven't seen.
14:47I thought it was such a great idea,
14:49and I think there's still so much mileage
14:51that we can get out of what that does
14:53to these two characters
14:55that I hope we get to do.
14:57And I want to say, Melissa's house is like a weird cornerstone
14:59of the show. It was the first house we built,
15:01and it's the house that we constantly go back to.
15:03It's like a lot of things
15:05have happened.
15:07Meals have happened there.
15:09Life stuff happens there.
15:11Putting Jacob there was a great way
15:13to continue to go to your house.
15:15For me, I loved
15:17the fact that it was
15:19a further of her character.
15:21Like the fact that we put
15:23plastic on the furniture,
15:25and at least one lampshade.
15:27It just felt so real
15:29for my experience
15:31of this type of family that it helped.
15:33People are like, oh, I know who she is.
15:35Yeah, so I love it.
15:37Last time I saw the two of you,
15:39Jennifer Aniston
15:41and Anthony Mackie were trying to get on y'all's show.
15:43Oh, yeah.
15:45Have you gotten any more
15:47asks to become guest stars
15:49on Abbott? Have you started working your magic,
15:51Quinta, in finding roles
15:53for them or others?
15:55Well, I feel so bad saying this,
15:57but I always have to repeat it.
15:59I don't really find roles for people.
16:01We write very much character first
16:03and then actor later.
16:05But I'm
16:07very honored when people like that
16:09are saying that they would like to be part of our show.
16:11I consider Jennifer Aniston
16:13a comedy icon, a comedy
16:15sitcom icon,
16:17so that was a big deal to me.
16:19And Anthony is so absurd,
16:21and I felt like him saying, I don't know.
16:23He's just ridiculous.
16:25He recently, I won't give it away,
16:27who, you know,
16:29that person told me they wanted to be on it because they really
16:31wanted their kids to see them in a show.
16:33And I think that's something that's so
16:35sweet that
16:37people who otherwise might not get the
16:39opportunity to do something that
16:41they can watch with their kids or that their kids can
16:43watch would like to be part of the
16:45show. So I will say that does pull my heartstrings
16:47a little bit, but
16:49overall, we just try to write character first
16:51because I think that's how we protect the show.
16:53I mean, but that's a good trick
16:55now that they know that that's the way to get on.
16:57Pull my children.
16:59Damn it.
17:01Jen Aniston has just recently called herself a childless
17:03cat lady, so.
17:05But she also played
17:07my sister, historically, so.
17:09It was a great. Bruce Almighty,
17:11one of my favorite movies.
17:13Great fun fact.
17:15Are you pitching, Jen?
17:17I was going to say, do we want to repeat the
17:19sisterhood or should we try it?
17:21I mean, you have other sisters that we have
17:23not met.
17:25That's what's going to be fun.
17:27What do I have, nine siblings?
17:29I think this season's going to be fun.
17:31I'll give that away with seeing
17:33more.
17:35Yeah, with like seeing more
17:37family members. I'm really excited.
17:39That's the other thing about that, going back to 22,
17:41like we just got some room
17:43and I'm just pumped to be able
17:45to see the family of some of our characters
17:47who we have seen family of yet and who
17:49we have not seen family of yet.
17:51Okay.
17:53Okay.
17:55It's a different type of family.
17:57Oh, my bad.
17:59Well, I mean, I guess you guys
18:01have to get back to doing more press, but before you
18:03do, because we are eagerly
18:05anticipating season four, I am very
18:07curious what everyone's favorite moment
18:09from season three was.
18:11Take a little retrospective look back.
18:13Good question.
18:15Who would like to start us off?
18:17I loved the relay race in the second
18:19to last episode. I really did.
18:21That entire episode was fun,
18:23but building up to that relay
18:25race, it was just
18:27perfect. All the
18:29little things that all the cast members did.
18:31It was so much fun to shoot, so for me,
18:33that was it.
18:35I really loved the finale.
18:37I love season 14, but I
18:39love watching, is it 14, 13?
18:41Episode.
18:43I mean episode, sorry.
18:45I'm old.
18:47When did we get here?
18:49I liked episode
18:5114, but
18:53episode 12 at the
18:55double date.
18:57Double date
18:59was hilarious.
19:01In fact, we still watch it now and
19:03just die laughing.
19:05Tyler picking
19:07up his drink with two hands
19:09randomly, to me, made me
19:11laugh harder than anything in the entire
19:13season. Him drinking like this
19:15because he's so awkward. I texted
19:17him and I was like, I'm
19:19dying. He killed it in the table read,
19:21but then in person
19:23because I was in the background having to
19:25watch those scenes. I didn't have many lines in those scenes
19:27and it was just ridiculous.
19:29I was losing my mind. I had to actively
19:31stop laughing. I removed myself from the
19:33room as soon as I was able to.
19:35That was fun.
19:37I'm going to say two scenes that
19:39I am not in.
19:41Tyler
19:43posing in the doorway.
19:45Genius.
19:47Then walking away with shame.
19:49Hilarious.
19:51Then
19:53around about
19:55in the smoking episode when everyone
19:57revealed all their
19:59that was...
20:01Fantastic.
20:03There's a moment in
20:05it's called panel, right?
20:07Yeah.
20:09There's a whole section in panel
20:11of Janelle riffing
20:13and it was something so
20:15interesting and fun to do
20:17because of how many panels we
20:19actually end up doing.
20:21Kind of recreate that in
20:23a way. It was one of my favorite
20:25moments. You were doing a really
20:27good physical comedy in that.
20:29It was so fun. Then we brought in Tatiana
20:31which was like...
20:33All the moments.
20:35The finale
20:37I think is just such a feat
20:39of filmmaking.
20:41I think we did so much in
20:43not a lot of time and it really
20:45feels like...
20:47It's beautiful
20:49and it's such a climax
20:51to I feel like the first three
20:53seasons of the show.
20:55It was so fun to do.
20:57They shot it in a space about
20:59half the size of this room.
21:01Janine's apartment really is that small.
21:03We barely expanded it so we could
21:05get the cameras in but it really is tight
21:07because we wanted to make sure we kept some
21:09truth to her. It felt very real.
21:11We was on each other.
21:13As opposed to every other sitcom ever
21:15which is like how do they afford that place?
21:17That's what I loved about it too.
21:19My favorite moment is a moment that I was not in
21:21that they all were in.
21:23It was the cold open to
21:25the panel episode when they were playing
21:27a basketball game against the kids.
21:29Oh my god.
21:31Everybody was on.
21:33Oh.
21:35How could I forget?
21:37I came down to watch
21:39because I was in the writer's room
21:41but I really wanted to see that scene be filmed.
21:43Everyone was on fire.
21:45It was incredible. Zach Fox
21:47who was in that scene too.
21:49You guys chest bumping.
21:51The highest sorts.
21:53Everybody was on 100
21:55and I loved it.
21:57I actually love the scenes I'm not in.
21:59I love watching them in
22:01real time.
22:03Even the table read of that we were dying laughing.
22:05Do you remember?
22:07Someone gets hit in the face.
22:09Somebody else gets hit in the face.
22:11Everybody does it to 100.
22:13We are not holding back.
22:15Every scene to the max.
22:17He was really...
22:19Even the people I think you would think
22:21aren't.
22:23Cheryl sometimes shocks me with how much she will go
22:25for the gold with the
22:27silly stuff.
22:29She's a fine woman but she will
22:31get just as silly as everybody else.
22:33It's really cool to see.
22:35I think next time we do this you will all have to
22:37perform as each other because
22:39your impression of Cheryl
22:41that we thankfully got to see in this season
22:43that has now popped up during
22:45this interview.
22:47It was amazing.
22:49You mean when you were mouthing?
22:51Yeah. Mouth talking.
22:53That's another favorite moment.
22:55How does she look like
22:57us right now?
22:59I have to let y'all go.
23:01Our last question is what is on
23:03your watch list?
23:05Everybody is anticipating Abbott.
23:07What are you guys watching?
23:09Where do I watch it?
23:11I've been watching
23:13The Judge.
23:15Is that Bryan Cranston's?
23:17Your Honor.
23:19The Judge.
23:21He a judge.
23:23Your Honor which is so stressful and good.
23:25I watch Fargo.
23:27I've seen every season of it
23:29and this past season was insane.
23:31I am
23:33watching Ghosts on CBS.
23:35Our
23:37network comedy brothers and sisters
23:39over there are killing it.
23:41I just re-watched from the first
23:43season again and I just think they're doing such a good job.
23:45I'm currently
23:47watching The Gilda Days.
23:49It's really fun.
23:51Look at all the dramas.
23:53He loves drama.
23:55I don't watch a lot of comedies.
23:57I watch
23:59all of Hacks in one day.
24:01I don't
24:03want to wait for it. I want to wait until it's all done
24:05and then watch it all together.
24:07Right now I'm going through my list of things
24:09that I didn't get to watch when they came out
24:11but now I want to watch them.
24:13I'm halfway through Poker Face.
24:15I love
24:17Poker Face. I'm literally three
24:19episodes in and I'm like, oh she's doing Columbo.
24:21Yes, I love it.
24:23Love it.
24:25You?
24:27What am I watching?
24:29I'm watching Ripley.
24:31Oh!
24:33Yes, I just started the latest season
24:35of Hacks. I think Jean Smart
24:37is one of the best
24:39we've got.
24:41I love her so much.
24:43A nice lady too.
24:45She sent me an email
24:47once about Abbott and it was like,
24:49Abbott is very good. This is a good show.
24:51Jean. I was like, alright.
24:53She's very sweet.
24:55She's so good in Hacks.
24:57I can't wait to lose to her.
24:59This show is so great.
25:01I'm serious. She's so good.
25:03I love when you get little messages
25:05from people that you really admire.
25:07I love Shrinking.
25:09I also loved all of Bill Lawrence's other shows.
25:11Of course you're friends with Brett.
25:13He's wonderful.
25:15One time on Twitter when I was still on it,
25:17Bill Lawrence wrote,
25:19you are very good on your television program.
25:21That's a very Bill message.
25:23That's a very Bill message.
25:25I was like, oh!
25:27He thought I was good
25:29on my television program.
25:31It's fun to catch up with people
25:33we've seen at these events but maybe haven't seen their shows.
25:35Hacks, I didn't get to see the most recent season
25:37until very recently.
25:39I'm seeing Hannah everywhere.
25:41It's really nice to be able to catch up on those things.
25:47You