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