‘Abbott Elementary’: Quinta Brunson Recalled Hilarious Sassy Comments from Young Cast Members

ABC‘s Abbott Elementary cast includes hilarious teachers, but their younger co-stars steal the spotlight just as much. Janine Teagues actor and series creator Quinta Brunson recalled some hilarious moments with the kids of Abbott Elementary on and off set. And some of them talked to her with a bit of sass in their tone.

‘Abbott Elementary’ creator Quinta Brunson explained how the young actors view the set

While some fans worried that the ABC network canceled Abbott Elementary when it went on a brief hiatus, Quinta Brunson tweeted a video of the young actors telling her goodbye. However, the clip strangely drew theories about the child actors not being paid.

“It was very confusing. I’m not sure how they jumped there, to ‘we don’t pay them,’” Brunson said on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. “I just felt like ‘can we take a few steps before we get to labor issues?’ I was like, ‘No, no, no, no, we would never not pay the kids,’ like, why would you jump there?”

Brunson wanted to set the record straight, and she explained some behind-the-scenes aspects of Abbott Elementary episodes.

“People were very confused by it, but the way our set operates, with the mockumentary-style camerawork, the kids aren’t viewing it as a typical TV set,” she said. “They know that some people are moving around with cameras, but they can’t bank on where those cameras will be.”

‘Abbott Elementary’ creator Quinta Brunson remembered some sassy kids ‘discovering’ her ‘real name’

While younger Abbott Elementary cast members know they are in an ABC show, it blends normal school life with acting.

“Our classrooms look so real because they also have school there,” Brunson said. “Because [of] studio TV, they have to have school, so they don’t know me as Quinta Brunson, girl from the Internet and TV, they just know Ms. Teagues.”

It turned into a sort of grand secret to the kids that Janine Teagues is actually someone very different in real life. Brunson hilariously recalled interactions where a kid would come up to her saying, “‘So … ah-ha, and your name is ‘Quinta.’ My mommy told me.’”

“I’m like, okay, you’re not figuring out anything groundbreaking, but alright!” she laughed.

The Janine Teagues actor has a unique relationship with the young ABC actors 

Quinta Brunson recalled when she had to stay in her Abbot Elementary character while addressing the kids. It creates a unique dynamic between them.

“They would raise their hand and be like, ‘Ms. Teagues, he hit me!’ ‘Ms. Teagues, I have to go to the bathroom!’ And I would have to play the part so we could get through the scene. And they know they’re acting, [but] by the end, some of them kind of started to figure [it] out. They’re like, ‘uh, this is a set.’”

While Brunson might have something of a secret superhero identity on set, she loves working with the kids.

Fans can watch new episodes of Abbott Elementary on March 29, 2022