Abbott Elementary's Quinta Brunson Has Her Sights Set On A Mindy Kaling Collab
"Abbott Elementary" star and creator Quinta Brunson is having quite the moment. The ABC sitcom, currently in its second season, has maintained solid ratings in its primetime Wednesday slot (via Variety). It also recently took home three Emmys, including casting, writing (awarded to Brunson), and supporting actress for Sheryl Lee Ralph's role as Barbara Howard (via IMDb).
"Abbott Elementary" has been a major success story for network sitcoms. Centering on an underfunded and largely Black elementary school in Philadelphia, the show follows Brunson's Janine Teagues and the other eccentric teachers and staff as they navigate the pitfalls of working in a school where most teachers don't last two years. In a similar mockumentary style to "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation," "Abbott Elementary"'s comedy is warm-hearted while also highlighting real issues in America's public education system. At Brunson's request, part of the marketing budget for the show was even given to public schools to fund teachers' supplies (via Buzzfeed).
Now with Hollywood knocking at her door, Brunson's opportunities are wide open. Named The Hollywood Reporter's Comedy Star of the Year, Brunson mentioned that she's been most excited to highlight underrated talent and to work more with her peers and colleagues on the show. But there was one household name she said she would love to work with.
Quinta Brunson would love to work with Mindy Kaling
When asked about any stars she would love to work with, Quinta Brunson told The Hollywood Reporter that she would be thrilled to work with Mindy Kaling. Kaling notably starred in, wrote, directed, and executive produced on "The Office," before creating and starring in "The Mindy Project," and now has created and is producing a whole slew of streaming shows, such as HBO Max's "The Sex Lives of College Girls" (via IMDb).
"She has a little renaissance happening. I don't think what she's doing is easy to pull off, and I feel like people are sleeping on her. I get it, she's Mindy Kaling, so they're not really. But if she were a man, people would never stop talking about her," Brunson told The Hollywood Reporter. "What she's doing is really hard to pull off. 'Never Have I Ever' has a K-pop-level standom around it, and 'Sex Lives of College Girls' is just a really good f****** show that people can't wait to come back," she added.
In thinking about her career in the long term, Brunson mentioned her admiration for what Jordan Peele has pulled off as a film director. "I really admire Jordan Peele's career, just for making the leap to a whole other genre and killing that s***. I don't know if I'd necessarily want to do it, but it's inspiring that he did. I love people who inspire me to feel that if I ever want to change my mind, I can," she said.