Back to School with Quinta Brunson (‘Abbott Elementary’)

10/09/22 • 54 min

2 Listeners

Today we’re joined by “Abbott Elementary” creator and star, Quinta Brunson! On the heels of its two historic wins at this year’s Emmys, we discuss the guiding principles behind its second season (6:02), its incomparable cast (9:41), and the show's personal connection to Quinta’s upbringing in West Philadelphia (14:49). Then, we unpack her earliest comedic influences (19:21), performing in improv in college (26:31), and the solace she found in Second City Chicago (29:09).

On the back-half, Quinta reflects on moving to Los Angeles at twenty-three (33:27), the feelings of alienation that followed (35:02), and the Comedy Store performance that irrevocably altered her course (36:55) and brought her to Abbott Elementary (46:56). To close, she shares her hopes for the years to come (51:00).

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Previous Episode

From A Slight Change of Plans: Theranos Whistleblower Erika Cheung

Today, we wanted to share a special episode from A Slight Change of Plans, another podcast from Pushkin. The show is hosted by Dr. Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist who is an expert on human behavior. It’s all about understanding who we are, and who we become, in the face of a big change. In the episode you’re about to hear, Maya sits down with Erika Cheung.

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You can hear more from A Slight Change of Plans wherever you get your podcasts.

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How Congresswoman Cori Bush Reimagines Politics

Today we’re joined by Congresswoman Cori Bush! Back in 2020, Bush made history as the first Black woman elected to represent Missouri’s First Congressional District.

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Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso - Back to School with Quinta Brunson (‘Abbott Elementary’)

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:15.156

Pushkin. This is Talk Easy. I'm Samfergoso. Welcome to the show today. I'm joined by actor, comedian writer Quinta Brunson. If you peruse the internet from twenty fourteen to twenty seventeen, you likely saw Brunson performing in comedy videos for BuzzFeed. She then went on to co create and star in series like quinta Verse Everything, A Black Lady Sketch Show, and most recently, the hit ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary. The show recently made Brunson