November 16, 2022
Quinta Brunson has seen meteoric success this year as the creator and star of "Abbott Elementary" and that path has led her to a conversation with one of the most iconic interviewers of all time.
Brunson recently sat down with Oprah Winfrey to discuss her rise to fame and the genesis of her award-winning TV. The interview will air Saturday, Nov. 26 at 9 p.m. on OWN and will be available to stream the next day on HBO Max and Discovery+.
During the interview, held in Oprah's garden, Brunson opened up about her childhood, mentors, pivotal career moments and failures, according to Oprah Daily. Brunson, a Philadelphia native who got her start on social media and Buzzfeed, cited Oprah as someone who showed her that she could pursue a television career.
The interview also touched on another unique connection between the two celebrities – Brunson played Oprah in Roku's "WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story," a parody biopic starring Daniel Radcliffe as the comedy singer.
First look at Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey alongside Daniel Radcliffe as Al Yankovic in upcoming biopic ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.’ pic.twitter.com/Qb1Vhb6uim
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 19, 2022
Brunson also told Oprah about the her inspirations for "Abbott Elementary," and shared her thoughts on why the show has received so many positive reviews from viewers and critics.
The sitcom follows the lives of teachers and staffers at a fictional Philadelphia public school. Its first season received seven Emmy nominations and two wins. Brunson won the award for outstanding writing for a comedy series; Sheryl Lee Ralph, who plays teacher Barbara Howard, won the best supporting comedy actress award.
Eight episodes into the 22-episode second season, "Abbott Elementary" is gathering more accolades. The Season 2 premiere has become ABC's highest-rated comedy telecast in three years, earning viewership numbers not seen by the network since "Modern Family."
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