Quinta Brunson is speaking candidly about the “tough” criticism she’s faced from Black women regarding her Abbott Elementary character, Janine Teagues.
The Emmy-winning actress and comedian joined Amy Poehler on the Good Hang podcast, where she opened up about the challenges of receiving critiques about her hit show, particularly regarding her character and how deeply Black women relate to her.
“I’ll be real with you. She’s a Black character. Black audiences have so few representative characters on screen, and Black womanhood alone is so touchy,” Brunson said. “So when a lot of women were seeing Janine not present as they wanted her to, that became tough — and I understand it.”
She continued, “But I think it’s important for us to have characters who are more realistic than they are the absolute best representation of us. I think it creates layers for us, not only on TV but in the public eye.”
Over its four-season run, Abbott Elementary has earned high ratings and racked up major accolades, including wins at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2023, Quinta Brunson took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series.
The series follows a diverse group of teachers navigating life at a public school in Philadelphia. Brunson stars as Ms. Teagues, leading a standout cast that includes Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard, and Janelle James as Principal Ava Coleman. While the show has been widely praised for its relatable storytelling and heartfelt portrayal of public school teachers, Brunson admits she “wasn’t really thinking about representation” when creating Janine’s character — but acknowledges that, in the end, “she became representation” all the same.
“The interesting struggle about playing comedic characters is [that] you want them to be flawed and have stuff to learn,” Poehler said, noting how difficult it gets “the minute people — either yourself or other people — start to get in your head about what they should be representing.”
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