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Yeah.
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I haven't had milk since I was like a baby. This is crazy right now.
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Hey, what's going on everybody?
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From First We Feast, I'm Sean Evans and you're watching Hot Ones.
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It's the show with hot questions and even hotter wings.
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And today we're joined by Quinta Brunson.
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She's an actor, comedian, and writer fresh off of her big night at the Emmys where she won best lead actress in a comedy series for her performance in the hit sitcom she also created, Abbott Elementary, which returns for season 3 Wednesday nights at 9:00 p. m. Eastern on ABC.
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Quinta Brunson, welcome to the show.
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Hi Sean, thank you for having me.
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And it's a monumental event because I remember a few years ago pitching you before the hype train had fully left the station.
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And I remember the note we got back being something to the effect of she's never doing the show, she's afraid of the wings. Yes.
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I've never even watched the show.
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I'm so scared of the show. Oh, well, you know what?
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Now's the time to live it and it's too late to turn back now. You are stuck here. Are you ready to start?
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I shouldn't have worn the leather. I'm like sweating. Okay, here we go. I'm so scared.
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There's nothing to be scared of. Okay. You got this. This is good. Mhm. It's so good.
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So, this is a pressing Abbott Elementary question from our editor Colin.
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Is there any sort of backstory to the anti-drug rap performed by Zach Fox's character in season 1?
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A lot of people auditioned for the role of Tariq and my writers room was like, "Quinta, just call Zach.
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You're wasting your time."
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Um and Zach was perfect for it.
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And once we realized we had Zack's abilities, that's when we knew we could actually have a performance.
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And Tariq was such a funny character.
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We were just like, "How can we see him more?"
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And um that's kind of the backstory of how FADE came about.
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We just wanted to see more Tariq.
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Do you kind of let Zack Fox do Zack Fox things, or do writers' rooms churn out bars like that? They do.
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I Thank you for asking that.
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This is a nice show until it's not.
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But um no, Zack um I want people to be clear that Zack is a fantastic actor.
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He is already a fantastic rapper, writer, performer, but he really just comes in and acts.
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He performs the the lyrics that are written for him by our wonderful staff.
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But Zack just comes in and executes. He's He's a great actor.
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I just think more people should know cuz the people will be like, "Oh my god, he's just playing himself." No, he's not.
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He is coming in and he's acting and he's really great. I'm shaking. Smokey Joe.
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So, imagine a large percentage of people watching this interview probably hold the belief that their work life is hilarious and ripe for comedy.
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Do you think that there are certain fundamentals that are essential to determining whether or not a specific job can carry a TV sitcom? I do.
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I think a comedy has to have an engine.
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And I think that workplace comedies, you need to be able to count on having an environment where there is a situation that would naturally arise every episode.
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Both I and Larry and Bloom have been trying to crack a TSA comedy for the longest time. So, it all depends.
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And sometimes it just takes the right person for the job.
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So, could it be a comedy?
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Maybe, but are you the person to provide the engine to the comedy?
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That's what's really important.
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Is there a piece of feedback that you've gotten from a real-life teacher that you hold most valuable or treasured?
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There was a man that stopped me while I was walking down the street.
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It was a mailman and he ran out of his car, his mail car, what do you call it? Mail truck.
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Hops out, he's like, "Hey."
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He didn't say anything else.
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He went, "Hey, you know what you need on that show? A postman." And he disappeared.
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He didn't say good morning.
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He didn't say, "Hey Quinta."
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And he disappeared and I gave you a note.
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He gave me a note and I took that to heart.
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I was like, "I might put a postman on the show."
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I'm not saying that to have to get my notes.
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Please don't yell them at me on the street, but he was so passionate and I just felt like, man, that might be my most important viewer.
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I want to do everything for him now. I hope he watches this.
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I'm going to pace ourselves with this one.
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Little toe in the deep end. Figured out.
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But I think two and three are the two best sauces in this lineup.
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Yeah, that was really, really good. Mhm.
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Uh-oh, this one's got a little Something going on. Right.
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So I have a theory that 20 to 25 minutes is the ideal watch time for a show because it invites a blanket, it invites a snack, it invites the couch, but it's not so much that it invites any sort of real commitment.
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As a sitcom traditionalist, what do you see as the strength and beauty of a 30-minute time slot?
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Oh, because I'm not asking you to stay too You don't have to take your shoes off. But come on in.
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Have a chat with your old friend.
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Just come in and sit, but you don't have to stay too long and I think that's the beauty of short television or 22-minute, 30-minute, however you look at it.
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And it doesn't take up your emotional energy.
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I think that's important, too.
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Some of my favorite shows emotionally drain me, but my favorite comedies don't do that.
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I just had a ball with Nick and Jess and Schmidt.
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I had a good time, you know?
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With the crew from Martin and we just had fun and we went on our little adventure and I'm going to sleep, you know. The Spanish scares me.
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You can see the spice flakes on this one. I don't like that.
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Don't psych yourself out, you know. Okay. Just eat it. Just eat it. it. Exactly.
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And now that's another wing done.
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Do you have a suggestion like do you take it to the back of the tongue or do you take it on the top of the tongue? Oh, you know what?
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I think so little about this that I probably hit everything.
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still have a tongue It's scorched earth, yeah.
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When I make my show Cold Ones, I'm going to invite you on and ask you questions um where we eat ice cream.
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And it's going to be really fun and we're going to ask you about what got you into this. Maybe maybe we do that.
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I look forward to the spin-off. This wasn't that bad.
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I None of them too bad for you. this so far. There we go. Literally. Figuratively, okay. Get cocky.
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Your approach to studying improv at Chicago's famous Second City theater, that's almost like charmingly old school in its approach.
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Why was it important for you to seek that kind of stage experience?
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I feel like an approach to the arts is having humility, that there's always something to learn about the arts and I think a really defining moment for me was Keenen Ivory Wayans, just finding out how much he studied comedy.
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Clearly he was a natural.
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But I was like if he studied then, you know, I definitely have to study too and yeah, it's been nothing but helpful.
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So I consider like going to Second City that was studying the craft and learning how to do different parts of it. I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of you. Thank you. Shut shut shut up.
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I'm putting it on the back of the tongue. Uh-oh, this one. Right.
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You recognized immediately. Uh-oh.
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Before I've been seeing some contemplative looks.
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And then coming around to it, this one We're in the game now.
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Yeah, we are in the game. Oh, no. Oh, no. But you're doing great. It's okay.
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Like you said, it's about You said a bunch of really great mumbo jumbo earlier about diversity.
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my That's my wheelhouse right there.
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So, as a sketch comedy obsessive, hosting SNL seemed like a huge moment for you last year. It was.
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Can you break down the process and mechanics of writing an opening monologue? Man.
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Um SNL is like my mouth is hot.
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Yeah, that's the That's the show, yeah.
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The show you're on, Quinta. Yes.
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It is um just a crazy experience to go through. It's weird.
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It's one of those things where it's no way to actually make people understand what an intense uh experience it is.
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You're rewriting that monologue, I think, from Wednesday until Saturday night.
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And you're testing it out.
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You do a dress rehearsal.
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You test out what you have at that dress rehearsal.
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Maybe something doesn't work. It gets cut on the spot.
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It's the only show I've ever you know, uh because it's the only show that's live in that way, that they're live editing as the show is going.
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Which is another thing that I think people just don't know, that you know, the sketch Script change. Here you go. Right here. Literally. Action. And cue card change.
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The fact that they're writing the cue cards just at the same time that they're filming is just wild to me.
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So, the monologue process was just another one of the crazy parts of SNL that is constantly changing while you're while you're getting ready for Saturday.
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Oh, you know, I took too big a bite. Hold on. adventurous. There we go.
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Put it to the back of your mouth. it. I love it. But that's six down. Oh, no.
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This one's coming right now. Coming for me.
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Do you have any sort of spidey sense about where the next generation of great TV show runners will come from? Woah.
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Next TV show runners, that's a good question.
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I could tell you that I think that some of them will come from TikTok, whatever thing happens next.
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But I know what I look for when I'm watching, you know, videos online and I see talented people.
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I think there's like talent and then I see the people who are able to create worlds and to deliver things on a schedule and once again, it requires education.
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I know even when I started and I knew that I wanted to be a creative show runner, I got some books, I did some reading, I saw how it was done in the past, I saw how things were changing and you just have to educate yourself.
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For some reason, sometimes people think they don't have to educate themselves about entertainment and Yeah. that is sad to me.
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Did I do better than other people? So far, so good. Okay. Stop smelling it. I know.
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I think it prepares me in a way to Okay. Is that okay?
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That's what prepares you. Ready, set, let's jump. No, no. Immediately. I know. Uh-oh. Milk time. Yeah.
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I haven't milked since I was a baby. This is crazy right now. Okay.
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How does something as subtle as evolving Janine's wardrobe, you know, how does that serve a character and arc?
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Oh my god, it's everything.
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You know, when the show first started, a lot of people were like, "Oh my god, like the budget is so bad.
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Janine's hair looks so bad."
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It's like, "It looks bad on purpose."
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She's a girl who doesn't quite know what to do with her hair and wardrobe yet, but she's proud of herself regardless, and that's what I wanted people to take away.
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Uh you know, with that kind of character.
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Everybody's not you know, perfect or knows how to do it all.
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Janine's a character now who has started to watch some YouTube videos.
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And she was like, "That's how I maintain my curls."
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And then she went, "Maybe not that shirt with that skirt." That's fun.
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It's a way for us to show her brain on the outside of her head, and it's important to really have those things for all characters, but especially like a young black girl character as well.
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Ava Quint delivered beautifully.
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I feel like the adrenaline was over, right?
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After that first bite, you know, you kind of get you kind of take a take a little shock, you know? Right.
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But then, you settle your feet. Yeah. And you lock in.
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The second one's kicking a little bit. I'm not going to lie.
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Or the last one we had, that one's still still taking up residence.
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This one is going to move into the house and start squatting on the loft.
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So, this one is the bomb beyond insanity.
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Just put it we we want to want to eat it. Okay. That's too big a bite. Oh my god, it's hot. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh my god, it's hot. Oh god. Yeah, that's too big. That's too big. That's too big. Oh! Oh my god. I know.
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Oh my god, it's still fighting.
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But you have kind of an understated reaction to it.
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This one does grow a little bit. Yeah.
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Probably a new experience for someone who does not enjoy spicy food.
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It's all right cuz this one's got a nice long wind up. This is not even fun.
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I don't know why people like that. I get it. I understand completely. I get it.
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But you have good composure. Yeah.
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You've got like lock it in kind of energy.
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You don't do this job unless you have composure. That's exactly right.
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So I know that you have a great appreciation for sitcoms from the classics to the TGIF golden era that we grew up on to Yeah.
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documentary style shows that paved the way.
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So if you'll humor me, I want to do a quick thought exercise while your brain flash fries in hot sauce where I'll throw out an iconic sitcom and you just give me sort of your unfiltered take, all right? Okay. The Jeffersons. Fantastic. Good good show. Fun.
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Best spin-off ever to spin-off. No.
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But it's a good spin-off.
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King of Queens is actually the best spin-off. Boy Meets World. Boy Meets World. Great. In Philadelphia. Mr. Feeny, a legend. Um an interesting cast.
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One of the first interracial couples on our on our on our TV screens that we just allowed in every day. Um good. Topanga. That's fun. My name. That's my name. Parks and Rec. Oh. Genius. Cartoony.
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Difference between The Office and Parks and Rec was there was a bit more of a cartoony feel to that and um one of my main producers and director directors, Randall Einhorn, he helped set the style for both and you know, The Office is a little bit more drab recession office, but Parks and Rec was a bit more light and fun.
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You know, this optimistic lead of Leslie Knope. Martin. The past. I just love Martin. I just love Martin.
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I've been re-watching recently.
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Thank you BET for showing Martin non-stop.
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I just [ __ ] love Martin. It's just my show.
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I don't even know what I have to say about it.
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Good group of friends getting through. Curb Your Enthusiasm. The best. So sad it's ending. This is the worst. the best. Oh, I love them all. I love them all.
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I'm so sad Curb is ending.
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I know I knew it had to end someday, but I'm so sad. I really I'm really sad.
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I don't know what I'm going to do without that show.
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I think my nose is running. Is it? It's not that bad. No. You look great. Thanks. All right.
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Are you ready to move on to sauce number nine? Yeah. Let's do it. Let's do it.
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Now I'm determined to get through since I'm so close.
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I knew that this I knew it would come full circle. I knew it would.
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I'm so choking on my food.
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I like how you examine I'm trying to find the spot that is That was way to the back.
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Developing a technique over here.
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I might steal that from you.
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You got to take it like a shot.
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It's coming back to fight. I threw it to the back.
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It's like venom in my mouth. Like how it takes over.
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And we're so close to the finish here.
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We're so close to the finish.
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So, Abdallah Mighty is shot at Stage 16, the tallest sound stage in North America.
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Do you have a favorite piece of history or lore about that old haunt?
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I understand that a lot of classic films were shot there. was shot there. Yeah.
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I love that movie and I love um other movies. I love The Goonies.
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One of my favorite movies.
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Um And below us is a pool.
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The bottom of the stage is a pool.
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You know at the end of The Goonies when they shoot the the kids are in the water in the ship. That's underneath of us.
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So, that's a cool fun fact. This is crazy. Can I spit? Go for it. Oh.
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Why are they coming Why It's like they're all coming up out of my throat and into my mouth.
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All the wings have now formed a union.
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You know, it's just it's hard to shove it all into the pillowcase. You know what I mean?
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But the good news is we are at the end. This is the last dab.
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We call it the last dab cuz it's traditional on your to put a little extra on the last one.
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You don't have to if you don't want to. I can do it. Respect. I'll use yours.
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I'm not going to do with all of this.
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I don't think I can move right now.
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And then just be very careful.
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No one said I had to put it on the part I'm going to eat. Yes, that's right.
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We don't have any fine print. Cheers, Quinta. What a run. Cheers. Think. Oh god.
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This is for my nephew and niece.
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Cool aunt points through the roof. Oh god. Won't go down.
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Really working that hyper.
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We don't have people work that camera so much. And scene.
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The wings of death, Quinta, they're behind us. All right.
18:50
And to close things out, we've covered a lot of ground, but even as you collect Emmys and walk Met Gala carpets, I know that you're very much influenced by the meme culture that you're raised in.
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You In your book, you compare memes to hieroglyphics and also write in she memes well.
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Memes would not exist without their ability to morph and carry new meanings as they pass from person to person and neither would I. Yeah.
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If you could pick any four memes to canonize in a time capsule for future generations to study, which four would you choose?
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For future generations to study, that one of the lady and the cat.
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Do you know what I'm talking about?
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Like she's like Put me on game.
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And the cat's like Do you know what I'm talking about? The cat's like Um okay.
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You know what I actually think is a great meme? Which one? The one from this show.
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Did you saw the choking on that? It's so good. It's so good.
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I haven't [ __ ] in a while.
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He has like a nice [ __ ] Oh, [ __ ] Am I bleeding from my nose? Is that blood? No, you're clean. Oh my god. There's my makeup.
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There's one that I just love and it's Shrek's head on a woman's body and he says I'm calling the police.
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I don't know why I just love that one because you could tell somebody like sometimes things don't make sense.
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Sometimes it's just a feeling. Mhm.
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And uh so I love that one.
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You know, this is cuz of recency bias. Mhm.
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But there's one of uh Tokyo Toni who is um Black China.
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Her mom and she goes well, yes.
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And you see how that means nothing, but I like it because people use it to just respond to things and I think it's also cool because not only is it a a moment, a video, it's also a meme, but it's also just words that people have taken and unless you know the origin of that video or meme, you don't get know that, but the well, yes still makes sense, you know?
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You can answer something, well, yes.
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But people don't know where it originates and I think that's the beauty of what I talked about in the book about how memes transform, travel, turn into something new and I think that's a really good example of it.
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Well, I think you've transformed into something new today, Quinta Brunson.
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believe I got through this.
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Taken on the wings of death, living to tell the tale, and now there's nothing left to do but roll out the red carpet for you.
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This camera, this camera, this camera, let the people know what you have going on in your life. What I have going on? Like my show? Yeah. Oh my god.
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Please watch my show, Abbott Elementary.
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It airs on Wednesdays on ABC, which is a network that's on television.
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It streams next day on Hulu. Please watch the show. Please watch the show. Thank you.
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And and and Kania, anyway, I did this for you. I love you. WOO! WOO! I'M SO SORRY. THAT'S DISGUSTING. Thank you. Thank you.
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Oh, what a good And the interview was lovely. Oh, you had a good time.
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Yeah, you asked me questions that no one asked me before, so thank you. Woo.
22:10
CAMERAMAN BILL HERE FOR A SPICY PSA.
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HERE AT HOT ONES, WE LOVE SPORTS.
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BASEBALL, FOOTBALL, GO LONG, BASKETBALL, HECK, and even fancy horseback riding.
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AND WE KNOW YOU SPICE LORDS ARE tuned in, too.
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So, the next time you need a little snack to go with your sports, make sure to make it a Hot Ones Buffalo Bonanza.
22:41
Our Hot Ones Buffalo sauce is made with real butter, cayenne pepper, and even a little bit of celery.
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It's the perfect companion for chicken wings, dips, and all your favorite game day snacks.
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So, don't fumble this one, and order your bottle of Hot Ones Buffalo sauce today. That's heatonist. com, heatonist. com, heatonist.
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com for all your buffalo needs.