TMC
12-06-2022, 10:26 PM
https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/quinta-brunson-the-32-year-old-explains-what-it-takes-to-succeed-in-television-and-why-her-team-calls-her-the-best-boss-ever.5101563/
https://www.lipstickalley.com/data/attachments/4260/4260782-54f7bfbda7ac8f94f6bbf7274ab002af.jpg
The hustle never stops for the multi-multi-multi-hyphenate behind Abbott Elementary. For Cosmo’s final issue of the year, we asked the 32-year-old to explain what it takes to succeed in television, why her team calls her the best boss ever, and how she plans to spend her much-deserved winter hiatus.
as she the one that yelled about the fight?” Quinta asks, racking her brain. “I can’t remember.” I’ve just told her that my adorable neighbor Zion played a student in the debut episode of Abbott Elementary, and Quinta is committed to pulling Zion’s last name from the recesses of her mind.
Not that I’d expect her to remember it—after all, this is a woman who oversees hundreds of cast and crew members on any given day, whose hit show is currently three Emmy wins and two record-breaking seasons into its run, and who has the massive responsibility of keeping our country laughing through whatever fresh hell the world brings next. Honestly, it’s a minor miracle she’s managed to squeeze me in today at all, even if she’s already multitasking: At this moment, she’s getting ready to head to set, a plush towel swaddling her freshly (finally!) washed natural hair, when...boom. “Broadnax!” Quinta laughs. “Zion Broadnax. I know my kids!”
Unlike folks who might’ve mistakenly equated the meteoric rise of a fresh Black face with overnight success, I first peeped Quinta’s unstoppable grind way back in 2014, when my friends and I obsessed over her video series The Girl Who’s Never Been on a Nice Date, aka “He got money!” And then again in her iconic BuzzFeed Video era. It was that specific moment in internet history when the rapidly growing media company’s video series were truly inescapable, and her unique brand of humor was right at their core.
My first thought was The Social Network because of the crazy highs and the unexpected lows. Then I was like, Okay, maybe more like Get Out. And that’s self-explanatory.
Man, it’s interesting. My experience was more fun than most people’s, for multiple reasons. When other people tell me about their experiences, I’m like, “****, that sucks. I’m sorry.” And I acknowledge that their experiences were real.
I don’t fault myself. My role was to create comedy videos. But there were times when I wished I was more of an asset to the Black employees who were going through things. I just was so removed from it all that it was shocking to hear later. I remember messaging an old employee, “Hey, I’m sorry. Back then, I was in my own world.” They were like, “There was nothing you could’ve done.” I was like, “True, but….” It felt weird to feel that oblivious. I never wanna have that feeling again.
I feel that. I mean, it was quite a time.
It was. I want someone to write the book on it, but it won’t be me. I could be a source though.
Well, back then, you were a team player, and now, on Abbott, you’re the captain. How would your team describe you as a boss?
I wanna make sure that everyone is taken care of, that we’re not working everyone to death. It’s tiring work. Everyone’s waking up really early, the cast, the entire production crew. We’re very fortunate to have pretty good hours because mockumentaries just shoot faster. But still, I like to check in. I just wanna make sure people feel supported, taken care of, heard. I wanna have an open relationship with the cast, and that requires communication and patience. It’s not easy. My writing and production staff often tell me how I’m a very good boss and one of the best ones they’ve had. But I still...I don’t know.
I come from a production assistant background. That was my first role on a set before even being an actor, that and writing. I think with Abbott, there’s a possibility that we’re in this for the long haul. I try very hard to treat all the members of my staff—about 200 to 300 people—equally, and we try to put that ethos into the production, treating everyone with care and respect. Stuff like that trickles down, even to the kids and adult background actors.
Speaking of the kids, your set seems like such a positive, safe environment for children. These days, more and more former child stars are speaking out about their traumatic experiences in the industry. How do y’all go about avoiding this?
We maintain a really healthy set. Our kids are not overworked. They’re always filming in the same classrooms with the same people, so they get to have friends and just be kids. It helps that they aren’t the focus of our storytelling. When I first started making this show last year, I said I really wanted the children to almost be, like, the paper in Dunder Mifflin.
Like, that’s the job, you know, that they’re there to do. And hiring people who knew how to work with and talk to children and who liked them was very important.
You seem big on setting intentions, which doesn’t really surprise me. Word is you told your costar Sheryl Lee Ralph’s son that you were gonna get her an Emmy. You did that! Got any more manifestations up your sleeve?
I did say that, and I meant it. But it was more like, I’m gonna give her material that will be Emmy-worthy, and I feel that way about my whole cast. I’m gonna continue to give them compelling material that makes people see their skills and see what I see in them. I want them to have the world at their fingertips. My writers too. That requires continuing to make a really good show. So that’s where my focus is.
And it shows! But have you actually taken the time to celebrate and sit with your wins too?
I’m just not sure that certain things have been processing the way they should. I’m finding my ways to celebrate, but it’s been a consistent grind. My focus is to make more Abbott and make it well. So while I’m grateful and appreciative for the wins, I just feel like I’m going through the motions.
When Abbott’s first season wrapped, we went into promotion for that season. Then the show was airing and we were promoting it, and then we went right back into making the show again. But we have a winter hiatus and I’m looking forward to actually, like, going away and being able to sit in silence. Silence and sitting seem to be in short supply for me.
I was recently telling someone older and way more successful than me that this period feels a little bit like a blur. But the person said that watching my wins has allowed her to remember her own wins and have this celebration she never gave herself. I was like, “Wow, that’s powerful.” I look forward to the day when I can look back and remember, Ah, yeah. That was cool.
https://www.lipstickalley.com/data/attachments/4260/4260782-54f7bfbda7ac8f94f6bbf7274ab002af.jpg
The hustle never stops for the multi-multi-multi-hyphenate behind Abbott Elementary. For Cosmo’s final issue of the year, we asked the 32-year-old to explain what it takes to succeed in television, why her team calls her the best boss ever, and how she plans to spend her much-deserved winter hiatus.
as she the one that yelled about the fight?” Quinta asks, racking her brain. “I can’t remember.” I’ve just told her that my adorable neighbor Zion played a student in the debut episode of Abbott Elementary, and Quinta is committed to pulling Zion’s last name from the recesses of her mind.
Not that I’d expect her to remember it—after all, this is a woman who oversees hundreds of cast and crew members on any given day, whose hit show is currently three Emmy wins and two record-breaking seasons into its run, and who has the massive responsibility of keeping our country laughing through whatever fresh hell the world brings next. Honestly, it’s a minor miracle she’s managed to squeeze me in today at all, even if she’s already multitasking: At this moment, she’s getting ready to head to set, a plush towel swaddling her freshly (finally!) washed natural hair, when...boom. “Broadnax!” Quinta laughs. “Zion Broadnax. I know my kids!”
Unlike folks who might’ve mistakenly equated the meteoric rise of a fresh Black face with overnight success, I first peeped Quinta’s unstoppable grind way back in 2014, when my friends and I obsessed over her video series The Girl Who’s Never Been on a Nice Date, aka “He got money!” And then again in her iconic BuzzFeed Video era. It was that specific moment in internet history when the rapidly growing media company’s video series were truly inescapable, and her unique brand of humor was right at their core.
My first thought was The Social Network because of the crazy highs and the unexpected lows. Then I was like, Okay, maybe more like Get Out. And that’s self-explanatory.
Man, it’s interesting. My experience was more fun than most people’s, for multiple reasons. When other people tell me about their experiences, I’m like, “****, that sucks. I’m sorry.” And I acknowledge that their experiences were real.
I don’t fault myself. My role was to create comedy videos. But there were times when I wished I was more of an asset to the Black employees who were going through things. I just was so removed from it all that it was shocking to hear later. I remember messaging an old employee, “Hey, I’m sorry. Back then, I was in my own world.” They were like, “There was nothing you could’ve done.” I was like, “True, but….” It felt weird to feel that oblivious. I never wanna have that feeling again.
I feel that. I mean, it was quite a time.
It was. I want someone to write the book on it, but it won’t be me. I could be a source though.
Well, back then, you were a team player, and now, on Abbott, you’re the captain. How would your team describe you as a boss?
I wanna make sure that everyone is taken care of, that we’re not working everyone to death. It’s tiring work. Everyone’s waking up really early, the cast, the entire production crew. We’re very fortunate to have pretty good hours because mockumentaries just shoot faster. But still, I like to check in. I just wanna make sure people feel supported, taken care of, heard. I wanna have an open relationship with the cast, and that requires communication and patience. It’s not easy. My writing and production staff often tell me how I’m a very good boss and one of the best ones they’ve had. But I still...I don’t know.
I come from a production assistant background. That was my first role on a set before even being an actor, that and writing. I think with Abbott, there’s a possibility that we’re in this for the long haul. I try very hard to treat all the members of my staff—about 200 to 300 people—equally, and we try to put that ethos into the production, treating everyone with care and respect. Stuff like that trickles down, even to the kids and adult background actors.
Speaking of the kids, your set seems like such a positive, safe environment for children. These days, more and more former child stars are speaking out about their traumatic experiences in the industry. How do y’all go about avoiding this?
We maintain a really healthy set. Our kids are not overworked. They’re always filming in the same classrooms with the same people, so they get to have friends and just be kids. It helps that they aren’t the focus of our storytelling. When I first started making this show last year, I said I really wanted the children to almost be, like, the paper in Dunder Mifflin.
Like, that’s the job, you know, that they’re there to do. And hiring people who knew how to work with and talk to children and who liked them was very important.
You seem big on setting intentions, which doesn’t really surprise me. Word is you told your costar Sheryl Lee Ralph’s son that you were gonna get her an Emmy. You did that! Got any more manifestations up your sleeve?
I did say that, and I meant it. But it was more like, I’m gonna give her material that will be Emmy-worthy, and I feel that way about my whole cast. I’m gonna continue to give them compelling material that makes people see their skills and see what I see in them. I want them to have the world at their fingertips. My writers too. That requires continuing to make a really good show. So that’s where my focus is.
And it shows! But have you actually taken the time to celebrate and sit with your wins too?
I’m just not sure that certain things have been processing the way they should. I’m finding my ways to celebrate, but it’s been a consistent grind. My focus is to make more Abbott and make it well. So while I’m grateful and appreciative for the wins, I just feel like I’m going through the motions.
When Abbott’s first season wrapped, we went into promotion for that season. Then the show was airing and we were promoting it, and then we went right back into making the show again. But we have a winter hiatus and I’m looking forward to actually, like, going away and being able to sit in silence. Silence and sitting seem to be in short supply for me.
I was recently telling someone older and way more successful than me that this period feels a little bit like a blur. But the person said that watching my wins has allowed her to remember her own wins and have this celebration she never gave herself. I was like, “Wow, that’s powerful.” I look forward to the day when I can look back and remember, Ah, yeah. That was cool.