Quinta Brunson

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Quinta Brunson" Episode of Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (Sometimes)

Release Date: October 30, 2024

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1. Introduction to Quinta Brunson

Ted Danson welcomes Quinta Brunson to the podcast, expressing his admiration for her work. He describes her as a "creative soulmate" and lauds her multifaceted talents as a writer, actor, and comedian. Ted emphasizes Quinta's pivotal role in creating Abbott Elementary, which is currently in its fourth season.

Notable Quote:

Ted Danson [00:56]: "Quinta Brunson feels like a creative soulmate. I'm elevating myself by saying that she is an amazing writer, actor, comedian. She's pretty much everything."

2. Early Influences and Career Beginnings

Quinta shares her early experiences with television, particularly how watching Cheers with her family inspired her passion for acting. She recounts how her frequent viewings of the show in syndication deepened her appreciation for grounded comedy that arises from genuine human experiences.

Notable Quote:

Quinta Brunson [02:43]: "I learned a lot of my acting from you, from being a child watching Cheers and watching your show with my family."

3. The Philosophy of Comedy

The conversation delves into the essence of comedy as a form of kindness and a communal experience akin to a religious ritual. Quinta elaborates on how comedy fosters genuine connections and serves as a medium to reflect and appreciate human vulnerabilities.

Notable Quotes:

Quinta Brunson [06:43]: "Comedy is, in a way, a kind of religion. It’s about having a shared spiritual experience with other people and connecting."

Ted Danson [06:43]: "Being able to do comedy is, to me, a kind of kindness."

4. Exploring Various Forms of Performance

Quinta discusses her diverse training in performance arts, including clowning, puppeteering, and acrobatics. She explains how experimenting with different forms enhances her storytelling abilities and deepens her understanding of herself as a performer.

Notable Quote:

Quinta Brunson [07:53]: "Clowning and puppeteering help you understand yourself better as a performer."

5. Creating Abbott Elementary

Quinta outlines the inception of Abbott Elementary, highlighting her collaboration with producer friends Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacher. She recounts the show's evolution from a pilot titled Harrody Elementary to its current live-action format, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a 22-minute, family-friendly structure.

Notable Quote:

Quinta Brunson [28:38]: "I knew ABC was the home for it because I had met with ABC two years before and there was this woman there who got me."

6. Casting and Character Development

The podcast delves into the meticulous casting process for Abbott Elementary. Quinta shares her decision to cast Tyler James Williams as Gregory, based on their chemistry from working together on Black Lady Sketch Show. She also discusses casting challenges, particularly in selecting Janelle James for Principal Ava, ensuring authenticity without relying on "stunt casting."

Notable Quote:

Quinta Brunson [34:43]: "We wanted to present a new face to the world. When she auditioned, I was like, that's it."

7. The Importance of an Ensemble Cast

Both hosts emphasize the significance of an ensemble cast in creating a dynamic and believable workplace environment. Quinta highlights how each character's unique relationship with the mockumentary style adds depth and authenticity to the storytelling.

Notable Quote:

Ted Danson [41:25]: "You can go anywhere, which is just the magic of an ensemble."

8. Navigating Fame and Public Image

Quinta reflects on her experiences with fame, contrasting her early internet fame from BuzzFeed with the broader recognition from Abbott Elementary. She discusses the challenges of balancing personal life with public expectations and the importance of letting her work define her public persona.

Notable Quote:

Quinta Brunson [53:38]: "I have this thing to show that connects us all. A piece of art that I've shared that makes you happy."

9. Advocacy and Personal Causes

Ted shares his long-standing commitment to ocean advocacy and climate change, inspired by his experiences post-Cheers. Quinta relates by discussing her own environmental concerns, particularly climate change, and how she integrates these passions into her professional work on Abbott Elementary.

Notable Quotes:

Ted Danson [62:08]: "Climate change can undo literally everything you care about."

Quinta Brunson [60:44]: "I want to keep learning about and really pull my weight in climate change."

10. Reflections on Aging and Creativity

The hosts discuss the passage of time and its impact on their creative processes. Quinta expresses a desire to maintain her childlike enthusiasm and creativity, while Ted reflects on adapting his craft to remain relevant and impactful as he ages.

Notable Quotes:

Quinta Brunson [76:43]: "I need to feel what I need and just constantly remember that I don't have to be a boring suit."

Ted Danson [78:07]: "I realized that comedy coming out of this age feels like what I want to be able to do as long as I can."

11. Personal Stories and Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with a heartwarming live interaction, where Quinta FaceTimes her father during the podcast. This segment underscores the personal bond between the hosts and adds a touching end to their engaging conversation.

Notable Quote:

Quinta Brunson [69:16]: "He's so strong. He's still in very good shape."

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Key Takeaways:

• Authenticity in Comedy: Both hosts emphasize the importance of genuine humor that stems from real human experiences and emotions.

• Collaborative Creativity: The success of Abbott Elementary is attributed to the strong ensemble cast and collaborative storytelling approach.

• Balancing Fame and Purpose: Quinta and Ted discuss the challenges of navigating fame while staying true to their personal and professional advocacies.

• Continuous Growth: Both hosts highlight the need to adapt and evolve creatively to stay relevant in the ever-changing landscape of entertainment.

This episode offers an insightful exploration of Quinta Brunson's journey in the entertainment industry, her creative philosophies, and her collaborative synergy with Ted Danson. Listeners gain a deeper understanding of the making of Abbott Elementary and the personal motivations driving Quinta's work.

Transcript

[Ted Danson]

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[Quinta Brunson]

I just for the first time, this is how I found out you were married to her, by the way. You guys, right? I'm right. This is her.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Welcome back to where everybody knows your name. Today I'm talking to Quinta Brunson. I just finished my conversation with her and this is me doing the intro after the fact. I had the best time talking to her. She feels like a creative soulmate. I'm elevating myself by saying that she is an amazing writer, actor, comedian. She's pretty much everything. It's like she was almost designed to be where she is. Which is the creator of Abbott elementary, which is in season four right now. All right, I can't wait for you to meet her. Here's Quinta Brunson. I'm going to try not to be self deprecating because it's boring and I do it a lot. But I am so excited to talk to you because I just watched like I don't know how many episodes of Abbott Elementary Cause I hadn't watched it when it came out and it's so, so good. It's really my favorite kind of comedy. I love comedy that comes out of human frailty, out of sadness, pain, sorrow, whatever. I love that the comedy comes out of something real. I love that it's about something and I would imagine, and I'd love to talk to you about that, that it's making a difference out in the world as far as people's relationships to teachers or certainly has the potential to do that. So I am just a huge fan.

[Quinta Brunson]

Well, thank you.

[Ted Danson]

And you're a really good actor.

[Quinta Brunson]

Thank you.

[Ted Danson]

I really enjoy watching you. You're really good.

[Quinta Brunson]

Thanks. Ted Danson, I have to say Ted Danson. Because you are Ted Danson and I learned a lot of my acting from you, from being a child watching Cheers and watching your show with my family. And that's true. I'm not just saying that. Yes, that is true of all of the wonderful actors I watched as a kid. Bob Newhart you know, Martin Lawrence. I learned all of that. But Cheers was big in my household. Cheers was big in my household, but it also was very. It was on TV every now and then, I guess. Like, by the time I had gotten older, I'd gone into syndication, and it was something my mom would. She wouldn't turn off. And that's how I started watching Cheers, because it would come on, and she had her little schedule of things she liked to watch. But if Cheers was on, she was not turning the TV off, and she knew the episodes by heart. And this is before you could stream things, so it meant something to really know the plot and everything of an episode. And I remembered watching that show.

[Ted Danson]

Age.

[Quinta Brunson]

My age.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. Then.

[Quinta Brunson]

Then 14. 15, right? Yeah. But it was on when I was younger. I think I was, like, probably like eight when it was airing. But it was the re. Airing of it that started to get me. And when I started looking at different comedies, Friends was funny, but felt like a play. Everyone was very grounded. I remember thinking that Diane was so grounded, almost like she wasn't acting to me when I would look at her, she just seemed like.

[Ted Danson]

I felt the same way being with her sometimes.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah. And I didn't understand until I was older that you were handsome. Like, do you know what I mean?

[Ted Danson]

I'm an acquired taste.

[Quinta Brunson]

No. I knew when I got older, when I got old enough to understand that you were handsome, I was like, annie was handsome, too. But when I was a kid, I was like, these are just good actors acting. And it felt like a play.

[Ted Danson]

I love that.

[Quinta Brunson]

I really did have that realization recently. I was like, holy shit. I get why people were losing it. But anyway, so all of that is kind of all of the. Went into Abbott, like, human grounded performances, human presentation, knowing where the laugh is and the humor is, but building it out of genuine connection with even your castmates. Like, we have very good relationships on our show, so it's fun to actually act off of each other instead of wait for the laugh off of each other. We're constantly able to react, which is nice.

[Ted Danson]

Let me back up just one sec, because then I'd love to spend a lot of time on your show because everything about it, the casting, the stories, the directing, everything about it, I would love to talk about. You said, and I don't mean to put words in your mouth, but something like, I know it sounds whack, but comedy is, in a way, a kind of religion. I don't want to have people go, what religion? I did say that, but I feel the Same way. To me, it's a. If I had a guiding thing that I think is important for Ted to do in life, and that is be kind, that's the one thing I can really say, yes, this is something that I should do. I'm not always, but this is something I will shoot for. And being able to do comedy is, to me, in a way, a kind of kindness. Because if you get people laughing in a real genuine. Not just the joke, but at humanity, then you also are being kind because you're reflecting things that maybe need to be looked at or appreciated. So I totally get what. I think what you meant.

[Quinta Brunson]

You do. Because it is a religious experience to make someone laugh, to laugh with other people. That's one of the things I find to be the most religious. Like. And it makes me think of going to a place to worship, you know, and going to a place to have a shared spiritual experience with other peoples and connect with God in that way, which is what religion is. And a series of practices that help you stay close to God. That's what comedy always felt like. The first time I went into an improv class, I came out feeling, oh, holy. Like I was like, closer to God because it had all the ideologies that I thought were important. Even when you go to the basics, like, yes. And it was like, I do. Yes. That's how I wanna live my life. Not, yes.

[Ted Danson]

And you're right.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Sadly, they call me the comedy, the improvisation killer.

[Quinta Brunson]

Cause I get scared.

[Ted Danson]

No. I'll do it for a while and then it's like being chased upstairs by my sister. I stop and freeze and scream. I so admire people who are really good at that.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, I'm. And I'm not the best improviser, but the practice of trying it and doing it, I think makes me the. Makes me a better person and it helps me to connect. And kindness is very much.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. And is kind of the epitome of it is kindness.

[Quinta Brunson]

It is. And that's kind of my. My mo. I don't think I'm an overly. I think I've learned recently that people are confused. Cause I'm not an overly, like, happy or joy, you know, like the character in the show. But I am calm and like, calm and quiet and kind. And I think that comedy also helps calm me. I feel a certain sense of calmness and, like, laughter and watching a whole room of people laugh, that is like, good night. That is like watching Jesus walk on water. To me. It's like the ultimate thing. Because if you can get A bunch of people from different races, religions, creeds, financial standings to all laugh at the same thing. I just. It's easy to get people to hate the same thing, but not to get people to, like, all laugh at the same thing.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, I agree.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah. So I have, like, a lot of respect for clowns and stuff. People, like, I saw that you said. I did.

[Ted Danson]

You took a clown class.

[Quinta Brunson]

I did take a clown class. And, like, I'm not a clown. Cause that's a. That really is a practice, like an art. But when you go to circus and somebody just does something silly and everyone is laughing, I don't think people get that. Not everybody can do that. And that is intentional and special.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I love that you did it. Even when clowns were like, ugh, hate clowns. Or I'm terrified of clowns, or all of that stuff.

[Quinta Brunson]

Cause when you start, you know, when you start studying comedy, you see all the. How all of it plays into each other. I just, like, had talked about this with, like, Conan, but when you go and, like, start to learn about, like, Buster Keaton and start to learn about Charlie Chaplin and how their, you know, form of comedy overlaps with clownery and you. So I just wanted to, like, get my hands on every part of it so I could figure out, like, God.

[Ted Danson]

Just listening to you and reading about you, your life feels very purposeful, that this was. You didn't meander around. You kind of had your sights on comedy, on storytelling, acting, writing from very, very early on, right?

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes. I think I didn't know it yet very early on, but I think it was always heading that direction. And then around, like, high school, college was when I think I became very intentional about humor and comedy, too, because I think at a certain point, I was trying to figure out, like, do I. You know, like, I don't know if I'm the joke teller, but I love humor. Like, I just like having humor and finding the humor in things and then building from there.

[Ted Danson]

I'm so grateful to be part of this tribe, this lineage of. To whatever degree I am, of funny people.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, me too.

[Ted Danson]

Of comedy. It just makes me so happy.

[Quinta Brunson]

Me, too.

[Ted Danson]

I get around people like Carol Burnett or Dick Van Dyke, and I just.

[Quinta Brunson]

Dick Van. I can't even. That's like seeing him be 98, right?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, I think so.

[Quinta Brunson]

99. 99. And he talked about he just won an Emmy. Right. And he was talking about comedy. And that's what I mean about, like, it's this connecting religion. That's this.90. You know, I Watched his show when I was a little girl, and it really filled me up to watch him talk and be the age that he is. And I don't know Bob Newhart, who recently passed. I immediately revisited his show that I grew up watching. The Bob Newhart show, the one with the B and B. And I remembered how much that show was so formative for me and. Sorry, what was I trying to say? Well, here I am talking to you, and it's the same thing where you believe in this. Like, you. You do this. You probably could have done something else, but you do.

[Ted Danson]

No.

[Quinta Brunson]

Do you think that I wonder that about me sometimes? It's like, in my writer's room, too. I'm like, oh, man. What? I don't know if we'd be able to do anything else, but I don't know. I can't figure it out.

[Ted Danson]

I say that I'd be a butler. I like serving people.

[Quinta Brunson]

Oh, interesting to some degree.

[Ted Danson]

People I know. And, like, I couldn't be a butler to just anybody.

[Quinta Brunson]

But no, I think I could have been a teacher for sure. For sure. But no, this is where we wound up. It was. I was thinking about you, too, and, like, even when you appear in Curb, which is naturally a more crude comedy, but you still even bring your essence to Curb. And you. Which is what's unique about your humor, your offering to the religion of comedy, is that you still bring Ted Danson to this sense of kindness, even when in that show, you're not being kind.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

Like, you know what I mean? Cause I'm so in Ted dancing side. Whenever, you know, you come there and you're dating the ex wife, I'm like, yeah. I mean, well, you know, that pissed.

[Ted Danson]

Me off so much. Have you met. You probably haven't. My wife marries Theenburger.

[Quinta Brunson]

I love her. I didn't know she was your wife until very recently.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, I'm so. I love hearing that.

[Quinta Brunson]

I love her.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, I'm all right. Come to dinner, please.

[Quinta Brunson]

She's so funny. Sorry, Go ahead. Go ahead.

[Ted Danson]

No, no, you go ahead.

[Quinta Brunson]

She's just so funny. Her comedic timing is crazy. So. Of course. It's beautiful. I love that you guys are a beautiful couple.

[Ted Danson]

And do we laugh? Oh, my goodness. So much I'm jumping around. But here's why. I wish Mary were here. Napoleon Dynamite was one of her favorite movies of all time.

[Quinta Brunson]

Me too.

[Ted Danson]

Will Ferrell is one of. I know. Taking this from what I learned about you.

[Quinta Brunson]

Oh, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Will Ferrell, you know, is one of your favorites.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

She played his Mother twice.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yep. Yep.

[Ted Danson]

What else? There was something else. Norman Lear is my hero.

[Quinta Brunson]

My hero, too.

[Ted Danson]

In life.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

But anyway.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I love all of your references that I've heard you say.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

About this lineage of people that are important to you.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah. And you feel. Or I would feel, like, corny about that sometimes because I'd be around, like, my film friends, and they're talking about all the film people or the actor people that are inspiring to them. And not that those people aren't to me as well, but it really is like comedy. Comedy. Comedy that fuels me and people who take comedic risks and the good, the bad. I was just having that conversation, too. I like what people consider bad comedy. I still like it. Cause it makes somebody laugh. Like, people are always really mean about Adam Sandler movies. I'm like, well, he's making half of America laugh with Jack and Jill. So I don't know, he's doing something that makes people happy. And I don't like to be snobby about comedy. Cause it's just not the. Not the world to be snobby in.

[Ted Danson]

No.

[Quinta Brunson]

I don't think we're supposed to be where the snobs aren't.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. And I kind of feel like comedy. I may be saying this because I couldn't go off and do Tom Cruise.

[Quinta Brunson]

Right.

[Ted Danson]

You know, for many reasons, but I couldn't. I don't have that in me. But I always do say that comedy is way harder because drama. You can walk in drunk, divorced, and in a really bad mood. And if you're present in the front of the camera, the camera goes, oh, this is fascinating.

[Quinta Brunson]

This is fascinating.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. And then somebody edits and the story's well told, and you get drama.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yep.

[Ted Danson]

Whereas if you're not funny, you in front of the camera, your comedy. No one's gonna save that comedy. The ball is in your hand. And it's much more of an athletic.

[Quinta Brunson]

Absolutely. Absolutely. And you know what's been fun for me, which I wonder how you feel about this, because you've just been working for so long, is we have what's special about us. And what you know is the thing that people like about us, the thing that people like to laugh at, we don't always know how to market or name it. When I was younger, I thought it was like, you know, my eyes or my voice, but it's just like. No, it's kind of deeper than that. It's an essence about you that people. That brings people joy. But as the times change and references change. Right. Because the references of this year are not the references of five years ago. Well, unless you're talking politics. But I'm just seeing, like, culturally, things are all over the place. So I find myself now pursuing new projects where I. Comedy is about, like, I need to grow with the times. Constantly with comedy does that.

[Ted Danson]

What am I talking about, your style or what you're talking about? What you're focusing on as your writer in this.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah. My understanding of the world, I feel like, has to grow. I understand. I have to understand that a joke with the rhythm. What am I trying to say? The rhythm of 2005 is not the rhythm of 2024.

[Ted Danson]

That's true.

[Quinta Brunson]

And so how do I not lose myself as a comedian and what's special about me, but still jump on board with the rhythm of 2024. And I feel like you do it because I've seen you do it. I've seen you do it on the Good Place. Like, you're not giving us the same performance that you gave us on Cheers and on Curb. You're not giving us the same performance you gave on the Good Place. And I know you have a new show coming out, and I, like, can't wait to see what you. But it's surprising to constantly see people continue to grow. Dick Van Dyke is a perfect example of that. When he started popping up in the what's the name of those movies? Night at the museum, I was like, how is he still like, he's found a new rhythm without losing what's there. And I just find that to be so exciting and something unique to comedy.

[Ted Danson]

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[Quinta Brunson]

I don't think it's change. I think it's just adapting to the new rhythm of the world. And you are an actor. But I've seen you do it because.

[Ted Danson]

Right. Because of the writer. Because of, you know.

[Quinta Brunson]

But you as a performer, though, and I know this for a fact, you could just say, no, I'm still doing multicam timing.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Is that dead, by the way?

[Quinta Brunson]

It's not. But you could just say, I'm still gonna do the multicam timing of 1980s. And that would be. Which people do sometimes.

[Ted Danson]

That's true. And the older you get, you wanna hang onto some sort of revelance. So you pull something from 40 years ago, which is unfortunate. Way to go.

[Quinta Brunson]

Exactly. But you can't do the good place and not have understood that the rhythm is now different. And I know the writers wrote it. Great show, great cast, great ensemble cast. But I see in you someone who has an understanding. New tone, new shape, new comedy. I can use my body as an actor. I can use my body in a different way for the new rhythm. And you don't lose what makes you special. But you.

[Ted Danson]

I love that you say use your body. Cause that to me has always been the. That's what I hate about arthritis. Get out of my way. Damn it. I want to move.

[Quinta Brunson]

I just found out my lead director has arthritis. I never knew. I never knew. He. I just found out. We just filmed our Halloween episode and he. That just. It does break my heart. I know that it's manageable and stuff, but he's so agile and, you know, he rides horses every weekend and is always fucking whitewater rafting. Giving me a heart attack. So to find out.

[Ted Danson]

But I love that you were dancer to some degree.

[Quinta Brunson]

Acrobat.

[Ted Danson]

All of that stuff off of your.

[Quinta Brunson]

Dad, maybe so my dad was a gymnast, so he got me in gymnastics.

[Ted Danson]

Like, for real. How far did he.

[Quinta Brunson]

He went as far as college, but he wasn't in college. But he was. He became a college gymnast, which is what's crazy. He went to trade school. He was a contractor, but he did gymnastics in high school and then did it for a college team. But he wasn't in college.

[Ted Danson]

But that. He was good then.

[Quinta Brunson]

He was very good. And I was good. Cause I was small, you know, am small. Sorry. But I was, you know, small.

[Ted Danson]

You were your shoes.

[Quinta Brunson]

I'm still tall. But I didn't like it. I did not like it. I knew it wasn't for me. I knew I was. I'm 10 years old. They waking me up at 5 o'clock to run and shit. I was like, I want to watch Bobby's World and I do not want to do this. Do you guys remember Bobby's World? A very specific memory of mine of like, I need to watch Bobby's World. I do not want to do gymnastics. And my dad was like, okay. And then my mom was a dancer. So I actually was a dancer for most of my life until about 22 when I realized that.

[Ted Danson]

But you can see it in your acting and you're performing.

[Quinta Brunson]

Oh, thank you.

[Ted Danson]

I mean, the joy of using your.

[Quinta Brunson]

Body, I love It's. I give a lot of credit to dancing, to having autonomy over my body, especially as a young girl, just knowing it was mine and how to move it and that I owned it. And then also clowning, because you like.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah, I love it.

[Quinta Brunson]

I want everyone to take a clown. Puppeteering was another one, too. I took a puppeteering class, and that was another one of, you know, putting your voice through in the. All of it just helps you, I don't know, understand yourself better as a performer.

[Ted Danson]

I think you kept looking for different ways to tell forms to tell your stories.

[Quinta Brunson]

It seems like, yes, I do love storytelling. I do think that's my main objective when it comes to comedy, to. To be the person that tells the good story. And I love the idea of bringing all the talent in. Like, one of the greatest joys of Abbott has been to bring all these talented comedians in who I know are so talented in the world. Just hasn't seen them yet or something like that.

[Ted Danson]

Let's talk about the cast thing for a second. Then I want to talk about your writers room and all of it.

[Quinta Brunson]

Who you met.

[Ted Danson]

So you have this idea kind of percolating because of your mom, maybe, maybe who was a teacher and you could see the humor and the sadness and the realness and all of that of that world. So that was percolating in you.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Then when did you go, okay, now's the time? Who did you approach to do Abbott Elementary?

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes. So I had the idea and I actually talked about it on a roof with my friend Kate, who is now a writer on the show. And it was, you know, it's just like a throwaway idea. Like I got this idea that was probably like in 2017. And then when I worked with my now co producers, Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacher, my co producers, co showrunners, I met them because they casted me in a pilot of theirs for the cw. I auditioned begrudgingly and actually got it and was devastated because I did not want to be on a hour long CW show filming in Vancouver. So I was just miserable. But I really liked. Yeah, I had to. I keep my word. But man, I was like, I really did not want that show to go. I was like. I just, I really was like, oh, this is. And that's how I knew I wasn't. I felt like that's how I knew I wasn't in an actor. I know I'm an actor. I'm just saying, like, you don't want to go do. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Unfunny material.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah. Or like, I don't want to do any. I don't want to go to film in, you know, Vancouver. I don't want to go anywhere.

[Ted Danson]

So anyway, then that's kind of Larry David, you know, he refused to go, you know, east of the 405.

[Quinta Brunson]

He's kind of like me. I really relate to him too much. It really. I get bothered how much I relate to him and Curb. So they called. I remember getting the call. I was on the Transformers ride at Universal Studios that the show didn't go. I was like, yes. I mean, I'm so sorry, you guys. I know this. And they said, you know what? Well, the thing is, we love you. WB loves you. @ the time, Peter Roth, who's no longer there, was in charge. And they were like, they all want to meet with you. And so I met with all these people at wb. They were like, we want to make something with you. And I was like, okay, you know, as lead. And I was like, can I write it? And they said, yes. And so through that, I started working with a couple of different producers. Then I wound up working on a show with Larry Wilmore on cbs.

[Ted Danson]

Wonderful man.

[Quinta Brunson]

The best. The best, who I give full credit to Teaching me how to make a show. There's being a good writer, there's being a good storyteller, but I feel like Larry taught me how to make a show, how to make a 22 minute television show. And then the pandemic came around. This is 2020. So three years later, after I actually had the idea and I was on a show on HBO called Black Lady Sketch show that had gone down, and then I was like, between the first and second season, I start writing Abbott, but I start writing it as a cartoon because I had Black Lady Sketch Show. I had a project with Larry, which if it went, I would have been in it. But I still wanted Abbott to get made. I run into Justin and Patrick on the lot, this is three years later on the WB lot. And they're like, hey, what do you got going on? Like, I'm just kicking it right now. I have the show Abbott. And they were like, oh, it wasn't called Abbott at the time. It was called Harrody Elementary. And they were like, well, we're. They have a deal at wb. And they said, we, we'd love to actually make something with you now, especially a cartoon. Because at the time they had a cartoon called Harley Quinn on hbo, Max or DC Universe. I don't know where it was now. And so we worked on it together as a cartoon. And then the show, if Larry didn't go, and we both kind of looked at each other, like me, Justin and Pat, we all looked at each other and was like, what if we did this live action. And I knew immediately that I wanted to sell it to ABC because I had met with ABC two years before and there was this woman there. The team was incredible. And there was a woman there that I knew got me and her name's Erin Wehrnberg. She's still there. And I said, I want to take this to abc. And they were like, okay, you sure we don't want to go stream? I don't want to go streaming. I knew it wasn't a streaming show. I knew.

[Ted Danson]

Why do you say that?

[Quinta Brunson]

Because I knew it was built for families, right? I knew it was built with two act breaks. I knew it was 22 minute. I didn't want to fight about it. I didn't want anyone to try to make it 30 or 40 or. I really believe in that 22, three act structure. I think there's, you know, beauty in that. I don't just look at it as a thing to sell commercials. Like, I think there's real beauty in that kind of presentation. And so I knew ABC was the home for it because NBC had done similar comedies. And I felt that it was fresher for ABC. It still had the family aspect. ABC's not a big workplace comedy sitcom, but I knew that Abbott was also a family sitcom disguised as a workplace sitcom. And so ABC bought it and a couple of other networks bought it. But I knew I wanted abc. And then that was it. And we made the pilot. And it was so, so good. I was so happy. I was so proud. I remember after making the pilot, I felt like, I'm proud.

[Ted Danson]

Wow, that was great.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah. And I was like, look at. I made it. You know, I made it. I did it. And I felt that if it didn't go, I was like, well, then, all right, that's it. That's been my time. I felt very confident leaving the industry if that didn't go, because I knew it was.

[Ted Danson]

That was what you had to offer.

[Quinta Brunson]

I did know.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

And you know, when you look at it and you go, oh, this is the best I can do. This is like my everything. All those years of watching Cheers and watching Martin and watching Buster Keaton and watching this and watching this, it's all culminated into this. And this is kind of like who I am. So, like, if you don't want it, that's tight. But I know that this is the best.

[Ted Danson]

Okay, so you have a script, you've written it with your two producer friends.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

What do you do next? Who do you go to? Do you have already in your mind the cast.

[Quinta Brunson]

So the cast. The only person who I had in mind was Tyler James Williams.

[Ted Danson]

Tyler.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes. He's the best. He's just the best.

[Ted Danson]

You guys are great together.

[Quinta Brunson]

Thank you.

[Ted Danson]

I mean, you want to see you guys get together.

[Quinta Brunson]

I know.

[Ted Danson]

You know, you earned it also. The writing earned it. So, yeah, it was so sweet. I loved the ending.

[Quinta Brunson]

I had worked with him on Black lady sketch show just in a sketch, and we just clicked. It was just. You just look at someone and you like, no. Oh, you. Yeah, you get it. We get each other on pretty much every. Yes, we get each other. And so when I wrote the character Gregory, I realized I was basically. I was like, oh, I see Tyler's face on this. And so I reached out to him and he was in, which was shock. Like, Tyler had, like, options at that point. He did not have to bank on a technically no name pilot and commit, but he did. And he didn't audition. We didn't do a chemistry read. Like, ABC was like, yeah. So he was the only person. And I got him. And then everyone else auditioned. That's where it was. That's where it got interesting. Because at that point ABC kind of wanted to stunt cast pretty much everyone. And I really.

[Ted Danson]

Stunt cast meaning a name or a popular in this area or something. But not necessarily the right person for the job or. Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

So the next person who I think we casted was Lisa Ann Walter. Who they. She just was Melissa. I didn't know what to say.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

They were bigger people, bigger names. It was just her. And that's what I like to feel like. It's just you. It was her. Janelle. Especially the principal Ava. The principal Ava is real. They really wanted to stunk. They really wanted to slap a big name in there and. Oh, man. And it's okay. We all talk. I love my ABC family. But I had to be like. I had to put my foot down and say, I. This woman is Ava. Cause Janelle.

[Ted Danson]

That's a hard part.

[Quinta Brunson]

It's a hard part.

[Ted Danson]

That's really hard. Cause she walks that line of being unbelievable, believable. Which is what she's supposed to be.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

I don't mean her acting. I mean, that character is like what you did. What?

[Quinta Brunson]

And it's. You have to have a special thing for people to still like you even when they don't like you. It's just. It's pretty unique. I mean, we still haven't seen many people who have it to really be able to pull that off. I mean, it's kind of Larry David esque where. Or clearly like Michael Scott in the Office with Steve Carell. But this was an even different character too. Because it's not. To be fair, it's not a white man. It wasn't a character who we're used to seeing different layers of like. Yeah, it's a heavy lift. And when she auditioned, I was like, that's it. And they were like, well, what about this person wants to do it? I said no. And I also wanted to present a new face to the world. You know, I get real joy out of.

[Ted Danson]

I think, by the way, that's really, really, really smart. When you're creating a show.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

That you have faith in, that you can trust or whatever. That you allow the audience to discover people too.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Because otherwise you have to. After so many years of acting, I bring baggage with me.

[Quinta Brunson]

Totally.

[Ted Danson]

The writers have to work very hard to get through that, to allow the new character to be accepted.

[Quinta Brunson]

And that's what's interesting is you want people to believe. Right. We Know it's tv, but you want the people watching to believe that these people are the people. Especially in a mockumentary, you want them to believe these are real people. So if you pack it with a bunch of faces that people know already, you're gonna have to do twice the work to get people to believe in those characters. And I wanted people after the first season. You have no idea how much of our audience says something about America right now. But a lot of people believe that it was a real documentary. After, like, the first three episodes, I was like, oh, we are struggling. A real documentary. And then by the end of the season, it wasn't till the second season, people discovered we were on a set. People thought it was in real school, but all of that is beautiful. I remember when I was little, watching tv, I don't care about the set. I don't even know the behind the scenes. I am hanging out at the fucking friend's place, you know, like, that's all I need to know. But you have to do a lot of protecting and a lot of building these days to do that. And you have to create a world that's so special that people get lost in it. And the Good Place is how I discovered Manny Jamila. Like, these faces I had never seen before. And I got to discover these new people.

[Ted Danson]

Will Harper. Can I just say him alone?

[Quinta Brunson]

How did I even.

[Ted Danson]

Will Harper.

[Quinta Brunson]

And you watch it and you're like, where the hell did this person come from? But for me, that man was cheaty until season three, where I decided to be like, let me look him up. I think there's beauty in that. Like, yes, believe in the character. I hope I come across people all the time that just call me Janine. And I'm like, yeah, sure, I love it.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, whatever.

[Quinta Brunson]

I love it. Great. But, yeah. And then Chris Profetti, who I. I just need him to get his just due. I think he is one of the most talented. He plays Jacob on the show.

[Ted Danson]

Unbelievable.

[Quinta Brunson]

He's so.

[Ted Danson]

He is so good.

[Quinta Brunson]

He's so good.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Also a hard part to allow.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

You know?

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes. Not easy at all. And he blew me away with his audition. Another one. ABC was like, ah, well, we got this person who just came off this show. No, I need them to be the best people. And the last person we casted, which was hard, was Sheryl Lee Ralph's character, Barbara Howard. Always, that was such a hard one, because it was a balance of, like, know all could be vulnerable sometimes, know nothing could be funny. We didn't want it to just be a stoic presence, but someone who could also be funny on top of that. And my issue with Cheryl, with me, I was like, damn it, she's good. I was like, she's too pretty. Like, I was like, she's so beautiful that I was like, I hope it didn't break the form. And it didn't. Her beauty only adds to the character. But that's how the cast came about.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Really brilliant cast.

[Quinta Brunson]

Thank you so much.

[Ted Danson]

And what's, I'm sure, thrilling for you as a writer is you could go to any. Any one of those characters, actors, and they can carry a story.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes. Yes.

[Ted Danson]

You can go anywhere, which is just the magic.

[Quinta Brunson]

It's the beauty of an ensemble, a true ensemble.

[Ted Danson]

It doesn't always happen that way.

[Quinta Brunson]

I feel like you've been part of.

[Ted Danson]

Really, I've been very blessed for the ensemble.

[Quinta Brunson]

Fantastic ensemble.

[Ted Danson]

That's. Cause I wanted to be a basketball player, where I learned to be team.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, me too. Oh, my God. I was just talking about this with Tyler. Like, I'm a team sports girl.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, the play is the thing.

[Quinta Brunson]

I'm a team sports girl.

[Ted Danson]

The team is the thing, and it's the most fun. And I don't want to wake up in a new hotel room by myself doing some movie. I want to hang out with my friends who make me laugh every day.

[Quinta Brunson]

Me too. And I like home. We call ourselves house cats at Abbott because we rarely have to leave our stage. And, you know, it's like our stage Warner Brothers. Yeah. You know, it's home. And it's nice to have a home in the field, to trust each other, trust our crew. Our crew has pretty much been the same.

[Ted Danson]

Who is your audience? Who's your family? Who is your.

[Quinta Brunson]

Who is even more intimate with you in a mockumentary? They're just, yes, that's true with you. And so these people are very, very close to us, and we really value those relationships with our crew. They're just.

[Ted Danson]

They're your dance partners.

[Quinta Brunson]

They are.

[Ted Danson]

Because they are dancing, literally.

[Quinta Brunson]

And they are, too. When we move, they have to move. It's really a very.

[Ted Danson]

And knowing you well enough that, oh, I need to turn over here, because this is a reaction I know is coming.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yep. It's really. They come to our table reads like they're at. Every single table reads to just be part of the storytelling, which I think is really special.

[Ted Danson]

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[Quinta Brunson]

Totally.

[Ted Danson]

You know. Oh, is this a. Is this a shortcut and ease? Is this an easy out for comp? You know, there are all these kind of, wait a minute, let me make sure this is the right thing to be doing. Right as an audience, I mean.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And then you go, I'm pretty much immediately. I went, oh, no, I get it. This gives you so much more storytelling.

[Quinta Brunson]

I think too. I think.

[Ted Danson]

But were you hesitant or did you always know?

[Quinta Brunson]

I wasn't. I think the story just called for it to me. Although I was a huge fan of the Office. Clearly. And other mockumentaries. There's one I like called Jamay. That is ridiculous. I wouldn't recommend it to people because I don't think it Ages well. But it's by an Australian writer. It's ridiculous. But anyway, so I like mockumentaries, but I think when Abbott just was conceived, in my brain, I remember the day I just saw the mockumentary. And I think for a mockumentary, there just has to be a curtain to pull. If you find if there's a world where it would benefit from if it has a curtain to look behind. It's like the world we think we know versus the world that actually is. I think sometimes that's what makes for a good mockumentary. But. But once again, I think it's also, as a storyteller, it's filling. Feeling out what the story requires. Because then, you know, do you write the looks?

[Ted Danson]

No, in the camera. Oh, wow. So now you. You really have to trust your players.

[Quinta Brunson]

Those are spiritual.

[Ted Danson]

To learn that.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, yeah. Those are.

[Ted Danson]

Don't waste it. Don't waste a look.

[Quinta Brunson]

And I do trust them because they know when they would or wouldn't. It's funny, too, because Cheryl, when she first started looking to the camera, was so foreign to her as someone who comes from stage and film and, you know, multicams was so foreign to her. And then it weirdly kind of became a part of her character for a while. That Janine is naturally very inviting to these cameras. She's excited, excited to smile. I love being on this mockumentary. It's going to save the school. Whereas Barbara wants nothing to do with these people. Ava's presentation for Janine, it's vanity.

[Ted Danson]

It's another mirror.

[Quinta Brunson]

Exactly. Janine. Ava. Ava is vanity because she just, like, would love to be seen. Janine is like, this is. Yeah. And then Janine is like, this is the way for the school to be seen. We're going to help the school. Gregory is naturally, like, what do you call it? Hesitant to engage with them at first. And then they quickly become his best friends because he's the only normal person here. So he needs them to be like, are you seeing this, too? It's not just me. These people are crazy. And Melissa has an extreme distrust as a criminal. She wants nothing to do with them. She's like, get them the fuck out of this school. Where it's so having those different relationships to camera, it's so interesting for the characters, but I think, yeah, it's just like, if the story calls for it, like, you know the shows where there's a voiceover. Sex and City called for that for Carrie's vo and people try to call that cheap. It's not cheap. I think that when they conceived the story, it required. They listened to their story and it required a voiceover. I think some stories still.

[Ted Danson]

It's also in that case it was comforting.

[Quinta Brunson]

It was comforting and I did need her to walk me through the stories. I think it's the difference between when I kind of talk with peers. If you're putting together a multicam, why is it a multicam? Is it because it's cheaper or is it because the story actually benefits from the ways door, the ways doors open and close in a multicam or the rhythm of writing for a multicam? Because I still believe great multicams can be made, but they need to be. I think there needs to be a reason for the multicam. And yeah, like I was given a lot of thought to this because I just watched a black and white movie and I was like, oh man, I'd love to see more silent films, more modern silent films because yes, we've, we have color and sound now, but there was like a real grace and beauty in the silent film and I would like to see sometimes more stories told that way.

[Ted Danson]

The lighting was important.

[Quinta Brunson]

The expressions on the actors faces, you know, like that's like. So I wonder what a modern day story of like politics right now would look like as a silent film. Right. If you can't hear all the yelling and all the yapping, like what does it look like silently? I just think stuff like that is really interesting.

[Ted Danson]

Which is a good way to watch the debates, by the way. And you do, you do learn, wait, one person is very angry, the other person seems to have joy there.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, yeah. Seeing things for what they are. But yeah. Can I ask you a question? Is that okay? Yes. What's.

[Ted Danson]

I love talking about myself.

[Quinta Brunson]

You're a new show, right?

[Ted Danson]

Yep.

[Quinta Brunson]

Is it NBC?

[Ted Danson]

Netflix?

[Quinta Brunson]

It's gonna be on Netflix.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

Huh.

[Ted Danson]

Mike Schur wrote it.

[Quinta Brunson]

Oh, Mike Schur wrote it. That's where I got my NBC brain from. Okay.

[Ted Danson]

Mike Shur wrote it, came from a documentary out of Chile. It got nominated for Oscar, I think. And Mike was able to, what he does so well, you know, to take it out of that form and make it an eight part so cool series.

[Quinta Brunson]

I really like that man.

[Ted Danson]

Oh yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

He's a nice man.

[Ted Danson]

He's. Yeah. He is one of the most ethical people I know.

[Quinta Brunson]

A really nice man and a brain.

[Ted Danson]

That's ridiculous.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah. But able to sit down and have a conversation with baseball about you. I like that about him a lot. He's really, really nice. And that was It. So are you excited about your show?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, I am. Part of the thing I love as an actor. Well, whatever. I love the opportunity to go through aging and still be able to go well. This is what comedy coming out of this age feels like. This is what, you know, I want to be able to do that as long as I can. Thank you, Dick Van Dyke.

[Quinta Brunson]

I know it was kind of a bummer to hear him talk because I was like, damn it, I was going to retire. But now I kind of want to see what I look like at, like, 98 doing comedy. Could you imagine? I'm like, a little shorter, a little gray. I think it's going to be really good. I wish I. That's okay. I don't need to meet him. I'm just saying, like, it's. I hope I do. I've been able to spend a lot of time with Carol Burnett recently, and it's so affirming. It's just affirming.

[Ted Danson]

They are on the same pedestal.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, me too. And they're very. I don't know. Being around people like that, it just makes you feel just a little less crazy. If you do feel crazy. I don't feel crazy, but, like, Whoopi Goldberg's like that for me, too. Whenever I get to see her, I just feel a little bit like. I guess. Yes. That's why I agree. Doing it. This is why I am doing it. Like, you believe in it, but it's really special to be even to talk with you today.

[Ted Danson]

Well, it's fun because for me, it's like, I love hanging out with actors. I love hanging out with purposeful people, people who are trying to lead a purposeful life, which is you. That's. It's inspiring. Anyway, talk to me about fame. How was that for you? When was that? Oh, people are recognizing me. This is nice to Kabam. That energy coming at you. How was that and when was it?

[Quinta Brunson]

Right. I've had two unique experiences with the burst of fame, and one was before Abbott even happened. I was big on the Internet because I worked for this website called buzzfeed.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Quinta Brunson]

And that was a taste of. Also, fame now has become very, very relative. Like, I don't. There's so many different kinds of fame. I guess that I'm speaking to my unique experience because now I think there's so many different versions of fame that can be experience. But the BuzzFeed part was like, whoa, like, people know me in China, People know me in other countries, which was so cool. Or walking down the street and Being recognized for my work online by people who I think were in my age range, peer group, people who I. As someone who likes to make people laugh, those are the people I wanted to make laugh at that time. So that felt affirming and also cool. Then when Abbott fame kind of hit, that felt unique because Abbott, with Abbott, I never know who is watching the show. And it is wild to have people walk up to you that, you know. You know, I don't know, like. So it'll be like a. Like an older white man who comes up and taps me where previously would have been. I don't know what's up? Can I help you? But they like the show, and that's interesting to be affecting so many people because of my work, and I love that. And that's the part I like, is I have this thing to show that connects us all. A piece of art that I've shared that makes you happy, and that makes me really happy. That's the part of fame that I really like, is having work.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. I used to have this little prayer to my silent prayer to myself, please don't let my fame outdo my ability to work.

[Quinta Brunson]

That's how I feel.

[Ted Danson]

If I had to just walk around with fame, it would be sad.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Or I'd have to scramble to figure a way to not make it sad.

[Quinta Brunson]

Exactly. And that I did feel myself balancing those two things, like last year and all of us go through it. You go through what is my place in this world as someone who people now know, and naturally, the industry is like, well, come to this show. Come to this fashion show. Come do this thing. Come do this thing. And at a certain point, you go, am I here because I am. I'm using those people famous, or am I here because of my work? Because there is a difference, and I want to make sure that I know the difference. I don't. It's not up to y'all to know the difference, but it's up to me to know what the difference is. And so it was finding that balance and realizing I always want to have my work come first and have my work be what people know me for more than just my name or it's kind of why I stayed away from podcast for a very, very long time. I think you and Conan might be the first I've done in a very long. Cause I don't know if I want.

[Ted Danson]

People to know that much about you.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah. And I don't know if I always want them to hear me talk. This feels good. Cause we're talking about comedy, I still believe I'm walking in the purpose, but if you just ask me what I have for lunch, I'm like, why do you want to know that?

[Ted Danson]

What did you have?

[Quinta Brunson]

A lovely Italian chopped salad.

[Ted Danson]

Sorry. Did it lead you down that path?

[Quinta Brunson]

But you know what I mean.

[Ted Danson]

I do, I do, but I am. Oof. You know, I feel like I have. I'm going to try to find another word than vomited. I have, you know, spewed my life out into the world, you know, and it's too late for me. So how do I make use of that now is, you know, I don't. I, you know, you bump into De Niro and he's still mysterious.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

You know, there are people who are just these amazing, talented people who are mysterious and there's something cool about that. But it's too late for me.

[Quinta Brunson]

Wait, really?

[Ted Danson]

You really think that the too late part?

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Because I think being on TV for this many years, people know me or think they know me or have an impression or whatever. So how do I make use of that? And early on for me, I realized that fame is tricky. It's like my analogy of fame is being a four year old kid in the room full of adults all looking and laughing and pointing at you. You can spin that kid out immediately, they'll go nutty.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yep.

[Ted Danson]

And that's what it's like being a celebrity. If you just absorb that, it's kind of what you're talking about. Am I going to this because of my work or because I'm now a celebrity and guarding against that? But I went, oh, okay. And I happened to bump into something I cared about, which was being an ocean advocate, which, you know, is a long story. But, but I was able to go, oh, okay. You know, I'm standing in front of the tent and people are coming up and saying, oh, I love Cheers. Will you sign this? I go, of course. And while we're doing this, let me tell you about this marine biologist. You know, I learned that if you deflect all of that energy coming your way into something you care about.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Then you're making use of your celebrity. You get to use it or something you care about. And especially if you stick with whatever that issue is so that you actually are knowledgeable and not just totally flitting around.

[Quinta Brunson]

I feel like that for me, I'm trying to figure out where to focus my attention. Funny you say the ocean because that was like, that was a thing for me for a minute. I got really into Protecting the ocean. I still am, but it wasn't my ministry. But I started working with. Have you heard of like four Ocean group?

[Ted Danson]

I probably. It feels like I have, you know.

[Quinta Brunson]

I was like, ah, donated. And then climate is really, really. I don't know what to say. It is, it has become the thing. And I care about a lot of causes, I clearly care about schools, I care about my neighborhood, Philadelphia, and where I'm from. But like, the thing that I want to keep learning about and really want to try to pull my weight in that direction is climate change. But I still wanna take the time to know what I'm talking about, to be a real advocate, so that if I'm asked, I can either answer the question or point people to the right resources.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Quinta Brunson]

And I think it was weird because I cared about it more than I even knew. And Abbott has now won all these awards for being a very green set in a very. But it's just in my nature to want to conserve energy, want to try to make it a. You know, sets are. It's easy to burn. Oh, Lord, you know, energy and create a lot of waste, but to naturally want to find ways to make that not the case.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Quinta Brunson]

A good friend of mine, Kim Bernick, she actually worked on your show on Good Place. She was the. I forget her official title. I say she's on the green team at Universal, but she helps to make sure.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Quinta Brunson]

Everything is as efficient as possible there. And just my friendship with her has impacted me so much, it changes how I think about everything. So I think that might be where I put my celebrite soon.

[Ted Danson]

Good.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, good.

[Ted Danson]

I mean, yeah, as you wish. But I think it is the overarching conversation. I mean, I, for the longest time, my relationship to climate change was. I, I'm giving at the office, I'm, you know, I'm pouring my life into ocean advocacy. And then you realize, oh, you know, the big gorilla in the room is climate change, which can undo literally everything you care about.

[Quinta Brunson]

It's all connected.

[Ted Danson]

All the ocean work.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yep.

[Ted Danson]

Out the window if we don't do something about it.

[Quinta Brunson]

Anyway, wait, you said something first, though, that was really interesting to me about, about fame. Oh, I forget. But I don't know, you said something really. I think it was interesting when you were on Cheers, because remember, I'm talking about all this different kind of fame now. It felt like back then there weren't that many different types of fame. And I felt like you were very, very, very, very, very famous. Like very famous. And the show Was so big. Is that a time that you were you aware. I remember talking about this with, like, Jennifer Aniston. Cause we recently did an actors on Actors, and she was like, I saw that.

[Ted Danson]

That was lovely.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah. And she was saying how, you know, they were just making their little show on their little set. Did you feel it? Did you guys?

[Ted Danson]

Well, we started off slowly. We were last in the ratings. You know, I didn't know that one year. I don't know about last for the whole year, but there was one. One week where we were dead last.

[Quinta Brunson]

I did not know that.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. We were like, 71. Or as Jimmy Burroughs likes to say, 75 out of 71. We were, you know, we. It was Bill Cosby. Wow. Which I. You know, I'm now.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

There are many things. But I'm sorry, I got to talk about Bill Cosby and his show.

[Quinta Brunson]

His show was good.

[Ted Danson]

Brilliant.

[Quinta Brunson]

The show was good, you know, and.

[Ted Danson]

Yes, there's the other side. It really was. And it dragged everything behind it that Thursday night. We all became top 10 shows because of that show.

[Quinta Brunson]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. So it came slowly. I think. It wasn't until we were in syndication that I walked out on the street, and it was like a tornado of energy coming my way. And then shortly after that, I met this man who was an environmental lawyer, and we were trying to keep oil drilling out of Santa Monica Bay. And we succeeded, and we started a small organization. And that's when I was. I went, oh, well, this works.

[Quinta Brunson]

Oh, interesting.

[Ted Danson]

I'm okay with this.

[Quinta Brunson]

So that soon after Cheers, you had started getting into ocean advocacy.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

That's really cool.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

That's fascinating, too, because Abbott, my show, has been successful. Right. Especially in this climate. But what's so interesting is we're in our fourth season and watching people discover the show. And I think that's one of the beautiful things about TV is, like, people picking up a show out of nowhere, and all of a sudden, it gains this new life or something. It happened recently with Suits.

[Ted Danson]

Exactly.

[Quinta Brunson]

It happened. King of Queens is, like, one of my favorite shows in the world. And it happened with King of Queens recently, where people just were like, oh, this show was fantastic. And I just think that's a beautiful thing that happens with tv, especially comedies, too. I don't know. You can just pick up an old comedy and just become obsessed.

[Ted Danson]

My little confession is, as soon as I hear. And you've now fallen into this category. It started with the Office, I think. Or no. Maybe even Friends. You know, it was like Cheers was over. Friends all of a sudden went through the roof. And I think there's not. I think I have a shallow, petty side that's going. I don't know if I want to watch. You're right. Yeah. I'll be the judge of that. Or something.

[Quinta Brunson]

Totally.

[Ted Danson]

Or fearful that it'll never happen to me again or whatever the fear is. I put off watching things and then I did, too. And then I. And then I watch and go, oh, my God.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yep.

[Ted Danson]

And I did it to the point where I became friends with John Krasinski before I had really. I mean, great friends before I really seen that. Brilliant.

[Quinta Brunson]

Isn't that the best when that happens? Yeah. Where you become friends with someone. I have that. With someone. I have that exact friendship with someone. And I didn't watch their. Oh, man. It's gonna kill me to not know who this is right now. Same thing. Watched them after meeting them and were like, whoa, wait a second. Whoa. I didn't know you could actually. Very good friend of mine, Aya at a Beery, she's on the Bear. And I've been friends with that girl for a long time. And people were telling me how good she was and everything, whatever. But we became. We became friends through, like, stand up and very good friends. Like, this was. And I like her. Like, we have a very big sister, little sister dynamic. And then the Bear came out and I went to her premiere and I literally turned to her. I was like, I didn't know you could act like this. She was like, she's been on countless shows before. I just didn't know. And I just had no idea. That show is for whatever they say. It is very dramatic. And I did not know she was that much of a dramatic. I was just blown away. I was like, so you're gonna win an Oscar? Is that what you're doing? Like, I didn't know you were that kind of person. But that's. That's. Yeah, I had that relationship with that.

[Ted Danson]

I love that.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, that's really funny.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. I mean, seriously, this is. This week has been me going, oh, shit, Abbott elementary, you know, and Mary had said, you have to watch this. You have to watch this. And I did that kind of.

[Quinta Brunson]

Please tell her I love her.

[Ted Danson]

I will.

[Quinta Brunson]

Please, I will.

[Ted Danson]

You know what?

[Quinta Brunson]

I just watched that she was in recently, and I mind blown. So Back to the Future.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

Back to the Future 2 is one of my favorite films of all time. Like, period. I don't really love one that much. And then three is what I like. It'll come One after two on tbs, and I'm gonna watch it. I just. For the first time. This is how I found out you were married to her, by the way. You got right. I'm right. This is her.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

So then I'm like, holy shit. That's the lady. Holy shit. So then I start looking her up, and I was like, ted Danson. I don't keep up with relationships. I know, and you shouldn't. Anyway, that's how I feel. But I don't keep up with those things. So I had a real. Just breakdown in my house. I go tell the room, and this happens to me all the time. The writer's room. And they're like, quinta. Like, duh. I don't. I just found out that Daniel Craig was married to the one lady.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now I'm blanking, but I found out too, recently. Oh, she's amazing. I love her. Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

I don't just know these things, but that one shocked me to my core. But it was because of Back to the Future that I found out you guys were married. Can I FaceTime my mom after this? Say, can I. She'll be so proud of me if. If I FaceTime her and she can see you.

[Ted Danson]

Your mom.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Quinta Brunson]

Okay.

[Ted Danson]

Can we do it now? Would you like to do it now?

[Quinta Brunson]

Do you want to do it on the podcast? I Hope she answers FaceTime.

[Ted Danson]

This is live, ladies and gentlemen. This could go south.

[Quinta Brunson]

It won't. My dad's more inclined to answer. He actually might freak out, too. It's kind of. I don't know what reaction we're about to get, you guys. Let's see. Today is Friday. Yeah. It's 5:00. Yeah. 8:00. Third time. Hey, dad. What you doing?

[Ted Danson]

Helping us move some stuff out of this sister's house that had some problems. She's in the hospital now. We try to get it ready for when she. When she comes home.

[Quinta Brunson]

Oh, that's very nice. All right. Oh, you're not with mom, but I wanted to. I wanted you to say hi to Ted Danson.

[Ted Danson]

How do you do, sir? I'm having a podcast with your daughter. Look at this. Hey. I don't believe it.

[Quinta Brunson]

I know, I know.

[Ted Danson]

I just finished watching him watching you do those commercials, telling the lady about the towers. Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

Oh, yeah, that is a good commercial.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. He's up on the scaffold in the towers ordering Chinese.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah, that's right.

[Ted Danson]

Well, your daughter's amazing. I'm sure it all came from you, but it's a Pleasure to say hi. Yeah. Well, it came from you guys, too. You guys, in your earlier days of cinema and tv, that's all we did was watch and learn.

[Quinta Brunson]

Told you.

[Ted Danson]

So how's your body? Did it survive being a gymnast? Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's. That's why I'm in somebody's house right.

[Quinta Brunson]

Now pulling up rugs and stuff, because he's still strong. He's in very good shape. It's crazy.

[Ted Danson]

Well, good for you.

[Quinta Brunson]

He's a contractor. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Quinta Brunson]

Is Mama. She's not with you? I'll call her later. Okay. I'll. I'll call her later after this. I just want you to.

[Ted Danson]

Thank you for talking. Thank you.

[Quinta Brunson]

All right, take care.

[Ted Danson]

Bye.

[Quinta Brunson]

Bye. He's. Want some R8 Ted.

[Ted Danson]

Like, you know, I'm so into him in Philadelphia.

[Quinta Brunson]

One of these days, he'll lose it. Cheers really was. I can't explain it. It was one of those ones that really. Mm. It's not. It's one of those shows that taught me just the beauty of a good show. It just would be on and then. And they'd just watch it. We had our favorite shows, the Cosby show, the show called Rock. Do you remember that?

[Ted Danson]

Oh, very well. What was his name? What is his name?

[Quinta Brunson]

Charles Dutton.

[Ted Danson]

Charles Dutton.

[Quinta Brunson]

You know, Rock. Yeah, he did. And those were, like, favorites. But then Cheers was just on, and I remember learning that there was, like, a difference in my household between, like, hot thing and thing that is on that will be watched. And don't touch the remote. It's like. But you're not even really watching. I am. I'm listening to it. My family's big on that. I'm listening to it. Don't touch that remote. And it's like. You've seen this episode seven times. Okay.

[Ted Danson]

You said Charles Dutton or. We did. And I immediately thought. I don't know why. Of James Earl Jones, who just passed Bummer. Bummer Bomber. Bummer. One of the great bummer.

[Quinta Brunson]

But a nice, long life.

[Ted Danson]

Long life. I saw one of the first Broadway shows I ever saw was Great White Hope.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Just like. Is this so.

[Quinta Brunson]

In the first one Cheryl saw, too. Cheryl Lee Rolfe on my show. That was a. That was. Yeah, that was a real bummer. I very much looked up to him because his career was so vast, like, so many different ways to showcase his talent. And I thought that was cool. And just him being a black man, that was just not easy to find with many black actors, let alone black men. And he reminds me a lot of my dad. So that was also the other thing. He always reminded me of my father, and I saw him once, but I didn't say hi to him when I was working at the Apple store in Century City. And I came outside and he was just sitting there. It was very James Earl Jones of him to just be sitting there prominently. And I don't know if he had grandchildren, but there was a kid around him. I don't know if it was his grandchild or what, but I didn't say anything to him because I was young and. But he saw me staring at him, and so he waved and I just waved back. And that was like, one of my most formative memories because he. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

I don't know.

[Quinta Brunson]

It's just incredible. But I get sad, but then I get really happy. When people have lived a long time.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Quinta Brunson]

And I hope that they felt fulfilled in their life. And I felt that, you know, Bob Newhart, Norman Lear, I just like. I hope Cicely.

[Ted Danson]

Cicely Tyson.

[Quinta Brunson]

I think it's incredible to get to live to. First of all, you're making it just like, 60s seems to be hard these days. So I think it's incredible. My grandpa, he lived till 96. He just passed away two years ago. And he and I got closer and closer as he got older and I got older. And my family won't listen to this, but before he passed away, he told me specifically, he's like, I feel so good about what I've done here. And it was like the most.

[Ted Danson]

How wonderful I was like.

[Quinta Brunson]

And so when he.

[Ted Danson]

How wonderful to say to you.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

As an example of.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

You know, old age seems like somebody made a mistake or you wouldn't have gotten old, you know. No, no, no. And this is great. And you have this to look forward to.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes. And he didn't, you know, he's not famous or anything. He served in the war and he had a hundred grandchildren and great grandchildren that he's so proud of. And I think that was really beautiful. And it just taught me a lot about, like, being fortunate enough to live so long and have. And feel like you've led a good life or whatever. So I hope James Earl Jones had that.

[Ted Danson]

I bet.

[Quinta Brunson]

Right?

[Ted Danson]

I hope so, too. But I bet in my mind, Si. He did and does.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Can I ask you a silly question? If you had a magic wand. Nothing. Nothing. You can't look at what's going on in your life right now as a block or a this or whatever. If you had a magic wand, what will you be doing 10 years from.

[Quinta Brunson]

Now, 10 years from now, magic wand.

[Ted Danson]

Is there something. Are you pointing or aiming? Or are you just living in this moment, which is unbelievably successful? But do you have something you also want to do or. I don't even mean work wise. I just mean with your life.

[Quinta Brunson]

With my life. I really want to. I've been reevaluating this recently, and I want to continue to live. I know that sounds corny, but when I was younger, I really lived. I really took risks and enjoyed life and stuff. And I think as I've gotten older, and especially with managing Abbott, I've become a little bit more rigid, a little bit more.

[Ted Danson]

More of the adult.

[Quinta Brunson]

More the adult. And I don't think I can afford to lose the childlike glee that comes from living and making mistakes and taking risks, because I think that eventually that's what's gonna help me to be able to create again, which I do think is my ultimate thing that I do. And so that's kind of my goal is just to keep living. And I felt like before Ebbott, I felt like I spent many, many years building a car, right? Slowly putting together pieces of car, and now I'm riding in the car. But like, now I'm like, I think it might be time to build a new car. I might need to build, you know, something that can go off road. I know I need to build a nice new thing. So in order to do that, I need to feel again, feel what I need, and just constantly remember that I don't have to be a boring suit. I know I'm wearing a suit, but it's not a boring suit.

[Ted Danson]

It's not a boring suit.

[Quinta Brunson]

It's not a boring suit. And I just want to have fun, too. I don't want to stop having fun. That's big for me. I really don't want to stop having.

[Ted Danson]

I can't imagine you will, so I hope not.

[Quinta Brunson]

But yeah. No magic wand, though.

[Ted Danson]

Well, that's pretty good, what you said.

[Quinta Brunson]

Is that good? That's very selfish.

[Ted Danson]

Stay creative. Stay having fun and being joyful and scaring yourself.

[Quinta Brunson]

I'd really fix the climate. If you gave me a magic wand, I'd be okay. I'd figure out my own stuff. But if you gave me that wand, I'd fix all of that.

[Ted Danson]

That's funny. I met my kind of wake up call when I was. I'm 76, almost 77. When I was turning 70, I realized that I was starting to look for a nice, soft landing place. I better get everything in Order and, you know, and settled, whatever, you know. And I met Jane Fonda because Mary and she were about to do a film together. And it was like, holy shit, this woman has her foot at 80.

[Quinta Brunson]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

On the gas.

[Quinta Brunson]

On the gas pedal. And just, you know, she really does.

[Ted Danson]

No, go full speed ahead.

[Quinta Brunson]

Goes full. I mean, Cheryl on my show is kind of like that. Cheryl, I'm already like, I don't want to get on a plane. I don't want to go anywhere. Cheryl, that woman goes, goes, goes. And as exhausting as it is for me, especially as a showrunner, because I'm like, cheryl, if you were not here on Monday at 8 o'clock, I'm going to get you. But she always is. That's the thing. She always is. She'll be like, I'm flying to Georgia tonight and I'll be back tomorrow at 5:00am I'm like, that's exhausting. How are you gonna do that? And she does it because she wants to, because she has the will to. And I find that so encouraging. It's really cool. This was really nice.

[Ted Danson]

This felt so good to talk to you.

[Quinta Brunson]

This felt so good.

[Ted Danson]

I am so grateful. This is the best part about this job is I would, if I would, at a party, do the who am I? And not come up and approach you and talk to you. I'm so grateful for this time.

[Quinta Brunson]

Me, too.

[Ted Danson]

I really am.

[Quinta Brunson]

Thank you for having me.

[Ted Danson]

I'm a huge fan.

[Quinta Brunson]

Thank you. I'm also a huge fan, as you can tell. Family, thank you for this. This felt like a very affirming day and a very affirming conversation.

[Ted Danson]

Good. And please say hello to the writers in your room, which I feel like I kind of know. You made the yes because it is where it begins. Yes, it is. I have so much respect for writers.

[Quinta Brunson]

That means a lot to them. Yeah, they're going to love that. They're going to listen to this and love that.

[Ted Danson]

And your cast is brilliant, too. So anyway, thank you. Thank you for sitting out and talking.

[Quinta Brunson]

Thank you for having me. This was lovely.

[Ted Danson]

Well, there you are. That was Quinta Brunson. I'm so happy I got to sit down and talk with her. Season 4 of Abbott elementary is airing right now. It's an incredible show. I really encourage you to check it out if you haven't already. That's it for this week's episode. Special thanks to Woody. I miss you. Come back, you're forgiven. And to our friends at Team Coco, if you like these episodes, tell a friend and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. If you have some time. A great rating and review on Apple Podcasts helps a lot, so thanks in advance. We'll see you next time. Where everybody knows your name. You've been listening to Where Everybody Knows your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson Sometimes. The show is produced by me, Nick Liao. Executive producers are Adam Saxon, Colin Anderson, Jeff Ross and myself. Sarah Fedorovich is our supervising producer. Our senior producer is Matt Abadaka. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel with support from Eduardo Perez Research by Alyssa Grohl Talent booking by Paula Davis and Gina Bautista. Our theme music is by Woody Harrelson, Antony Gen, Mary Steenburgen and John Osborne. Special thanks to Willie Navarret. We'll have more for you next time. Where everybody knows your name. When work gets crazy, I like to stop by the bar after have a few cold ones. I don't drink at all until 4:00. We limit ourselves to one bottle of wine a night. Excessive drinking has a way of sneaking up on us. A few drinks a few nights a week, it can add up and suddenly we're at greater risk for long term problems like heart disease, cancer and depression. Reason enough to rethink the Drink more at rethinkthedrink.com an OH initiative.

[Quinta Brunson]

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[Ted Danson]

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[Quinta Brunson]

It out.

[Ted Danson]

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