Quinta Brunson

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Quinta Brunson
File:Quinta Brunson Peabody Awards, Jun 2023.jpg
Brunson in June 2023
Born (1989-12-21) December 21, 1989 (age 35)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationTemple University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • comedian
  • writer
  • producer
Years active2014–present
Notable workAbbott Elementary
Spouse
Kevin Jay Anik
​
(m. 2021)​

Quinta Brunson (/ˈkwɪntə/; born December 21, 1989)[1] is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She is best known for creating, executive producing, co-writing and starring as second-grade teacher Janine Teagues in the ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary (2021–present). Brunson gained prominence for her self-produced Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date. She went on to produce and act in videos for BuzzFeed Video, and developed two streaming series with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures.[2][3] At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, she became the first Black woman to be nominated three times in the comedy category,[4] receiving nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (which she won), Outstanding Comedy Series (as an executive producer), and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. At the 75th ceremony, she became the first Black woman to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy in over 40 years.[5] Brunson was honored with a 2022 Peabody Award for her work in Abbott Elementary. She was also placed on the Time 100 Most Influential People of 2022 list.[6][7][8][9] Brunson has acted in the series iZombie, Single Parents, and Miracle Workers; provided voice work for Lazor Wulf and Magical Girl Friendship Squad; and starred in the first season of the HBO sketch comedy series A Black Lady Sketch Show.

Early life and education

Brunson was born and raised in West Philadelphia.[10] Her name means "fifth" in Spanish and signifies that she is the youngest of five children.[11] Her mother, Norma Jean, taught kindergarten and her father, Rick, managed parking lots. She was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses but left the religion when she was 21.[12] She has described herself as "obsessed" with comedy from the time she attended the Charter High School for Architecture & Design in Philadelphia,[13] and nurtured her interest by taking an improv class.[14] Brunson attended Temple University[15] and took classes at Second City in Chicago her sophomore year. She dropped out of school shortly thereafter to move to Los Angeles and pursue a career in comedy.[16][12] She received an honorary degree in Fine Arts from Temple University in 2024.[17]

Career

2014–2017: Instagram and Buzzfeed

Brunson originally garnered fans online by posting comedic videos to her Instagram in 2014.[18] In particular, her Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date series went viral and grew her digital fan base.[18][19][20] She then worked as a video producer for BuzzFeed Video after first freelancing for the company.[21] Her videos primarily focused on problems experienced by twenty-somethings.[22] In 2016, Brunson sold two web series as a development partner with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures:[23] one scripted comedy called Broke for Youtube Red, which she wrote, produced, and starred in;[7][24] the second, Up for Adoption, was produced by Verizon's go90 video platform, which she also starred in.[19] Brunson's performance in Broke was nominated for Best Acting in a Comedy at the Streamy Awards in 2017.[25]

2018–present: A Black Lady Sketch Show and Abbott Elementary

Shortly after Brunson left BuzzFeed in 2018, she co-starred in her first network pilot, the CW pilot The End of the World as We Know It,[8] but the show was not picked up by the network. She also wrote and produced a series called Quinta vs. Everything that streamed on Facebook Watch from 2017 to 2018.[16][20] On October 4, 2018, it was announced that a pilot co-produced by Brunson, Larry Wilmore, and Jermaine Fowler would be developed by CBS into a multi-cam comedy called Quinta & Jermaine.[9] The pilot would star Fowler and Brunson as longtime friends who must deal with an unplanned pregnancy; however, the show was not picked up.[26] In 2019, she appeared as Dr. Charli Collier and her twin sister, Laila, on the supernatural comedy-drama series iZombie, and also voiced multiple characters in the animated series Lazor Wulf.[27] That fall, Brunson began to co-star and write in the HBO sketch comedy series A Black Lady Sketch Show, alongside Robin Thede, Gabrielle Dennis, and Ashley Nicole Black;[28] but she left the second season due to scheduling conflicts.[29] In 2020, Brunson co-starred in the Syfy animated series Magical Girl Friendship Squad, opposite Anna Akana.[30] In 2021, Brunson appeared in a recurring role on the third season of Miracle Workers,[31] and in June, her debut book, She Memes Well, a collection of essays about her personal life and career, was released.[32] Brunson's single-camera pilot (previously titled Harrity Elementary, named for the school she attended, which is now a charter school[33]) was picked up by ABC with the new title Abbott Elementary in May 2021.[34][35] Brunson is also the writer, co-executive producer, and stars with Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, Tyler James Williams, and Janelle James.[31] The series premiered on December 7, 2021, and received critical acclaim.[36] As of October 2024, it holds a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 80 critics' reviews.[37] Brunson received praise for bringing a fresh approach to network television with Abbott Elementary,[38][39] named after her real-life former middle school teacher, Ms. Abbott.[40] For the show's first season she was named to Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2022.[41] In September 2022, Brunson won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series for the show, making her the first black woman to win that award solo.[42] The series received a 2023 Peabody Award.[43] In August 2022, Brunson signed a multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, the co-production studio of Abbott Elementary.[44] Brunson has a guest starring role on the Party Down revival series.[45] In April 2023, she made her Saturday Night Live hosting debut.[46] In 2023, Brunson won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for playing idealistic second-grade teacher Janine Teagues on Abbott Elementary. This win made her only the second Black actress to win in this category after Isabel Sanford, who won in 1981 for her role as Louise Jefferson on The Jeffersons.[47] Also, since Ayo Edebiri won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series that same year, that was the first year that two Black actresses won the two female comedy acting categories in the Primetime Emmys.[48]

Personal life

Brunson is married to Kevin Jay Anik. He works in California's legal-cannabis industry. They live in the San Fernando Valley.[12] She posted a photo of her engagement ring in 2020 but did not publicly confirm their marriage until she referred to Anik as her husband in her 2022 Emmys speech.[49] She is a member of the Writers Guild of America. During the 2023 Met Gala, she gave an interview where she showed her support with the writers strike that was to start on the same night of the event.[50] In October 2023, Brunson signed an open letter by Artists4Ceasefire, calling for an end to Israel's bombardment of Gaza.[51]

Accolades

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2020 An American Pickle Female Interviewee[59]
2021 As of Yet Lyssa[60]
2022 Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Oprah Winfrey
2025 Golden TBA Post-production[61]
2026 The Cat in the Hat TBA Voice, in production[62]
TBA Par For The Course TBA Also co-writer[63]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2016 Broke Miloh Web series; creator, director and executive producer[23]
2017 Up for Adoption Michelle go90 streaming series; creator and executive producer[23]
2017–2018 Quinta vs. Everything Quinta Web series; creator and executive producer[16]
2018 New Girl Annabelle Episode: "Mario"[64]
2018–2020 Single Parents Bess Recurring role (3 episodes)[65]
2019 iZombie Dr. Charlie Collier, Laila Recurring role (3 episodes)[27]
2019; 2022 A Black Lady Sketch Show Various characters Main cast, writer (Season 1); guest (Season 3)[28]
2019–2021 Big Mouth Quinta, Girl Voice, 4 episodes[65]
Lazor Wulf Blazor Wulf, The Youth, Bayonette Wulf, Farm Worker, Pearl Voice, main cast[27]
2020 Magical Girl Friendship Squad Alex Voice, main cast[30]
2021 Miracle Workers Trig Recurring role[31]
2021–present Abbott Elementary Janine Teagues Main cast; also creator, writer, and executive producer[35][2]
2022 Cars on the Road Ivy Voice, 3 episodes[66]
2023 Harley Quinn Hawkgirl Voice, episode: "A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special"
Party Down Jaff Episode: "Kyle Bradway Is Nitromancer"[45]
History of the World, Part II Martha Magdalene Episode: "IV"
Saturday Night Live Herself (host) Episode: "Quinta Brunson/Lil Yachty"
2024 Sesame Street Herself Episode: "Are You Ready for School?"

Music videos

Year Title Artist Role Notes
2018 "Come Over"[67] The Internet Neighbor[68] Plays the role of the nosy neighbor
2020 "Dragonball Durag" Thundercat Girl[69] Plays the role of the first love interest
2024 "Little Foot Big Foot" Childish Gambino feat. Young Nudy Venue owner[70]

Bibliography

  • She Memes Well, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, publication date June 15, 2021, ISBN 9781328638984

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2017
 Streamy Awards Best Acting in a Comedy Broke Nominated [13]
2022
 AAFCA TV Honors Best TV Comedy Abbott Elementary Won [71]
Breakout Star Won
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Won [72]
Outstanding Actress, Comedy Series Won
Outstanding Writing, Comedy Series Abbott Elementary (for "Pilot") Won
Outstanding Guest Actress, Comedy Series A Black Lady Sketch Show Won
Celebration of Black Cinema & Television Actress Award for Television Abbott Elementary Won [73]
Dorian TV Awards Best TV Comedy Won

References

  1. ↑ "Quinta Brunson". TV Insider. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gardner, Chris (March 11, 2023). "Quinta Brunson Thanks "Under-Appreciated" 'Abbott Elementary' Publicists: "I Know I Annoy Them"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :18
  4. ↑ Dellatto, Marisa. "2022 Emmys Nominations: Selena Gomez Snubbed, Dave Chappelle Nominated". Forbes. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  5. ↑ Calvario, Liz (January 16, 2024). "Quinta Brunson Becomes 1st Black Woman to Win Best Actress in a Comedy in Over 40 Years". www.today.com. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  6. ↑ Searles, Jourdain (August 2, 2019). "Robin Thede Is Changing the Game With A Black Lady Sketch Show". www.vulture.com. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Quinta Brunson". Forbes. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Andreeva, Nellie (February 21, 2018). "'The End Of The World As We Know It': Quinta Brunson To Star In CW Pilot". Deadline. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Otterson, Joe (October 4, 2018). "Jermaine Fowler, Quinta Brunson, Larry Wilmore Team for Multi-Cam Comedy at CBS". Variety. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  10. ↑ Williams, Dee (October 11, 2016). "JET Chats It Up With Comedian Quinta Brunson". Jet. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  11. ↑ Brunson, Quinta (2021). She memes well. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-1-328-638984. LCCN 2020057706. OCLC 1228914151.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Fischer, Molly (March 18, 2024). "How Quinta Brunson Hacked the Sitcom". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Cineas, Fabiola (October 28, 2018). "Quinta Brunson on Becoming an Internet Comedy Star — and Getting Paid". Philly Magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  14. ↑ "You Can't Put Quinta Brunson in a Box". Vulture. October 19, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Temple stars shine bright at film and television awards". January 24, 2024.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "Quinta Brunson explains it all". espnW. February 7, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Quinta Brunson receives honorary degree from Temple University". May 8, 2024.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Why Quinta Brunson Isn't Afraid To Stand Out". The FADER. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Quinta Brunson Internet Comedian". Essence. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Quinta Birthday Tweet". Okayplayer. March 19, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  21. ↑ Hamedy, Saba (October 4, 2016). "BuzzFeed's Quinta Brunson makes YouTube Red debut with 'Broke'". Mashable. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  22. ↑ "BuzzFeed Star Quinta Brunson Sees the Comedy in Being Broke". Vogue. September 29, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 "BuzzFeed Motion Pictures Sells Two Quinta Brunson Series". www.thewrap.com. September 7, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  24. ↑ Dry, Jude (October 7, 2016). "Quinta Brunson's 'Broke' Celebrates Black Friendship, Brings The Buzzfeed Touch To YouTube Red". IndieWire. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  25. ↑ Jarvey, Natalie (August 22, 2017). "Vlogger Casey Neistat, Web Series 'Mr. Student Body President' Lead Nominations for 2017 Streamys". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  26. ↑ Josephs, Brian (September 26, 2019). "NEXT: Quinta Brunson Is Going To Have It Her Way". Vibe. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Otterson, Joe (February 16, 2021). "Quinta Brunson to Write, Star in ABC Comedy Pilot 'Harrity Elementary'". Variety. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Ewing, Aliya Semper (May 25, 2019). "A Black Lady Sketch Show Reveals a Cast Ready to Make You Laugh". The Grapevine. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  29. ↑ Del Rosario, Alexandra (March 23, 2021). "'A Black Lady Sketch Show': HBO Sets Season 2 Premiere Date For Robin Thede Sketch Comedy Series". Deadline. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Andreeva, Nellie (January 17, 2020). "Syfy Ramps Up Animation Push With First Original Series & Pilot Orders For New TZGZ Block". Deadline. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Petski, Denise (May 27, 2021). "Quinta Brunson Joins Season 3 Of TBS' 'Miracle Workers' As Recurring". Deadline. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  32. ↑ White, Brooklyn (February 13, 2021). "Quinta Brunson Reveals Title Of Debut Book—'She Memes Well'". Essence. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  33. ↑ "'Abbott Elementary' creator gifts West Philadelphia students at alma mater with free books". Mastery Charter School. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Quinta Brunson to write, star in ABC comedy pilot 'Harrity Elementary'". NBC News. February 17, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Petski, Denise (March 26, 2021). "Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, 3 More Join Quinta Brunson In Her ABC School Comedy Pilot". Deadline. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  36. ↑ Han, Angie (December 7, 2021). "ABC's 'Abbott Elementary': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Abbot Elementary". Rotten Tomatoes.
  38. ↑ Puckett-Pope, Lauren (April 13, 2022). "Quinta Brunson Has A Hit. Better Yet, She Has A Plan". ELLE. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  39. ↑ Marchese, David (March 28, 2022). "Quinta Brunson Knows Why America Was Ready for 'Abbott Elementary'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  40. ↑ Broadway, Danielle (January 11, 2022). "Quinta Brunson on the real-life teacher who inspired 'Abbott Elementary'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 "Quinta Brunson: The 100 Most Influential People of 2022". Time. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  42. ↑ Fleming, Ryan (September 13, 2022). "Quinta Brunson Lands First Emmy; Only Second Black Woman To Win In The Writing For A Comedy Series Category".
  43. ↑ Coates, Tyler (May 9, 2023). "Peabody Awards: 'Abbott Elementary,' 'Andor,' 'Severance' and 'We're Here' Among Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  44. ↑ Bell, BreAnna (August 11, 2022). "'Abbott Elementary' Creator Quinta Brunson Inks Overall Deal With Warner Bros. TV". Variety. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Aurthur, Kate (June 8, 2022). "Quinta Brunson Joins 'Party Down' Revival as Guest Star (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  46. ↑ "'Abbott Elementary' star Quinta Brunson makes 'Saturday Night Live' hosting debut". PhillyVoice. April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  47. ↑ Kindelan, Katie (January 16, 2024). "'Abbott Elementary' star Quinta Brunson is 1st Black woman to win best comedic actress Emmy in over 40 years". ABCNews.go.com. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  48. ↑ "Historic Wins, Incredible Speeches and That Kiss: The 12 Best Moments of the Emmy Awards". Peoplemag.
  49. ↑ Gibson, Kelsie (February 8, 2024). "Who Is Quinta Brunson's Husband? All About Kevin Jay Anik". Peoplemag. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  50. ↑ "WGA Strike: Quinta Brunson, Amanda Seyfried Support Strike on Met Gala 2023 Carpet". Teen Vogue. May 2, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Celebrities call for ceasefire, decry civilian deaths: Hollywood reacts to Israel-Hamas war". USA Today. October 16, 2023.
  52. ↑ Ralph, Pat (January 31, 2022). "City Council honors Quinta Brunson for capturing Philly's spirit in 'Abbott Elementary'". PhillyVoice. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  53. ↑ O'Connell, Mikey (December 7, 2022). "The Hollywood Reporter's 2022 Women in Entertainment Power 100". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  54. ↑ Voyles, Blake (September 7, 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Winners". Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  55. ↑ "Quinta Brunson named 2023 Commencement speaker | Penn GSE". www.gse.upenn.edu. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  56. ↑ "Quinta Brunson to receive honorary degree at Temple University's 2024 Commencement". Temple Now | news.temple.edu. March 22, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  57. ↑ Coates, Tyler (May 2, 2024). "Peabody Awards: Mel Brooks, Quinta Brunson Tapped for Special Honors". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  58. ↑ "Quinta Brunson - The Peabody Awards". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  59. ↑ Shure, Marnie; Jose Nateras; Anthony D Herrera; Dan Jakes (October 11, 2021). "Jodie Whittaker waxes nostalgic about Glastonbury '98 on The Line-Up". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  60. ↑ Gyarkye, Lovia (June 15, 2021). "'As of Yet': Film Review | Tribeca 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  61. ↑ Grobar, Matt (June 5, 2024). "Quinta Brunson & Anderson .Paak Join Pharrell Williams-Michel Gondry Musical From Universal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  62. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 18, 2024). "Revamped Warner Bros Animation Sets 'Cat In The Hat' With Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang & More; Eyes Spring 2026 Release". Deadline. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  63. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 5, 2024). "Quinta Brunson & Stephanie Hsu To Team On Universal Comedy 'Par For The Course'". Deadline. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  64. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (October 4, 2018). "CBS Nabs Jermaine Fowler & Quinta Brunson Parenting Comedy From Larry Wilmore With Production Commitment". Deadline. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 Goldberg, Lesley (February 16, 2021). "Quinta Brunson-Led Teacher Comedy Moving Forward at ABC". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  66. ↑ White, Brett (August 2, 2022). "'Cars on the Road' on Disney+: Release Date, Trailer and What We Know". Decider. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  67. ↑ The Internet - Come Over (Official Video), June 6, 2018, retrieved May 31, 2022
  68. ↑ "QUINTA BRUNSON X THE INTERNET X ME – Melody Ehsani". melodyehsani.com. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  69. ↑ Thundercat - 'Dragonball Durag' (Official Video), February 27, 2020, retrieved February 8, 2022
  70. ↑ Breihan, Tom (May 13, 2024). "Childish Gambino Shares 'Little Foot Big Foot' Video Feat. Quinta Brunson, Announces Massive 2024 World Tour". Stereogum. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  71. ↑ Zee, Michaela (August 22, 2022). "AAFCA Awards 2022: Courtney B. Vance, Robin Thede and More TV Honorees Talk Representation, Equal Pay and All-Black Writers' Room". Variety. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  72. ↑ Complex, Valerie (June 16, 2022). "6th Annual Black Reel Television Awards Nominations Announced". Deadline. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  73. ↑ Hammond, Pete (November 2, 2022). "Celebration Of Black Cinema & Television: Angela Bassett, Quinta Brunson, Michael B. Jordan, Berry Gordy Among Honorees At 5th Annual Event". Deadline. Retrieved December 7, 2022.

External links
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