The Emmy-winning series' second season will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 21.
Abbott Elementary is welcoming some new faces in season 2! Ahead of the premiere of its sophomore season, the network revealed that the Emmy-winning series is rolling out a best-in-class guest roster including Leslie Odom Jr., Lauren Weedman and Keyla Monterroso Mejia.
Odom Jr. will put his numerous skills to work as Draemond, the owner of a string of charter schools in the area who pays a visit to Abbott. Weedman is sure to get tongues wagging as Kristin Marie, a tough-talking teacher from a neighboring school who bears a striking resemblance to one of Abbott’s own. On My Block's Mejia will guest star as Ashley, a teacher’s aide at Abbott Elementary whose go-with-the-flow personality contributes to classroom chaos.
In August, the Abbott Elementary cast was joined at San Diego Comic-Con by executive producers Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker in a live virtual panel, where they first revealed the premiere date and that the upcoming season scored a rare full-season, 22-episode order.
While the cast remained tight-lipped on what other surprises are in store for season 2, especially when it comes to possible famous cameos, Brunson did offer one tease, "You're going to see a cameo in the first episode."
"I'm not gonna tell you who it is but it's a really good one," she added, with Schumacker noting that they were only allowed the mysterious guest for "literally one day."
"It's someone we didn't think we'd be able to get," Brunson teased. "It's one of the biggest stars in the world to me. They are the biggest star we've seen thus far at Abbott Elementary."
On Monday, the beloved series following a group of dedicated, passionate teachers -- and a slightly tone-deaf principal -- brought together in a Philadelphia public school won two (out of three total) of its seven breakthrough Emmy nominations.
Quinta Brunson, creator, writer, and star of Abbott Elementary, made history as the second Black woman to win television's highest award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
Brunson took the stage and humbly thanked the networks that trusted in her vision to tell this story. “I want to say thank you to ABC, Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros.," she said. "It takes that many people to make a television show. I need to say thank you to Justin and Patrick, my co-showrunners, for believing in a show from four years ago and thinking that it would make a good TV show."
She also thanked Larry Wilmore, her parents, husband, siblings and the rest of the cast and crew.
Sheryl Lee Ralph was the show's other big winner that night, becoming the second Black actress to win the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, 35 years after Jackée Harry became the first to do so in 1987.
Ralph shined bright in her big Emmy moment when she took the Microsoft Theater stage to accept the award. The actress, whose career has spanned five decades, opened her acceptance speech with a rendition of Dianne Reeves' "Endangered Species" in one of the evening's most memorable moments.
"To anyone that has ever, ever had a dream and though your dream, wasn't, wouldn't, couldn't, come true, I am here to tell you that is what believing looks like," Ralph said, beginning her impassioned acceptance speech. "This is what striving looks like."
"And don't you ever, ever give up on you, because if you get a Quinta Brunson in your corner, if you get a husband like mine in your corner, if you get children like mine in your corner, and if you've got friends like everybody who voted for me, cheered for me, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she closed her speech.
Abbott Elementary sophomore season premieres on ABC, Wednesday, Sept. 21.
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to say thank you to ABC, Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros.," she said. "It takes that many people to make a television show. I need to say thank you to Justin and Patrick, my co-showrunners, for believing in a show from four years ago and thinking that it would make a good TV show."
She also thanked Larry Wilmore, her parents, husband, siblings and the rest of the cast and crew.
Sheryl Lee Ralph was the show's other history-maker, becoming the second Black actress to win the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, 35 years after Jackée Harry became the first to do so in 1987.