The sitcom star also shares the sweet feedback the cast regularly gets from fans.
Buckle up, Abbott Elementary fans, you're in for an emotional ride tonight! Series star Tyler James Williams issues a warning for viewers while on Wednesday's episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show.
"A lot of things happen," Williams tells host Jennifer Hudson about the season 2 finale airing on Wednesday, April 19. "It's going to be good, it's a good one. You're going to want to watch that one live because people will be talking."
The 30-year-old actor, who plays elementary school teacher Gregory Eddie on ABC's breakout comedy, also drops details about the production of the finale, revealing that they got to actually film in Philadelphia rather than a set on the lot. "We got a chance to go out there and experience Philly," he says, adding that it was "beautiful" watching residents respond to series creator, writer and star Quinta Brunson, a Philadelphia native herself.
"Not always do you get a chance to make something that directly resonates with the people whose stories you're telling and they feel so seen by it," Williams says. "And I think teachers' response to the show has been incredible. I was recently doing a talk at the University of Wisconsin and [had] some teachers come to me. There were teachers who were beginning their journeys [and] had just ended their journeys, and for them to say, 'Thank you for giving me something to laugh and process the information with,' was really beautiful."
He adds, "I love that it's been, not just entertaining but therapeutic for people. It's a hard job, it is not easy to do and they need to be able to work through and have something to laugh about. That's really, to me, what's been most gratifying to me about the experience."
The critically acclaimed series, which returned for its second season on Sept. 21, has been lauded for its realistic and heartwarming depiction of life for teachers struggling against a negligent system to provide their students with the best possible education. Brunson has been especially vocal as a proponent for teachers, even using her Saturday Night Live debut monologue to advocate for educators.
After showing a video she and Barack Obama recorded to thank her mother, Norma Jean, for being a teacher, Brunson ended her monologue with the statement that teachers get "taken for granted."
"Please remember how important teachers are, acknowledge the work they do every day and for the love of God, pay them the money they deserve," she concluded.
Abbott Elementary's season 2 finale, titled "Franklin Institute," airs tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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