Despite Its Success, This ‘Abbott Elementary’ Star, 35, Is “Looking Forward to Moving Away” for Other Projects

Abbott Elementary has been one of the biggest network sitcom hits of recent years. The show’s creator and star, however, is already looking forward to graduation. In a recent interview with Bustle, Quinta Brunson talked about the show’s inevitable conclusion, and her interest in moving on to new projects. It won’t happen any time soon, though: Abbott Elementary has been renewed for a fifth season, which will premiere in the fall.

Brunson is effusive about the show’s success with critics and audiences, which has kept the show on the air for five years: “We are so fortunate and blessed to be on a network TV show for five seasons, and for people to still be fans.” However, she’s looking for projects that will let her escape her Abbott character, perky second-grade teacher Janine Teagues: “I’m always interested in playing against type. I think that’s any actor’s dream. Right now my type is ‘Janine’ and ‘teacher.’ I’m looking forward to moving away from that a little bit.” Brunson isn’t the only member of Abbott‘s faculty who thinks this way, as she notes, “I have cast members who would love to pursue other projects, and our show is very time-consuming. We shoot about seven months out of the year. That can stop people from being able to do a lot of other things.” However, there’s no indication that Abbott will be closing its doors any time soon, with a fifth-season renewal and consistently strong ratings.

What Is ‘Abbott Elementary’ About?

Premiering in 2021, Abbott Elementary follows the staff and students of underfunded, inner-city Philadelphia school Willard R. Abbott Elementary. A relative newcomer to the school, Teagues shares the spotlight with maternal kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph), sardonic third-grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter), awkward sixth-grade history teacher Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti), self-obsessed principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), and all-knowing janitor Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis). The show’s pilot sees the uptight Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) join the school’s staff, first as a substitute, and later as a full-time teacher; after several seasons of “will they or won’t they,” Janine and Gregory finally started dating at the end of the third season.

Outside of Abbott, Brunson hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this year, and appeared as herself on the Seth Rogen Hollywood satire series The Studio. She is set to lend her voice to two upcoming animated projects: the Disney sequel Zootopia 2 and the Bill Hader-starring adaptation of The Cat in the Hat.

Abbott Elementary will return for a fifth season in the fall; the four previous seasons are now streaming on Hulu. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.