‘Abbott Elementary’ Helped Tyler James Williams Start Dreaming Again
The cast and crew of Abbott Elementary have a ton to celebrate. The first season of the hit show was a smash success, drawing in millions of viewers on a weekly basis. Critics showed the mockumentary-style sitcom a lot of love also, nominating it for seven Emmys. Tyler James Williams was one of the four actors nominated for his portrayal of the straight-laced teacher, Gregory Eddy.
Tyler James Williams did plenty of TV shows and movies before being cast in ‘Abbott Elementary’
If Williams looks familiar, there are plenty of reasons why. He’s certainly no stranger to sitcoms. As a child, he portrayed Chris Rock in Everybody Hates Chris. Since then, he’s steadily built his resume with a number of TV shows and movies. However, being on Abbott Elementary has certainly thrust him into the spotlight once more. Receiving his first Emmy nomination is undoubtedly a career-high for Williams. However, it also made him shift the way he wanted to approach his acting career going forward.
How his Emmy nomination changed things for Williams
Because of the success of Everybody Hates Chris, Williams has been hyperaware of the trajectory of his career. He took on quite a few roles outside of the sitcom world so he wouldn’t pigeonhole himself as one type of actor. He was also hyperaware that many talented child actors fail to transition into successful acting careers as adults. However, his Emmy nomination for Abbott Elementary made Williams start viewing his career in a new light.
“I spent so much of my twenties trying to craft an argument or course-correct where my career was headed,” the Abbott Elementary actor told Teen Vogue. “I was aware that I could get stuck and [become] the typical child actor story, so I was tunnel-visioned. I forgot that there was all this other stuff. I started dreaming again. I had been so realistic for so long… [now I can] dream and look further down the road.”
What can ‘Abbott Elementary’ fans expect from season 2?
While Williams is reimagining his future, he’s also hellbent on having fun. Being a part of the Abbott Elementary cast has afforded him the opportunity to play again. And since season 2 of the ABC show got upgraded to 22 episodes (up from the 13 episodes in season 1), there are even more chances for Williams to play around in Gregory’s shoes.
But what can fans of Abbott Elementary fans expect from Gregory and the gang in season 2? Creator, Quinta Brunson, has shared that the sophomore season will allow fans to get a deeper glimpse into the outside lives of the dedicated teachers at Abbott. Fans should expect to see some new locations outside of the school. Furthermore, because there are more episodes, there will be more opportunities for silliness and frivolous fun. We certainly can’t wait to see what Williams and the rest of the cast get up to next.
