Abbott Elementary actor Tyler James Williams says that a producer in Hollywood told him that he would “never work again” after Everybody Hates Chris. In a new GQ interview, the sitcom star talks about his star being on the rise after all this time. Fans of The Walking Dead and Black Lady Sketch Show saw him pop up during their runs. But, Abbott Elementary absolutely threw the doors open for Williams after some years teetering on becoming an entertainment footnote. All the while, those comments from a producer danced in the back of his mind. But, he didn’t let it discourage him and instead focused his energy on getting his skills together to prove some people wrong. Needless to say, that strategy paid off for the Everybody Hates Chris star.
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“I figured that out pretty fucking quickly,” Williams began and noted the time a Everybody Hates Chris producer said, “I’ll never see you as anything else and you’ll probably never work again.” However, while noting that it was probably said in a joking manner, the comments left a mark on him as he began the “adult” phase of his career. He said “I was like, ‘Holy shit, you really just looked at me and said that.’”
But, Williams had a simple pivot for how his career had unfolded up until that point. “I realized at 17 that I didn’t like the road I was on,” the actor said. “So I decided to stop and pivot. I got with a really good acting coach and I turned down every single thing I was offered.”
What Does The Future Look Like For Abbott Elementary?
It turns out there’s going to be plenty more Abbott Elementary as the show was picked up for Season 3 midway through the second set of episodes. While there wasn’t a new episode this week, you can also look forward to new Abbott in April.
“This renewal is a richly deserved feather in the cap of Quinta Brunson, [executive producers] Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Randall Einhorn, as well as the rest of the cast and crew of Abbott Elementary,” Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group said in a statement. “Each week, this talented group of artists celebrates true unsung heroes — public school teachers. And for some extra icing on the renewal cake, our favorite group of teachers was honored this morning with two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and last night with three Golden Globe Awards. Abbott Elementary is the gift that keeps on giving, and I look forward to many more magnificent episodes of this brilliant, authentic, and just plain funny series.”
Are you excited to see Williams getting these opportunities? Let us know down in the comments!
