“So this is very much like an eclipse.
It’s a dream.
It’s very, very cool.”
Creator/star Quinta Brunson and Chris Perfetti on the new ABC sitcom ‘Abbott Elementary.'.Christopher Willard/ABC
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How has it been seeing the reaction to this show?
CHRIS PERFETTI:How can I put this lightly?
It’s been so, so groovy.
Chris Perfetti and Larry Owens, who have both been celebrated for their theater work, play a couple on ‘Abbott Elementary.'.Ser Baffo/ABC
The success of the show has been a bit overwhelming to be honest.
It’s also just been incredibly positive, and it feels really, really good.
So it’s been amazing.
Chris Perfetti in the ‘Desking’ episode of ‘Abbott Elementary’ on ABC.Temma Hankin/ABC
I really don’t know.
I mean, I had long conversations with Quinta before we even shot the pilot.
But I feel like his personal life is never really one of those.
Quinta Brunson and Chris Perfetti on ABC’s ‘Abbott Elementary.'.Christopher Willard/ABC
Saving the world, for lack of a better term.
and his kids are usually that.
So I think it’s both of those things.
And I think it’s just not who Jacob is from the get-go.
A lot of comedy has come from the things Jacob reveals about himself.
Do you have a favorite line or fact about Jacob that has been shown so far on the show?
This is the brilliance and the genius of working on a show like this.
So as much as you think you know, it’s like you’re free to’t know everything.
And that’s one of my, that’s one of my favorite nuggets.
It’s so revealing.
One thing about this episode is we’re introduced to Jacob’s partner.
You are a very esteemed theater actor.
You’re doingKing Jamesat the Steppenwolf Theatre right now.
When did you hear Larry Owens would be playing Jacob’s boyfriend, and were you excited about that?
I was so excited.
And then the second they mentioned Larry, I was super pumped about that.
He’s a brilliant actor and he’s great on our show.
This episode ends with some amazing physical comedy.
Did you actually get to go desking, and is there a fun preparation story for that?
Because it did look super fun to run and jump across the desks, but also dangerous.
But yeah so sadly, no.
We did a bunch of versions of both, and so I’m not sure.
So, I have no idea what this is gonna look like.
I have no idea what piece of the desking they’re gonna use.
No, not daunting.
I don’t know.
It just was always very clear to me.
And would I be jealous if somebody else were doing it?
And it passed both of those, so I always just felt like the character was extremely clear.
I could see that person in the world.
They’re both kind of these social puppies.
They’re overachievers, and Jacob is certainly like a nervous wreck.
I view him as sort of like a Shakespearean clown.
So yeah, that’s how he was described and what attracts me to him.
What has been the best part of being on the show?
Has it been really exploring those relationships with Quinta and all the other cast members?
I have the best cast and I’m very happy to go to work with them.
That is incredibly fulfilling and life affirming.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
