‘ABBOTT ELEMENTARY’ star Tyler James Williams gets standing ovation from Eddie Murphy
Tyler James Williams plays a substitute turned full-time faculty member in an inner-city Philadelphia primary school in ‘Abbott Elementary,’ a sharp workplace comedy about a group of teachers and staff outsmarting the faults of public education.
After Sheryl Lee Ralph and Quinta Brunson’s Emmy stint, it is now Tyler James Williams’ turn.
The Abbott Elementary made the honor roll.
The Abbott Elementary star scored his first Golden Globe award for best supporting actor in a television series.
“The magnitude of the moment is not lost on me,” Williams said after receiving the award presented by White Lotus’s Jennifer Coolidge. He bested fellow nominees Henry Winkler (Barry), John Lithgow (The Old Man), Jonathan Pryce (The Crown), and John Turturro (Severance).
“I want to start off by thanking first and foremost my cast and my crew. I love y’all. It’s an honor to work with you every day,” he continued giving a shout-out to Brunson, creator and showrunner of the comedy series.
“I truly, truly appreciate this and I pray that this is a win for Gregory Eddie,” Williams further said, referring to his Abbott Elementary character. “And for his story and for stories like his. That we may understand that his story is just as important as all of the other stories that have to be told out here.”
Humanized character
Williams demands a well-rounded character — a Black male teacher with a “vast emotional spectrum, a deep care for his kids and getting sucked into this crazy world that is the public school system”. As he described in an interview with HuffPost, he wanted a humanized character beyond the usual trope of a Black person in previous workplace comedies or comedies.
It is important to note that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s racial exclusion scandal, which led to a boycott from stars and audience, forced the Golden Globe Awards to take a two-year break. There were no Black members among the 87 voters in the HFPA, according to a Los Angeles Times exposé when Judas and Black Messiah did not get Best Picture nominations.
Upon accepting his award, Williams got a standing ovation from the comedy legend Eddie Murphy. The internet is now convinced that Williams should play the comedian in a biopic or the two can work as a father-son tandem.
The 29-year-old actor has a long list of acting credits to his name. At only four years old, he was on the beloved children’s program Sesame Street for several seasons. He later starred in the internationally syndicated, Chris Rock-inspired sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, which earned him an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series.
Now, he plays Gregory Eddie, a substitute turned full-time faculty member in an inner-city Philadelphia primary school. Abbott Elementary is a sharp workplace comedy about a group of teachers and staff outsmarting the faults of public education.
Love interest
Gregory is the love interest is a slow-burn romance with Janine Teagues, played by Brunson. The two first paired in HBO’s A Black Lady sketch show.
The breakout comedy series won three awards, out of five nominations, the most of any show this year. The series won as the best television series. At the same time, lead star Brunson got the best actress in a TV series award. Janelle James and Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph were both nominated for the best supporting actress category.
Among the show’s strong online presence, Brunson and Ralph also won best writing for a comedy series at the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards.
The series has been renewed for a third season, a day after it scored three nods at the Golden Globes. The renewal was announced by Craig Erwich, president of ABC Entertainment, Hulu, and Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals, at the Television Critics Association’s Winter 2023 press tour.