Though Abbot Elementary creator Quinta Brunson’s parents “didn’t necessarily support her going into comedy,” the self-proclaimed “Philly kid” credits them for where she is now. “They made me watch every old sitcom that ever existed. So this is their fault,” she said during her Glamour speech. “They also instilled in me the importance of advocating for myself. As a young Black woman in Hollywood, I have to do that every single day. And it is not easy.”
Brunson accepted the honor from fellow comedian and writer Ayo Edebiri. The Bear star brought her “friend, confidante, and mentor” to tears when she introduced her: “This woman is a very big deal,” said Edebiri.
When Brunson took the stage, she quipped, “Ayo made me cry. Can we kick her out?
After listing Brunson’s accolades including a Peabody award and a Golden Globe (and of course, now, a WOTY), Edebiri also joked, “She’s an amazing person to talk trash with,” something she explained requires a “keen and sharp eye,” as well as an “almost tactical humor and undeniable wit which we all know she has.”
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Brunson’s wit was on full display during her speech, in which she decried justice for short kings. “I’m glad to be part of a new generation of storytellers that we just don’t get to see enough of: young people, people of color, short people, that’s what we need to focus on, short women, short men, short king representation,” she said.
Quinta Brunson, Head of Her Class
The past few years have been a whirlwind for multi-hyphenate Quinta Brunson, creator of Abbott Elementary. As for what’s after graduation? Here comes the plot twist.
Read Quinta Brunson’s Women of the Year speech in full below:
Ayo made me cry. Can we kick her out? That was so sweet, I didn’t expect to cry. I feel very emotional in general because my sister and my niece are here with me. I also feel emotional because Ayo is one of my anchors in this industry, and she is not only one of my best friends but somehow both my aunt and my sister. She is also family, so I feel fortunate to have her in the room. Also, Taraji [P. Henson] is here, who is wonderful, just supportive, couldn’t ask for a better TV mom, and as I came in, I got to see my fake cousin Lauren London.
Lemme just say thank you to Glamour. This is such an honor, more of an honor than I even realized. This is a big deal. Walking into this event tonight was incredible….
And thank you to my parents, who were 100% not excited when I told them about my comedy dreams. They thought I was going to be a clown. Clowning is hard. But they put me in dance classes. They made me watch every old sitcom that ever existed. So this is their fault. They also instilled in me the importance of advocating for myself. As a woman, as a young Black woman, as a human in Hollywood, I have to do that every single day. And it is not easy.
I’m grateful for the experiences that helped me strengthen my core of self-belief: Second City, Buzzfeed, A Black Lady Sketch Show…if any of you live in LA, I probably helped you out at the Genius Bar when I worked at the Apple Store in Century City. If any you need to help—spoiler alert—they changed the [iPhone charging] cord.
Every job taught me to manage Abbott [Elementary] the way I do today. Even though I am the boss, I want most of all to create community. Where we listen to each other, respect each other, hear each other out. I’m proud of the labor movements in our industry that are working hard to do that right now.
I’m glad to be part of a new generation of storytellers that we just don’t get to see enough of: young people, people of color, short people, that’s what we need to focus on, short women, short men, short king representation…. This is about women. I vow to keep building platforms that keep our voices loud and proud, and make room for more young women to follow.
