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2023 NAACP Image Awards: See How Quinta Brunson is Taking Television by Storm

The breakout star is on fire thanks to her award-winning series ‘Abbott Elementary.’

Some may know the name Quinata Brunson thanks to her critically acclaimed sitcom Abbott Elementary. However, before the Philly native began racking up accolades, including nine nominations for her ABC series at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards, the multitalented star kept fans laughing with her social media series packed with tons of meme-worthy moments. So ahead of this year’s celebration of Black excellence, set to air live for the first time in three years on Saturday, February 25th, 2023, at 8:00 PM ET on BET, get to know the shining star with these cool facts.

  • She appeared on the award-winning ‘Black Lady Sketch Show’

    Before playing Jeanine on Abbott Elementary, Brunson appeared on HBO Max’s Primetime Emmy Awards-nomination sketch series. She was a part of the main cast during the show’s first season in 2020 and later made guest appearances in season three.

  • Before creating Abbott Elementary, she worked for American Eagle

    While chatting with the AVClub, Brunson revealed that one of her gigs included working at the popular American Eagle retail store, which wasn’t her favorite. “For no reason other than the menial tasks—it wasn’t the people, the people were great—but American Eagle. Folding jeans. I don’t like that kind of stuff,” she explained. “Also, when I was there, they were like, ‘Sign up for a credit card! Sign up for an American Eagle credit card!’ They encouraged us to do it, and it did nothing but f—k up my credit at a very young age,” she added.

  • She used to work for Buzzfeed

    After gaining traction on social media thanks to her self-produced Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date, Brunson landed residency with media company BuzzFeed as a producer and freelancer creating content that proved she was bound to make it big in comedy.

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  • She’s the author of She Memes Well: Essays

    In 2021, Brunson released her memoir She Memes Well, a “deeply personal and funny collection of essays about trying to make it when you're struggling, the importance of staying true to your roots, and how she's redefined humor online.”

  • She named her successful series after someone significant in her life

    During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, the writer and executive producer revealed that she named the show and fictional school after her 6th-grade teacher Joyce Abbott who taught in Philadelphia public school for over two decades.

    Watch the NAACP Image Awards live on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on BET.

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