'Abbott Elementary' Cast Gets Pay Raise Ahead Of Fourth Season
The cast of "Abbott Elementary" is smiling to the bank as the fourth season prepares for takeoff.
The star-studded cast got a significant raise in their earning per episode, and Quinta Brunson leads the pack.
"Abbott Elementary" won the 2022 SAG Award for comedy series and has gathered a huge following since its debut on ABC.
Quinta Brunson And Other OG Cast Of 'Abbott Elementary' Renegotiated Their Contracts
Brunson, who also created the show, joined Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, and Chris Perfetti to rework their initial agreement with Warner Bros Television, the show's lead studio.
The meeting's aftermath bore impressive fruits. Brunson will now earn $350,000-$400,000 per episode in the new season as she continues to interpret the role of idealistic young teacher Janine Teagues.
Williams and Ralph follow at a close second at $250,000 per episode, and James, who plays Ava Coleman on the show, will be making $200,000 alongside Walter, who plays Melissa Schemmenti, and Perfetti, who plays Jacob Hill.
According to Deadline, the new figures reportedly double or triple the actors' previous paychecks from the show. Williams Stanford Davis was not left behind in the new dispensation.
Although he started out as a recurring character before becoming a series regular in the second season, the actor who plays Mr. Johnson on the show will now earn $100k per episode.
'Abbott Elementary' Broke ABC's Network Record
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The comedy was the network's first show to get a season renewal in 2024. It was billed for a Season 4 pick-up in February, shortly after Season 3 premiered as the show's strongest multi-platform opener with 5.91 million viewers.
The third season earned a 1.84 rating among adults aged 18-49 in MP+3. "Abbott Elementary's second season also performed well, gaining a 3.56 rating among the same age group in the 35-day viewing window.
The feat marked the strongest season average for an ABC comedy since the 2019-2020 season. "Abbott Elementary" has also remained the only current scripted broadcast series to have a consistent presence in the major awards categories.
It has won multiple Emmys and Golden Globes. The original characters, Brunson, Williams, Ralph, and James, also scored multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for their impeccable acting on the show.
The comedy show premiered alongside CBS' "Ghosts" in fall 2021, and as of last year, actors from "Ghosts" had already renegotiated their contracts after the second season.
The Show Welcomed New Faces For Its Third Season
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Each season seemingly has a new twist. Earlier in the year, The Blast reported that the first two episodes of the show's third season premiered on ABC with three new characters.
Actress Kimia Behpoorbia, along with actors Josh Segarra and Benjamin Norris, joined the A-list cast to navigate the hassles of the Philadelphia public school system. Segarra played Manny, while Behpoorbia played Emily, Norris, on the other hand, showed off his skills as Simon.
Together, the three represented the good-natured Philadelphia school district representatives who brought fresh perspectives to their duties as school ambassadors.
Although fresh on "Abbott Elementary," the new faces have all the experience needed to excel. Segarra starred in the Apple TV+ comedy The Big Door Prize and ruled 2023 when he starred in the hit "Scream 6" with Courtney Cox, Jenna Ortega, and Melissa Barrera.
Behpoorbia was also a series regular on NBC's Abby's and a recurring character on Max's Hacks, Hulu's Reboot, and Netflix's Atypical.
As for Norris, his performance in the Netflix series "Never Have I Ever" made him a center of attention. He also starred in the 2023 refix of Nickelodeon's monster hit show "iCarly" and NBC's "Superstore."
Brunson Reportedly Called The Comedy Show's Success
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The actor not only starred in it, she also created, executive produced, and co-wrote the popular ABC show.
Since its debut in 2021, the show has gathered over seven million viewers worldwide, but despite the massive surge, Brunson remained unfazed because she had always known the show would be a hit with the fans.
In an interview in 2022, the 34-year-old admitted that she was "very prepared" for the show's outcome. She noted her struggles with her previous projects and how she always felt anxiety, but with "Abbott Elementary," Brunson stated:
"…It was like 'if this doesn't go, I don't know what I have to give the world because this is the best I can do. I could see us winning awards. I could see us becoming really popular."
Brunson's Character Unfolded As The Show's Popularity Soared
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The Blast reported that Brunson's character was initially scripted to be a minor feature in the project, but things escalated pretty quickly following the show's success.
Brunson's character is that of a poor teacher with a strong will who would do anything for her students. However, she battled a dark side of her rooted in her lack of childhood friends and insecurities.
When it premiered, with just a few episodes airing, her character resonated with so many people, and she received massive positive feedback. The actor even considered leaving X when the accolades became too great.
"I'm a child of the internet, but at the end of the day, ratings are still a huge indicator of how successful a network perceives a show to be," admitted the Philadelphia native.
Can the fourth season of "Abbott Elementary" replicate the success of the other seasons? Time will tell!
