With one Emmy, two Golden Globes, and a SAG Award for her hit showAbbott Elementary,Quinta Brunsonis making waves and rising to stardom right before everyone’s eyes. The series depicts the everyday lives of a group of teachers in a Philadelphia public school. The actor both stars in and created the show, showcasing just how multi-talented she is.
Though many people know her solely fromAbbott Elementary, the actor originally got her start on Buzzfeed and has since starred in many various movies and TV shows, includingMel Brooks' latest project, the long-awaitedHistory of the World Part II. Viewers who want to watch more of Quinta can will be glad to know herRotten Tomatoesscores are through the roof.
10’History of the World: Part II' (2023 - )
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 71%
A sequel to Mel Brooks' originalHistory of the World: Part I, the television series is composed of various comedy sketches that illustrate different moments in human history. Some major events that are featured inPart IIinclude The Civil War, featuringIke Barinholtzas General Ulysses S. Grant, the story of Jesus (Jay Ellis) and his Apostles, and the story of Shirley Chisholm (Wanda Sykes), the first Black congresswoman in the U.S.
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In the series, Quinta Brunson appears in a few of the sketches that feature Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene (Zazie Beetz), appearing as Martha Magdalene, selling eggs with her sister and passing judgments on Jesus Christ, who she calls broke and corny. Ultimately, though, her character is seen becoming a groupie for the band that Jesus and his 12 Apostles start.
9’An American Pickle' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 72%
The comedy filmAn American Picklestars the hilariousSeth Rogenas Ben Greenbaum, a Jewish man living in New York whose life gets shaken up when his Orthodox Jewish great-grandfather Herschel Greenbaum tracks him down after being preserved in pickle brine for 100 years. Rogen plays both Ben and Herschel, which makes for hilarious scenes as he is seen talking to himself throughout the film.
Quinta Brunson has a minor part, appearing as an interviewee. The hilarious film also stars theSuccessionactorSarah Snook. Though Quinta’s role in the movie is small, she still stands out and can make audiences laugh. Choosing her for a comedy film such as this was a genius choice, as both she and Rogen are talented comedy actors.
8’Single Parents' (2018 - 2020)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 75%
TheSingle Parentstelevision series focuses on a group of single parentswho depend on each other for help raising their kids, and who, upon meeting single dad Will Cooper (Taran Killam), decide to help him out and pull him out of the endless parenting rabbit hole he’s fallen into. The main ensemble group of single parents featuresLeighton Meester,Jake Choi,Kimrie Lewis, andBrad Garrett.
Quinta Brunson had a minor recurring role onSingle Parents, appearing as a character named Bess in a total of three episodes. She appeared in Season 1, Episode 3: “A Leash Is Not A Guinea Pig,” Season 1, Episode 20: “Raining Blood,” and Season 2, Episode 16: “Hip$ for Dolores.” This is one minor part in a TV series that foreshadowed her future rise to stardom, showcasing just how funny and talented she was in just a few episodes.
7’Weird: The Al Yankovic Story' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 83%
Created as a satirical look on biopic films (including films likeBohemian Rhapsody, from which theWeirdfilm parodied poster ideas),Weird: The Al Yankovic StorystarsDaniel Radcliffeas superstar “Weird Al” Yankovicand tells the story of his life and career, in a mockumentary type fashion. This comedic film was co-written by the real Yankovic and also starsRainn Wilsonamong other well-known stars.
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In this satire, Quinta Brunson plays the legendaryOprah Winfrey. In the movie, when Yankovic’s album goes multi-platinum he catches the eye and interest of the iconic Oprah who becomes impressed by him. Another celebrity character that appears in the film isMadonna(played byEvan Rachel Wood), and the film also starsLin Manuel-Miranda,Jack Black, andWill Forte.
6’iZombie' (2015 - 2019)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92%
TheiZombieseries followsRose McIverfrom CBS’sGhostsas Liv Moore, a medical student who gets turned into a brain-craving zombie at a party. This leads her to abandon her current life and relationship to take a job at the local morgue which grants her access to the brains of corpses waiting to be autopsied. Additionally, she finds that when she feeds, she is granted access to the memories of that person. This leads her to pursue solving all of their murders.
In the series, Quinta Brunson appears in one episode, Season 5, Episode 12: “Bye, Zombies” as two separate characters, Dr. Charlotte Collier and Laila Collier. The actor is seen working alongside the character Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti, played byRahul Kohliwho has appeared in multipleMike Flanaganprojects likeMidnight Mass,The Midnight Club,andThe Haunting of Bly Manor. He is also set to appear in Flanagan’s upcoming projectThe Fall of the House of Usher.
5’New Girl' (2011 - 2018)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%
A beloved sitcom even years after its final episode,New Girlfollows Jess (Zooey Deschanel) who moves in with three single guys in the aftermath of a bad breakup. Her new roommates Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), and Winston (Lamorne Morris) are all quite different and are going through their own personal issues. They and Jess, along with her best friend Cece (Hannah Simone), form a solid found family throughout the course of the series.
Quinta has asmall cameo in the sitcomas a hostess named Annabelle in Season 7, Episode 6: “Mario”. This is Brunson’s very first acting role, and though it was a minor one, it clearly set the stage for her to become the talented and awarded writer, producer, and actor that she is today. Fans of Quinta will be shocked to see her in this minor role, knowing just how funny and talented she is.
4’Abbott Elementary' (2021 - )
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 99%
The Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning showAbbott Elementaryis a mockumentary-style sitcom that focuses on the titular public school in Philadelphia, which is led by the sometimes problematic but overall good-natured principal Ava (Janelle James). She and the dedicated group of teachers she oversees are constantly fighting against the school board, charter schools, and meddlesome parents as they simply try to do what is best for their students every day.
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Alongside talented actors likeLisa Ann Walter,Tyler James William,Chris Perfetti,William Stanford Davis, andSheryl Lee Ralph, Brunson plays Ms. Janine Teagues, a young but devoted teacher who desperately wants to change things. Like her colleagues, she always wants to do what is best for her students, but she tends to go about it in all the wrong ways. The show has also featured guest stars like multi-talentedLeslie Odom Jr.fromThe Many Saints of NewarkandOne Night in Miami…as well asAyo Edebiriwho stars inThe Bear.
3’As of Yet' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100%
An ode to the loneliness and isolation people experienced during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the filmAs of Yetfocuses on the main character Naomi (Taylor Garron) who experiences months locked up in her apartment in Brooklyn due to the pandemic. During this time, she deals with a troublesome roommate Sara (Eva Victor) and starts up an online romance with a man named Reed (Amir Khan) that she hopes she can turn into a real-life romance.
In the film, Quinta Brunson plays a character named Lyssa who is one of Naomi’s closest friends. Taylor Garron also wrote, produced, and co-directed the film that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2021. A special feature of themust-see pandemic movieis that the story it tells is told entirely through digital mediums such as FaceTime calls and online video diaries, which accurately depict the types of conversation most prevalent during that period of the pandemic.
TheMagical Girl Friendship Squadseries focuses on two struggling young women, Daisy (Anna Akana) and Alex (Quinta Brunson), who are visited by a magical red panda named Nut (Ana Gasteyer) who gifts them with special powers and tasks them with saving the world. The two women are very different but are close friends who live together, and must get their own lives sorted out before they can save the world.
Quinta Brunson’s character Alex is a young Black woman who is incredibly smart and wants to work as a barista. Alongside Daisy, she must work to make enough money to pay their rent on top of being tasked with saving the entire world. In an excellent metaphor for girl power, her powers are stored in her birth control container and many of her special powers are related to periods and birth control. Fans of Gasteyer can watch her in herlatest showAmerican Auto.
1’A Black Lady Sketch Show' (2019 - )
A hilarious sketch-comedy show that aims to fill in the gaps where the comedy entertainment industry lacks,A Black Lady Sketch Showfeatures a cast of all Black women, all Black women writers, and the very first Black woman sketch director,Dime Davis. Each episode of the show features celebrity guest stars such as the Oscar-nominatedAngela Bassettand touches on relevant themes, including but not limited to religion, mental health, relationships, and an overall commentary on society.
The main cast currently includesRobin Thede,Gabrielle Dennis, andSkye Townsend. Quinta Brunson was previously a main player on the show, appearing in various comedic roles in multiple different sketches during the first season. Since then, she has only appeared as a guest star. However, those who miss her sketch comedy will be happy to know that Quinta will be hostingSaturday Night Liveon April 1. Additionally,A Black Lady Sketch Showreturns with another season on April 14.
