Tyler James Williams has been a mainstay on television for years, starting in 2005 when he starred in the Everyone hates Chris four seasons and continued with roles in Go on, The living dead and Criminal Minds: Beyond the Border among others. His last appearance, as beloved first grade teacher Gregory Eddie on Opat Primary School, is a character that is particularly important to Williams.
“I handle it [Gregory] with great care. Immensely. I always think about his emotional spectrum first,” Williams, 31, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “I think that’s part of it, that I want to make sure that his strength lives in tandem with his emotionality, that it’s not devoid of that.”
Sheryl Lee Ralph says that the children who play her students Abbott Elementary School Believe ‘I am their teacher’
Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie in ‘Abbot Elementary’.
Pamela Littky/ABC/Getty
The performance he brings to the screen as Gregory is something he takes very seriously.
“I think that’s my overall goal here, which is to show not only black teachers in a certain light, but black men in a certain light who are allowed to be emotional and have a full emotional spectrum and then be in love,” he adds. , referring to his character’s blossoming on-screen relationship with Janine Teagues (played by Quinta Brunson). “One of the most important things I’ve ever done in my career is to showcase this, especially with the platform that we have.”
Williams is now a three-time Emmy nominee, but finds out he will be honored again for his work on Abbott Elementary School (he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 2024 ceremony) it’s always a surreal experience for a star.
“Every time [I’m nominated]man, it’s surreal,” he says. “There is so much good television with so many good actors. That they could even put — what is that? — five or six of us in a category is crazy. There were moments I couldn’t imagine existing [nominated]and I think every time that happens, I feel connected to it.”
Abbott Elementary School received nine Emmy nominations this year. In addition to Williams, Brunson was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, while Sheryl Lee Ralph was also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Also, Janelle James is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
For more on Tyler James Williams, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.
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With the cast now going through read-throughs for the show’s upcoming fourth season, Williams views her cast members as family. And like many families, they are close to each other through group chat.
“Every set is like a family, so we talk about drama on set, our internal family drama about who’s doing this with this and who’s upset,” he jokes. “But it’s Chris Perfetti who sends something that’s completely out of left field and it’s really funny. Sheryl and Lisa [Ann Walter] they give us constant updates on everything they see.”
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Tyler James Williams.
Ramona Rosales
“Janelle is pretty quiet. Every now and then she will call in,” adds Williams. “She’s one of those group chat people who are in there, just watching. She doesn’t really say much, she just looks at the chain.”
To pass the time on set, Williams says they occasionally play games together. “We tried to play the Hangman several times,” he says. “I think that’s actually the location of one of the jokes [an episode of] Abbott came from. Janine is playing the Hangman and she forgot what the word was. I know Quinta did that once.”
He continues: “We were playing Hangman and someone came up and asked her something, and then halfway through she forgot what it was.”
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Who is the most competitive during game sessions? “Lisa will get it,” he says. “No matter how simple the game is, she’ll get into it.”
Seasons 1 to 3 of Abbott Elementary School are available to stream on Hulu. Season 4 premieres October 9 on ABC.
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Source: HIS Education