Abbott Elementary took the comedy space by storm. Now, fans eagerly wait for the third season of the show. The workplace comedy created, written, and led by Quinta Brunson has received numerous award wins, including Golden Globes and Emmys.
Set in a public school in Philadelphia, Abbott Elementary tells the story of the teachers and staff that goes way beyond their job requirements to help their students.
One of the roles in the ensemble is Mr. Eddie, played by Tyler James Williams, who is not unfamiliar with comedy. Williams was the lead in Everybody Hates Chris. The actor won his first nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as the uptight professor. Last year, Williams won a Golden Globe Award for the show.
Professor Gregory Eddie mastered the reaction shot and is learning how to open up to his colleagues — inside and outside the school. Here are Williams' best moments as Gregory in Abbott Elementary.
10 Reversy Toilet
First days are always chaotic, but Gregory’s at Abbott made him rapidly understand the nature of his new job — and it is not a clean one most of the time. He helps a student to the bathroom.
There, he learns about something called Reversy Toilet in the worst way possible. Reversy Toilet splashes water out of the toilet, rather than flushing it, and it had to target Gregory’s shirt and pants on his first day. This is where he meets Janine (Quinta Brunson), who is immediately concerned about the strange man holding a child's pants in the school bathroom.
9 Any Interaction With Ava
Any conversation Gregory has with Ava (Janelle James) is funny. Ava is completely shameless in her flirtatious tone with him, and Gregory is quite uncomfortable with it. The principal goes as far as calling him “Young Idris [Elba]." Granted, much of the comedy in these interactions come from Ava’s complete lack of environmental awareness, but Gregory’s quick annoyed reactions when he turns to the camera are priceless.
8 A Learning Moment
To say that children are unpredictable is an understatement and Gregory soon finds out how much. In a class where the kids were planting bean seeds in cotton balls, one of them calls for Gregory. The student then says he has swollen the bean seed and is worried a tree will grow on his belly. Gregory, seeing a learning opportunity, asked if he also swallowed the cotton — which the kid promptly says yes. A bit worried, Gregory then takes him to the nurse's office.
7 “How Do You Feel About Pollution?”
While Gregory has become a good teacher, his ideal job is still to be a principal. However, he learns in Season 2 that becoming principal is a bit more than being good at your job, like also being social and connecting with the people you work with. Trying to make small talk with Shanae (Nikea Gamby-Turner), one of the school’s cooks, he asks her how she feels about pollution. His first attempt at small talk doesn’t go well, but later he finds his footing with subjects he is interested in.
6 Gregory Pretends to Like Pizza
To say that Gregory is a strange individual is a given. He is strict and yet, a very lovable character when he lets himself open up to others. One of his many strange qualities is his distaste for popular food, which includes pizza. The arc of an entire episode for his character is that he pretends to like pizza so that the other teachers won't question or bother him about his alimentary tastes. In the end, he can’t take it anymore and ends up confessing.
5 Taking Care of the School Garden
Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) decide to take care of the school’s garden and plant flowers, vegetables, etc. However, they are completely clueless about how to do it, so Gregory steps up and takes care of it. But, being Gregory, he does it in secret and lets his fellow colleagues think they are great at it. His father, the one that outs him to his friends, is the owner of a successful gardening company.
4 Teacher of the Year Award Speech
Gregory doesn’t feel like he deserves the Teacher of the Year Award, and he is right. Nevertheless, he won it, and Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) encourages him to go out there and accept it as an anticipatory award. He then delivers a heartfelt speech about his fellow colleagues and his experience being a teacher. It’s one of the few times he allows himself to be vulnerable and truly express how much he appreciates the people he works with.
3 Trying to Connect With His Students
Gregory wanted to be a principal, not a substitute teacher at Abbott Elementary. But, the job was taken by Ava. At first, he has difficulty connecting with his students and decides to ask Janine for help. He notices how her classroom is filled with her student’s paintings taped on the walls, and he decides to do the same. He realizes quite quickly how much his students look up to him and how to start getting to know them better.
2 Gregory Kisses Janine
In the second season, a moment many have been waiting for happened: Gregory kisses Janine while at the teachers’ conference. Janine kisses him back, and they finally allow themselves to act on their feelings that have been obvious to anyone around them, apart from one another. It was a cute and intimate moment that rang right with whom the characters are.
1 Gregory Becomes a Full-Time Teacher
From the beginning, Gregory makes it clear he doesn’t want to become a full-time teacher and wants to find a job as a principal in a different school. However, the students, and a certain below-average-height teacher, charm him. So, Gregory decides to stay at Abbott as a full-time teacher at the end of Season 1 and fully embrace his role in these children's lives.