‘Abbott Elementary’s’ Sheryl Lee Ralph Says Characters Need Therapy

Abbott Elementary actress Sheryl Lee Ralph recently appeared at an event for the series. While there, she opened up about watching the scene of Janine and Gregory sharing a kiss. A few other actors from the series also shared their opinions.

Ralph Compared The Scene To Watch Her Own Children

On September 12, Ralph appeared at the PEOPLE x IHG Hotel & Resorts Conversation with Abbott Elementary while at the Los Angeles Kimpton Everly Hotel. During there, she shared her thoughts on the kiss between Janine and Gregory, played by Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams.

As noted by People, Ralph teased, “They need therapy, therapy, therapy!” The actress comments are somewhat in-character for her role on the show, where she plays kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard. Not only is Howard a character who doesn’t like to mince words, she also got caught in the middle when Gregory dated her character’s daughter, Taylor.

As for Ralph herself, she compared watching the scene to watching her children grow up. “I was just like, ‘I can’t watch it! I can’t watch it!’ I had to move away from the screen because it was like a mother looking at your grown children doing grown things,” she explained.

She continued, “And I can’t see it! I remember thinking they’re going to do the zambohoochies. It’s going to be something. And I just think about that and I’m just like, ‘Oh my God, my kids are growing up.’ It made me nervous.”

Lisa Ann Walter & Chris Perfetti Also Shared Their Thoughts

A few other actors from the show shared their thoughts on the scene. These include Lisa Ann Walter and Chris Perfetti, who play Melissa Schemmenti and Jacob Hill on the show respectively.

Perfetti described the scene as “such a great moment” and said Brunson and Williams “have such incredible chemistry.” He continued, “They’re such great actors that every single time they did it, it was different and it was profound in a new way. It was such a cool moment and now I feel like we should talk s— about them.”

For her part, Walter shared that, “Number one, I love that the trajectory of their romance, their relationship, in a way they’re not boyfriend girlfriend, they have partners, but that they are really truly good friends.” She continued, “And I think that’s what you see when you’re watching them on the show. They’re really there for each other.

However, this did cause Walter to ask, “But I have a question, which is why were you on set watching them kiss?” As she explained, “Personally, I left them alone all week because they had to go and do that scene.”

Perfetti assured he didn’t “[check] in” on Brunson or Williams during filming, causing Walter to joke he must have been “watching secretly.”

Abbott Elementary will return for its fourth season on Wednesday, Oct. 9 on ABC.

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