Our 9 Favorite ‘Abbott Elementary’ Side Characters — Yes, Including Tariq
Abbott Elementary is back with all of our favorites with all their familiar antics. We can count on Janine (Quinta Brunson) to be as cheerful as she is resourceful. Gregory (Tyler James Williams) will be as chivalrous as always, and Ava (Janelle James) will be as self-aggrandizing as ever.
Meanwhile, Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) will allude to her mob connections, Jacob (Chris Perfetti) will geek out about a topic only he finds interesting, and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) will preach her virtues in lectures or in song. Oh, and Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) will spread around conspiracy theories as much as he cleans up messes.
But as Season 4 kicks off on ABC on Wednesday, October 9, at 9:30/8:30c, we have high hopes of seeing our favorite side characters again. Scroll down to see those supporting players who’ve made a big impression with relatively little screen time.
Abbott Elementary, Season 4 Premiere, Wednesday, October 9, 9:30/8:30c
9. Bradley Cooper as himself
The actor visited Abbott in Season 3, and though Jacob professed to be a “Cooper Trooper” and the other teachers were just as starstruck, no one could get his career details right. Props to the Coop for a self-parodying cameo!
8. Gary (Bruno Amato)
Melissa’s would-be fiancé was so devoted to her that he enlisted three of her beloved Philadelphia Eagles to help him propose. But Melissa really didn’t want to get married, so she and Gary split up. Still, we’d re-order another appearance of this vending machine operator.
7. Cassidy Geoffrey (Sabrina Wu)
Wu had a hilarious one-off appearance in Season 3 as Cassidy Geoffrey, a sub whose teaching style concerns Melissa to the point where she questions Cassidy’s credentials. (“Sometimes, it feels like I’m the one teaching them,” Cassidy says of the students.)
6. Ashley Garcia (Keyla Monterroso Mejia)
Melissa got more than she bargained for with her classroom aide. This high-energy Abbott employee sings J.Lo songs, brags about how everyone wants her, and, perhaps worst of all, finds an ally in Ava. She has won us over — for Melissa, the jury’s still out.
5. Manny (Josh Segarra)
When Janine started working with her district colleague Manny, fans were wary of the new addition. Manny couldn’t possibly be that nice, right? Well, actually, he was that nice, and though we’ll always ship Janine and Gregory, she could do much worse than Manny.
4. Kristen Marie Schemmenti (Lauren Weedman)
Melissa’s sister is her “charter school doppelgänger”… and, in Melissa’s estimation, a total gagootz. These two Schemmenti swap insults whenever they see each other, but they’ll also stick up for each other with venom-tongued wit.
3. Zach (Larry Owens)
We’re still hoping Jacob reunites with his ex Zach — who, yes, got to know Jacob and “was like… more,” in the words of an incredulous Ava. Jacob did him dirty, though, and Zach turned from fun-loving boyfriend to feisty “kraken” in their breakup conversation. Encore!
2. Tariq Temple (Zack Fox)
Janine’s hanger-on ex always found a reason to be around, whether he was getting involved with the Abbott PTA or rapping for the school’s students. Even though he’s not exactly a help around the hallways of Abbott, we hope he doesn’t F.A.D.E. into the background.
1. Ayesha Teagues (Ayo Edebiri)
Even though Abbott is a comedy comedy (unlike a certain other entry on her filmography), Edebiri brings the drama whenever Janine’s sister comes to Philly. Resentments boil over, and the result is TV from which we can’t look away.
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