Quinta Brunson Reveals '90s TV Show That Had the Most Impact on Her Work, Calls One Episode 'Perfect'
Quinta Brunson Reveals '90s TV Show That Had the Most Impact on Her Work, Calls One Episode 'Perfect'
Virginia ChamleeTue, June 2, 2026 at 8:54 PM UTC
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Quinta Brunson
Credit: WireImage
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Quinta Brunson is sharing the episode of television that was formative for her career
In a new podcast, Brunson said of her early TV habits, “Nothing was being watched without absorption"
She would go on to become the acclaimed creator and star of the sitcom Abbott Elementary
Even before creating and starring in her own TV show, Quinta Brunson says she spent years learning what makes a great sitcom.
Appearing on the June 2 episode of the I Am An Actor podcast, Brunson, 36, reflected on her lifelong fascination with television and revealed the classic series she now considers a master class in storytelling: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
“Nothing was being watched without absorption,” Brunson said. “There wasn't a single show that I think I watched just for purely entertainment without eventually studying the art of it.”
She continued: “I remember Fresh Prince was a natural watch in my home."
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Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Credit: Chris Haston/NBC
Over time, Brunson said she found herself returning to one particular episode of Fresh Prince again and again.
“As I got older, I realized I would watch the pilot over and over and over again,” she said. “And even at that time, I still didn't understand what it was I was trying to take away from it.”
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Years later, Brunson said she finally understood why the episode had such a hold on her.
“But as I got older, it occurred to me that this is a perfectly written pilot,” she said. “I think that's what I was watching this over and over and over again for. It's perfectly written. It's perfectly performed. Perfectly cast,” she said.
Now an Emmy-winning creator and star of the hit ABC comedy Abbott Elementary, Brunsonfirst built an audience through digital comedy before becoming one of television’s most celebrated writers, producers and performers.
Looking back, Brunson said she believes her repeated viewings of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air marked an important moment in her development as both a viewer and a future performer.
“At that time, I think I was appreciating acting at a high caliber versus your typical acting on like a Nickelodeon or a Disney show,” she explained of the show, adding, “It's when I was starting to, I think, decipher incredible performances and how to implement our talents in more powerful ways."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
