Tyler James Williams thinks Solange would be a great choice to play his cousin in Abbott Elementary.
In a new exclusive with PEOPLE he said:
“I would love to see Solange [Knowles] as a cousin. I feel like we look alike,” Williams tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “It’s like us and then my dad is Orlando [Jones]. Yeah, I think Solange would be great. Just add a family member.”
Williams, 31, is now a three-time Emmy nominee for his role as the beloved first-grade teacher Gregory Eddie on the ABC hit. The actor doesn’t take his portrayal lightly, explaining that his goal is to show Black male educators — and Black men, in general — in a “certain light.”
“The overall goal for me here is to show not only Black male educators in a certain light, but then also Black men in a certain light that are allowed to be emotional and have full emotional spectrums, and then also be in love,” he says, referring to his character Gregory’s blossoming romance with Janine Teagues (played by Quinta Brunson). “It’s one of the most important things I’ve ever done in my career is showing this, especially with the platform that we have.”
Abbott Elementary earned nine Emmy nominations this year, including outstanding comedy series. In addition to Williams, Brunson earned nods for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series and outstanding writing in a comedy series. Sheryl Lee Ralph and Janelle James were both nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series.
Reflecting on the show’s previous Emmy wins, Williams shares that a particular highlight remains when Ralph picked up a statue in 2022 for best supporting actress in a comedy series, becoming just the second Black woman to score an Emmy in the category after Jackée Harry’s win for 227 in 1987.
“Everybody at the table was just crying, right? That’s my favorite Emmys,” he says, adding that Brunson’s wins that same year for outstanding writing in a comedy series and outstanding lead actress in a comedy series were also extremely memorable.
“When somebody wins, they get whisked off to the back,” he says. “We finally get to see each other at the party, and that’s when we really get a chance to celebrate.”
The cast recently reunited at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 on July 27 and revealed a crossover episode is in the works for season 4.
“I’m not gonna tell you with who, or with what, or where, or when, but it’s really exciting and I think it’ll change television as we know it,” Brunson, 34, teased.
While Williams also can’t reveal anything about the highly anticipated mash-up episode, he did share what he hopes to see between his character Gregory and Brunson’s character Janine after a lot of will-they, won’t-they tension in season 3.
“I would love to see them in love,” he says. “I think they deserve that at this point. I would love to see them just in it. Now we have to have the conflicts… but it would be nice to see them just head over heels for each other.”
Seasons 1 to 3 of Abbott Elementary are available to stream on Hulu. Season 4 premieres on Oct. 9 on ABC.
