Abbott Elementary's Sheryl Lee Ralph Couldn't Watch Janine and Gregory's Kiss: 'Like a Mother Looking' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

From left: Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jayden Skelton, Thaddeus Faustin, Tyler James Williams and Quinta Brunson.Photo:Gilles Mingasson/ABC via Getty

Gilles Mingasson/ABC via Getty

Sheryl Lee Ralphwas one person who was not looking forward to Gregory and Janine’s long-awaited kiss.On Sept. 12, PEOPLE partnered with IHG Hotels & Resorts to host a pre-Emmys panel event featuring the cast of the Emmy-nominated seriesAbbott Elementary.Ralph,67, joined her castmatesLisa Ann Walter,Chris PerfettiandWilliam Stanford Davisand discussed working together on the popular sitcom.When thinking back to what scene made Ralph, who plays kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard, cringe the most, she says it was seeing Gregory (Tyler James Williams) and Janine (Quinta Brunson) kiss.“My mother’s eyes!” she jokes. “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. And I can’t see it!”“I remember thinking, ‘They’re going to do the zambohoochies,’ " she adds.People x IHG Hotels & Resorts' Abbott Elementary pre-Emmys event.shutterstockJust like Ralph’s motherly nature toward Williams and Brunson,Davisshares that he felt a fatherly love for Brunson.“I think my favorite is in the episode when I had the scene with Quinta and she’s fallen in love with Gregory and I tell her, ‘It’s going to be okay. Don’t worry about it,’ " he remembers. “It felt like I was helping my daughter. We have that kind of relationship. I love her dearly.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Williamsopened up to PEOPLEin August about the family dynamic on the set ofAbbott,revealing that the big group chat is always going.“Every set is like a family, so we talk about set drama, our internal family drama of who’s doing this with this and who’s upset,” he explained. “ButChris Perfettiis the one to send in something that’s completely out of the left field and really funny. Sheryl andLisa [Ann Walter]are giving us constant updates on everything that they see.”“Janelle [James]is fairly quiet,” Williams continued. “Every now and then, she’ll chime in. She’s one of those group chat people who’s in there, she’s just watching. She’s not really saying much, she’s just watching the chain.“From left: William Stanford Davis (left), Lisa Ann Walter and Sheryl Lee Ralph onAbbott Elementary.Disney/Gilles MingassonThe cast’s bond shows through in the ABC series, even earning it 24 totalEmmy nominations— including nine at the upcoming76th annual award show. The ABC sitcome is up for outstanding comedy series, along with outstanding casting, writing and directing, among others.Williams, who was nominated for supporting actor in a comedy series,expressed his gratitudeto PEOPLE for his third ever nomination.“There were times when I couldn’t imagine being nominated, and every time it happens, I feel connected to that version of me that just didn’t think this was possible,” he said.Ralph also earned a nod for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, along with James, and Brunson was nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.Seasons 1 to 3 ofAbbott Elementaryare available to stream on Hulu. Season 4 premieres on Oct. 9 on ABC.

Sheryl Lee Ralphwas one person who was not looking forward to Gregory and Janine’s long-awaited kiss.

On Sept. 12, PEOPLE partnered with IHG Hotels & Resorts to host a pre-Emmys panel event featuring the cast of the Emmy-nominated seriesAbbott Elementary.Ralph,67, joined her castmatesLisa Ann Walter,Chris PerfettiandWilliam Stanford Davisand discussed working together on the popular sitcom.

When thinking back to what scene made Ralph, who plays kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard, cringe the most, she says it was seeing Gregory (Tyler James Williams) and Janine (Quinta Brunson) kiss.

“My mother’s eyes!” she jokes. “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. And I can’t see it!”

“I remember thinking, ‘They’re going to do the zambohoochies,’ " she adds.

People x IHG Hotels & Resorts' Abbott Elementary pre-Emmys event.shutterstock

shutterstock

Just like Ralph’s motherly nature toward Williams and Brunson,Davisshares that he felt a fatherly love for Brunson.

“I think my favorite is in the episode when I had the scene with Quinta and she’s fallen in love with Gregory and I tell her, ‘It’s going to be okay. Don’t worry about it,’ " he remembers. “It felt like I was helping my daughter. We have that kind of relationship. I love her dearly.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Williamsopened up to PEOPLEin August about the family dynamic on the set ofAbbott,revealing that the big group chat is always going.

“Every set is like a family, so we talk about set drama, our internal family drama of who’s doing this with this and who’s upset,” he explained. “ButChris Perfettiis the one to send in something that’s completely out of the left field and really funny. Sheryl andLisa [Ann Walter]are giving us constant updates on everything that they see.”

“Janelle [James]is fairly quiet,” Williams continued. “Every now and then, she’ll chime in. She’s one of those group chat people who’s in there, she’s just watching. She’s not really saying much, she’s just watching the chain.”

From left: William Stanford Davis (left), Lisa Ann Walter and Sheryl Lee Ralph onAbbott Elementary.Disney/Gilles Mingasson

Disney/Gilles Mingasson

The cast’s bond shows through in the ABC series, even earning it 24 totalEmmy nominations— including nine at the upcoming76th annual award show. The ABC sitcome is up for outstanding comedy series, along with outstanding casting, writing and directing, among others.

Williams, who was nominated for supporting actor in a comedy series,expressed his gratitudeto PEOPLE for his third ever nomination.

“There were times when I couldn’t imagine being nominated, and every time it happens, I feel connected to that version of me that just didn’t think this was possible,” he said.

Ralph also earned a nod for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, along with James, and Brunson was nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.

Seasons 1 to 3 ofAbbott Elementaryare available to stream on Hulu. Season 4 premieres on Oct. 9 on ABC.

source: people.com