Abbott Elementary recently took center stage when they were given the coveted post-Oscars spot on ABC. To capitalize on the opportunity, the show managed to get Bradley Cooper to guest star as himself in a truly memorable cameo.
At the 55th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, ET’s Kevin Frazier spoke with some of the show’s stars about what it was like to welcome Cooper on set and how the whole cameo came together.
Speaking with the show’s lead and creator, Quinta Brunson, backstage at the event, the actress and show-runner revealed how they managed to pull off the surprise appearance.
“Bradley was really great,” Brunson shared. “Once we realized we had the Oscar episode and we had the opportunity to do something flashy, I wanted to do a flashy cold open. So I just kind of went to the roots of Abbott, which are, ‘Who’s from Philly? Who’s associated with the city?’ And Bradley’s a Philly boy, everyone knows him as being a great member of the city.”
“So we kind of called and Bradley was very in,” she explained. “We talked for a couple months on what was the best way to bring him in. He was busy on an Oscars campaign, but he and his team made it work. He’s a real sweetheart.”
ET also spoke with stars Sheryl Lee Ralph and Lisa Ann Walter on the red carpet, and they both marveled at welcoming Cooper to the show.
“We knew about it for a few weeks. Yes, but we had to keep it very, very quiet,” Ralph recalled of the surprise cameo. “And you know, Quinta’s real good for being quiet, baby. I love that. She moves in silence.”
Reflecting on Cooper’s appearance, Ralph said there was a magic to it, recalling, “There he was and I said, ‘OK, it’s the Philadelphia Maestro!'”
Walter, meanwhile, jokingly explained how they got the Oscar-nominated A-lister to agree to the guest appearance in the first place.
“Well, you know, I called him. Yeah, we dated for about three to four years. People don’t know that,” Walter joked. “You know, his mom and I still hang out, yeah.”
In actuality, Walter said it was Brunson who pulled all the strings and made the whole thing come together.
“They arranged a time when he had a couple of hours, like literally in between awards that they were giving to him, and he stopped by,” Walter shared. “He banged out that scene in a couple hours and he was on his way to the Santa Barbra Film Festival. But he’s just delightful. Absolutely delightful.”
“It’s amazing. Really famous people, that all of us have loved forever, are fans [of the show],” Walter added. “And I think it’s not accidental. I think Quinta put together a show [that people love].”
The show has already featured a slew of big name guest stars, including Orlando Jones, Ayo Edebiri, Taraji P. Henson, Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham, among others.
Luckily, anyone who couldn’t make an appearance as season 3 has another chance to make their case since the series has already been renewed for season 4.
Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays on ABC at 9 p.m. EST.
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