ABC's "Abbott Elementary" star Lisa Ann Walter wants the world to know that the sitcom's success is the result of creator and showrunner Quinta Brunson’s genius cocktail of brilliant TV writers and "top tier" comedy all-stars. “They are, top to bottom, the most talented group of people I've ever had the pleasure of working with,” Walter told me on "Salon Talks." “It's like being with the best repertory theater company.”
"Abbott Elementary," which has won a Peabody, Emmy, Screen Actors Guild and NAACP Image Award, continues to soar in its third season. Walters stars as Melissa Schemmenti, a Philadelphia-born, possibly mob-connected, hard-nosed Sicilian who teaches second grade. She seems to never lose as she hilariously bulldozes her way through conflict. Schemmenti's toughness, reality checks and often harsh “I told you so’s” have made her a fan favorite. And for Walter, playing Melissa feels like coming home. "This may be the first time in my career where it wasn't my show, where I said, 'There is nobody in town that plays this or knows this character better than me,'" Walter said. "I am this character."
