Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Quinta Brunson

Discover the career path of Quinta Brunson, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Quinta Brunson is an accomplished American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She rose to fame with her self-produced Instagram series, Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date. Brunson furthered her career by creating content for BuzzFeed Video and developing streaming series with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures. Her most notable achievement is the creation, executive production, co-writing, and starring role in the ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary, where she portrays second-grade teacher Janine Teagues.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2014: Gaining Online Following

In 2014, Quinta Brunson gained online fans by posting comedic videos to her Instagram account. Her series 'Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date' went viral, increasing her digital fan base.

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2016: Selling Web Series to BuzzFeed Motion Pictures and Verizon's go90

In 2016, Quinta Brunson sold two web series as a development partner with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures: 'Broke' for YouTube Red, which she wrote, produced, and starred in, and 'Up for Adoption', produced by Verizon's go90 video platform, where she also starred.

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2017: Writing and Producing Quinta vs. Everything

From 2017 to 2018, Quinta Brunson wrote and produced a series called 'Quinta vs. Everything' that streamed on Facebook Watch.

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October 4, 2018: CBS Pilot Development Announcement

On October 4, 2018, it was announced that a pilot co-produced by Quinta Brunson, Larry Wilmore, and Jermaine Fowler would be developed by CBS into a multi-cam comedy called 'Quinta & Jermaine'.

2019: Appearances in iZombie and Lazor Wulf

In 2019, Quinta Brunson appeared as Dr. Charli Collier and her twin sister, Laila, on the supernatural comedy-drama series 'iZombie', and also voiced multiple characters in the animated series 'Lazor Wulf'.

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2020: Co-starring in Magical Girl Friendship Squad

In 2020, Quinta Brunson co-starred in the Syfy animated series 'Magical Girl Friendship Squad', opposite Anna Akana.

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May 2021: Abbott Elementary Picked Up by ABC

In May 2021, Quinta Brunson's single-camera pilot 'Abbott Elementary' was picked up by ABC.

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December 7, 2021: Premiere of Abbott Elementary

On December 7, 2021, the series 'Abbott Elementary' premiered and received critical acclaim. Quinta Brunson received praise for her fresh approach to network television.

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2021: Release of "She Memes Well"

In June 2021, Quinta Brunson's debut book, "She Memes Well", a collection of essays about her personal life and career, was released.

August 2022: Overall Deal with Warner Bros. Television

In August 2022, Quinta Brunson signed a multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, the co-production studio of 'Abbott Elementary'.

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September 2022: Emmy Win for Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series

In September 2022, Quinta Brunson won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary, becoming the first black woman to win that award solo.

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2022: Honors and Nominations for Abbott Elementary

In 2022, Quinta Brunson received nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (which she won), Outstanding Comedy Series, and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She was also honored with a 2022 Peabody Award and placed on the Time 100 Most Influential People of 2022 list for her work on 'Abbott Elementary'.

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April 2023: Saturday Night Live Hosting Debut

In April 2023, Quinta Brunson made her Saturday Night Live hosting debut.

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2023: Emmy Win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

In 2023, Quinta Brunson won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in 'Abbott Elementary', making her only the second black actress to win in this category after Isabel Sanford in 1981. 'Abbott Elementary' also received a 2023 Peabody Award.

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2025: Fourth Emmy Nomination

In July of 2025, Quinta Brunson received her fourth Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nomination.

2026: Variety Showrunner Award at SCAD TVfest

In February of 2026, Quinta Brunson received the Variety Showrunner Award at SCAD TVfest, where she discussed her desire to remain an actress, writer, and executive producer.