Quinta Brunson Instagram – In late 2021 Quinta Brunson was working on her passion project, a sitcom about a public school in Philadelphia. As its creator, writer, showrunner and star, she was eagerly anticipating the premiere of Abbott Elementary. “I wanted to bring back the straightforward 22-minute workplace comedy,” says Brunson, one of PEOPLE’s 2022 People of the Year. Abbott was an instant hit, logging more than 7 million total viewers and becoming ABC’s highest-rated comedy since the Modern Family finale. A season 2 renewal followed — Brunson even persuaded the network to redirect marketing money to buy school supplies for real teachers — and so did seven Emmy nominations and three wins, including outstanding writing for a comedy series for Brunson, making her the second Black woman to take that prize. “I just wanted to make a good show with good people, so everything else has been exciting additions to the plan,” says Brunson. Tap the link in bio to read the full cover story and pick up an issue on newsstands Friday. |📷: @kanyaiwana