Actor Biography

Named one of Forbes' "30 Under 30 in Hollywood & Entertainment" and one of The Hollywood Reporter's "Next Gen" rising young stars, award-nominated actor, producer and bestselling author Quinta Brunson has quickly made a name for herself as a powerful force within the entertainment industry.

Brunson can next be seen starring in ABC's highly anticipated comedy series "Abbott Elementary," where she also serves as creator and executive producer. The show, inspired by Brunson's mother who served as a public school teacher for many years, follows a group of dedicated, passionate teachers that are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, are determined to help their students succeed in life. The series also stars Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Chris Perfetti, Lisa Ann Walter and Sheryl Lee Ralph. "Abbott Elementary" is set to debut in early 2022 on ABC.

As an author, Brunson released her debut novel "She Memes Well" (HMH Books) to rave reviews in June 2021. The bestselling book, a deeply personal and funny collection of essays featuring anecdotes about trying to make it when you're broke, overcoming self-doubt and depression, and how Brunson has used humor to navigate her career in unusual directions, brilliantly balances jokes, autobiography and serious thoughts about the state of the country. "She Memes Well" is currently available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Target online (to name a few).

Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Brunson started her journey at The Second City in Chicago and burst onto the entertainment scene in 2014 when the series she created, "The Girl Who's Never Been on a Nice Date," went viral on YouTube and Instagram, making it one of the first series to gain a mass following on both digital platforms. Since then, Brunson's original content has reached hundreds of millions of people and her followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube have hit 2.5 million and counting. Brunson's online success quickly attracted the attention of BuzzFeed, where she landed an initial job as a video producer. Shortly after, Brunson's position quickly grew as she sold two web series as a development partner with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures: the scripted comedy "Broke" (which she wrote, produced and starred in) for YouTube Red and "Up for Adoption," which was produced by Verizon's go90. Brunson's performance in "Broke" was nominated for Best Acting in a Comedy at the 2017 Streamy Awards.

Since leaving BuzzFeed in 2018, Brunson's career as a writer, producer and actor has skyrocketed. She landed a lead role in The CW pilot "The End of the World as We Know It," she wrote, produced and starred in the series "Quinta vs. Everything" for Facebook Watch, and also wrote and sold a multicam comedy pilot alongside Larry Wilmore and Jermaine Fowler for CBS with ABC Studios. Brunson has also appeared on ABC's "Single Parents" and The CW's "iZombie." Brunson has also lent her voice to a plethora of projects, including Adult Swim's "Lazor Wulf" (where she is also a staff writer) and season four of Netflix's "Big Mouth." Brunson is also often recognized for starring in HBO's award-winning sketch comedy series "A Black Lady Sketch Show," opposite Robin Thede, Gabrielle Dennis and Ashley Nicole Black.