‘Abbott Elementary’: Lisa Ann Walter Shares Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Initial Reaction to Season 3 Finale (Exclusive)

Lisa Ann Walter told him Abbott Elementary School co-star and on-screen best friend, Sheryl Lee Ralphhad the best reaction to the Season 3 finale, which included a moment that lasted three years.

The 60-year-old actress spoke with ET’s Denny Directo from the carpet on Wednesday I always work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. screening and fundraiser – organized by the ERA Coalition and in honor of Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton – and spoke about the wild response Ralph, 67, had to Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) and Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) kissing passionately.

In the exciting season finale scene — which fans already know won’t be the last for Abbott Elementary School the crew as a spectacle received an early renewal for season 4 — Gregory returns to Janine’s house after her party is over and stares at the flickering light on her porch. Quickly driven by his feelings for his co-worker, he rushes in and kisses her, which sent fans (and Ralph) crazy.

“First of all, when we did the table read, I got to do my impression of Sheryl Lee Ralph, who doesn’t read the script until she gets to the table (bed),” Walter, who plays Melissa Schemmenti, said, to ET. “So here we all are and then he (Gregory) comes in (says to Janine), ‘I fixed your light.'”

Clearly overwhelmed with enthusiasm, Walter says Ralph – who plays Janine’s mentor Barbara Howard – burst into a chorus of approving sounds, including ‘ooh’ and ‘aww’.

“I’m like, ‘Sheryl, you’re not home,'” Walter said of cast members mocking Ralph’s adamant acceptance of the ending. “It’s in front of everyone.”

Of course, she wasn’t the only one excited about the long-awaited sequel to Gregory and Janine’s kiss in Season 2. On social media sites like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, viewers didn’t wasted time sharing their reactions to the kiss and turning the moment into sweet edits on TikTok.

“Janine and Gregory just gave us one of the hottest makeovers in TV history!!!! 🔥🔥🔥#AbbottElementary,” a fan wrote in an article on X.

Back in 2023, Ralph predicted his own reaction to the kiss when she and Walter sat down for “Spilling the E-Tea” and discussed everything from their characters’ friendship on the show to their individual prolific stories in Hollywood.

The duo explained that just like fans, they too were eagerly awaiting the end of the “will they, won’t they” between Gregory and Janine.

“When they finally kiss, I want it to last forever!” THE Sister Act 2 » said the actress at the time.

A person who is not a member of the union? That would be Williams, who plays one half of the Gregory-Janine relationship on the show. During an appearance in April on The Jennifer Hudson Showthe 31-year-old Golden Globe winner shared that he doesn’t “necessarily want to see them together.”

“It’s partly an acting choice but also, I read a lot of scripts all the time, I watch a lot of TV, a lot of movies, (and) I don’t think you often see displays of love platonic between two people,” Williams explained. “I think it’s really easy to say ‘they have feelings for each other so they should be together,’ right? (But) I like that dynamic where they’re exploring the holding that in and actively loving themselves where they are. That, I love to see.”

He continued: “I think seeing a healthy friendship and deeply caring for each other in a work atmosphere needs to be demonstrated more than the relationship.”

Our deepest condolences to Williams as it appears he is in the minority on this point.

As for his reaction to standing side-by-side with Tomlin and Fonda — both in attendance Wednesday night for the screening — Walter told ET that the invitation alone was enough to make him dizzy at the moment. idea of ​​honoring actresses. .

“It’s a little surreal, just growing up with these women who are my idols,” she said. “Not just for their incredible acting

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