Charlamagne Tha God X Quinta Brunson

I am really happy to have this conversation because I am a real big Fanary. I'm glad that we finally get to talk. Now. You're the youngest of five, Yeah, what was life like growing up? You know, in West Philadelphia, going and raised. I'm sorry, yeah, I know, it's okay. I let people get it out of their system. You know, it was great. I love growing up in Philly. It's a beautiful city with a ton of culture. It was

a nice environment to grow up in. And being youngest of five, I just kind of took so much from my siblings. They were older. They were experiencing comedy in their own ways, like their favorite things range from Kings of Comedy to I don't know, like Conan to my mom and dad, like really old shows like the Bob Newhart Show and The Jeffersons and stuff. So I feel like all that funneled into me and my brother who's closest to me, like the Hespin Tour, so I got

the stupidest stuff too. It all just funneled down. So it was na being the youngest of five, did you get away with a lot? I have more eyes on me, for sure. My parents were very overprotective. Really by the time they get to the youngest ones, they kind of like they don't read the youngest like they do the oldest. In my case, they were very overprotective. You said that when you can make your siblings laugh, you knew you were doing something right. So how would you make them laugh?

One of the big things was them putting me in a car seat and making me do impressions of Wanda from and Living Color. They made me redo Martin episodes, like from beginning to end. You can remember whole episodes of Martin when I was younger, Yeah, I still can. There's there's a lot of Fresh Prince episodes I can't remember from beginning and like you can almost quote so stuff like that. It was kind of knowing these shows like the back of my hand to be able to

say the lines to them later. That was the way to connect to them. I was also so far away from them. My closest sibling is eight years older than me and my other siblings. It's you know, ten years, fifteen years, and then twenty years. As a kid, I couldn't really relate to them. But making them laugh was how I got to, you know, hang out with them and our whole family like my mom and dead too. We all really came together over comedies. It was like the one thing that we could all agree on was

a good a good sitcom. At the end of the day. You were raised hval witness, So was I. You were absolutely my mom My mom still go to the kingdom all to this way what I did not. Yes, so it is mine. So how strict was your upbringing? Ye, I'm saying over active. I can just use now you know what I'm talking about, Like they were very strict. Also, I was the only kid that was born and raised in it. You know what I mean? Wait, that's not true. Me and my young my brother closest to me, the

rest of them weren't like raised jos Oh. I was a whole family. What oh yeah, I had the whole righteous, ratcheous mom and dads. My dad ended up getting this fellowship because he got baptized on the annual business getting back. I believe this conversation right now. Absolutely, I should beat this fellowship. I'm on the run. You'll never get me. I never got baptized. That's why. Yeah, because I knew that was too much freshure. I did because I was

so ambitious. I was such an ambitious thirteen year old. Oh my god. Yeah, because I was like, I love God. I didn't too, but that's too much Fresshire. I know, well, you had enough foresight. Have you held on to any of those traditions? I haven't. You go to Memorial service still. Memorial is the one thing I'll try really hard to go to, and it gets harder for me every single year. There's always a new obstacle. Last year I tried to go.

I show up. It's a Korean hall. I was like, what the hell, Like, why can't I could not win? I'm just sitting there dressed like a slut. In comparison, like, because I was also trying to go to this party after so I was like, I'm just wearing this dress. It was a little short, but I was like, it's cool. I'm sitting the back. They're just like appalled at what I'm wearing, and I'm like, calm down. I was gonna sit in the back if I could get in anyway. The brothers are just like looking at me. All you

want to do with passing bready wine. I'm like, it gets hurt or hurt every single year, but I keep trying to show up. Yeah, there was a lot of reasons why it wasn't for me, but I don't think it's bad, and I think it weren't for that. I'm not sure that me and my siblings would have like survived Philadelphia at the time. Yeah, because that kind of structure, I guess in faith, it kind of keeps you out of trouble, which is why people hold on dear to

religion period. You know, it keeps you on a good path. So I'm grateful about holidays. How do you feel about those now? You know we didn't get those kids. We didn't There was one year I just wanted to see what it feels like, what it feels like, so I went to write eight and got like a plastic Christmas tree and I just put it and I put it in my apartment and I just looked at it, and I left it there for like maybe one night, and then I took an out through it in trash. But

I just wanted to see what it felt like. You never just wanted to see. I mean, I do it. I got to know a whole family, so it's like my wife up, so you'd be out here sober in Christmas. I enjoy it though, but not because yo, that's so Awkwarls. Did you have any insecurity growing up? There was a point where I thought if I had a big butt and I could sing, then my life would be different.

And that was an insecurity for a while. I remember like stuffing my pants like I were like three pairs of tights to school one day because I wanted to have a bigger butt. That was before I know, I don't know what the girls are gonna do now. I had a really bad breakup in college. High school boyfriend, and then college we broke up and it was so bad. It was so bad that I had no choice but to put myself back together. And when you get your heartbroken that bad and everything falls apart and you put

yourself back together. You didn't, You didn't become invincible. And then like all that kind of stuff doesn't matter anymore, Like I just don't care about it anymore. What helps you put things back together? You said everything fell apart after the breakup? Like, did you start going to see a therapists? Are? No? Therapy wasn't It wasn't the conversation that it is now, Do you know what I mean? At the time, I think I probably should have back then because I was like depressed, but I barely had

the language to identify it as depression. Did you drink? Have really smoked? No? I wish no. I probably wouldn't help me get through it better. No, I was such a nube at the time. I didn't really drink. I had many days that were pretty much dropped out of school because of that, which was crazy. I never I don't talk about that a lot, but I did pretty much drop out because I just could not peel myself out of the bed and depression. It was depression and

I just didn't identify it as such. And I watched the same DVD of Bruce Almighty on repeat every day. I couldn't pick up the remote to change the DVD. I couldn't even peel myself out of bed to take the DVD out of the DVD players. I'll watched it over and over. I sought out like help from friends, you know, like friends helped me out big time. I had one friend, Brandy, who gave me a list of affirmations to say in the window, sorry, in the window, in the mirror and that. I remember that being a

specific thing that helped me. I remember thinking it was very stupid, but then I would say the affirmation to myself in the mirror every single day, and after a year it felt like they had worked. It's crazy, those little things like that. I picked myself back up eventually and started making plans to work, to go to LA. It was really making plans that helped pull me out of that, I think, because even when I came to LA, I was still dealing with it, and I just, I

don't know, I worked my way out of it. Did it feel you in some way? Like? I always think about that? Uh. I think that Markus Zuckerberg w un at the end. He kept hitting he created because of this young lady. Feel you like that. Yeah, I mean when that away from broke over me, I was like, I don't know how, but you're going to see my face everywhere and then and I did not know how, and then you know, like then I like head going viral on Instagram and stuff like that. So I think

it definitely did. But now that's all going away, I like, did that and we're friends now, and yeah, but it definitely feeled me at the time. Yeah, for sure. Did you ever start your own journey going to therapy things like that, like how it's quick to heal. I haven't gone in therapy. I do have a journey, though, Like there are things that I do to take care of my mental health. Sometimes that's just resting. Sometimes that's just

being with friends and family when I need to. Sometimes it's checking in with myself making sure I'm not doing harmful things to my for my mental health, Like comparisons. I think that's a small thing that people don't think about that really messes with your mental health, you know, comparing. And I always have to check in, especially as I'm you know, having this moment with Abbot. Always have to check in and ground myself. So I try to be very active doing that. I feel like my mental health

is in a really good place. But if it ever weren't, I would tap in and not ignore it. I think who had more influence on your career Your sixth grade teacher, Miss Abbott. I heard you ran in the Paul Rudd at a movie theater. Yeah, that little gym that Paul Rudd dropped on me that I don't that he barely remembers. It was just one of those little sparks that makes you believe something is possible about my teacher, Miss Abbott and my mother. Really, who's like the inspiration behind Abbott?

Your teachers are to me ultimately responsible for your ability to read, right, articulate, present yourself. They turn you into a human. So I was really fortunate enough to have really good teachers that I loved. It always like bugs me out when people talk about having a teacher they hated.

I just never had that experience. So not only did it inspire me to make Abbit clearly influential for that reason, but they were good at making people like like, turning kids into good people, citizens, creators, etc. So it's Abbot a real school in Philly. I did you name the school after? I named the squafter the teacher. Yeah, wow, how does she feel about that? She loved it. She she didn't even realize it until she saw me talking about it on the news, And that's how humble she is.

I was like, you didn't see the name abbit and think it was about you? And it just so just humble that it didn't even cross her mind at first. I think that's so funny, But yeah, she loves it. Elementary is a hit, like a hit, hit, like a big Like, how does it feel to receive so much praise for the show. It's so crazy, I you know, I keep saying when we made the show, when we sold it, we felt like this is good. When I

wrote the pilot, I was like, this is good. We got the writers and I was like, oh my god, we're making good stuff here, right, And then you get on set and everyone's like, we feel like we'ren't making a good show. Like from everybody from you know, hearing makeup, to directors to to the COVID crew. Everyone's like, this feels good. And so we knew we're making something good, but for it to go out into the world and people feel the same way and to come to the

show so soon. I was expecting it to be like, I don't know. I was like, all right, it's airing weekly on ABC, like it's not going to catch one until it's full season on streaming. I did not imagine this energy so fast, and I'm just like in awe of it, very humbled by it. I'm so happy that people are seeking out something like this to watch, do you know what I mean? There were times I wondered if it was too I knew it was good, but I was like, ah, man, I wonder if people don't

want heartwarming. I don't know where people are these days, but I knew that there was a market there for it because people keep rewatching old sitcoms on Netflix. My Nieces fourteen and she's just now discovering like you know, Friends and the Office, and she she loves it. She loves the feel of it, you know. And I was like, so that feeling people there will always be run for that.

I guess I just expected people to ignore it for a while, and the fact that they hadn't, I mean, thank you thanks to everyone for watching, because you know, like Avid, is what happens when these networks give black creatives real budgets and and and don't get in their way. Yeah, when it comes to notes and stuff like that, I have to agree with that. ABC was definitely the place I just felt they were gonna let me. They believed in me. Like you said, the budget was there up front.

You know, it wasn't a fight for because it's surprising how much you know, we still have to fight for pennies sometimes. Absolutely. Yeah, I mean it's clear you have a lot of respectful teachers, and you know I love that because my mom is a post school Yeah. So did you set out to make to make commentary on

undefunded schools? Was that the goal? Not necessarily? I think a good show begins with a grounded topic, right, Like we may not think of it that way, but like the Office was about, um, you know, the work crisis at the time. You know, we were coming out of recession, you know what I mean. And when you build something from that place, it automatically yields good fruit most of the time. So my idea was to begin from that place. We have this, I've seen it firsthand what teachers go

through from day to day. But I wasn't necessarily setting out to change anything or like beat people over the head with the message. I just knew that if we started in the real place, with the state of where we are right now, that that's the best way to start a comedy. I think that's because a lot of people just like to be funny first, and that's what, you know, just funny funny. It's like, no, can I create a story, can start something real and funny will come.

That's it's weird because people look at it. The jokes are really like the easy part. You can, you know whatever, but you have to have a soul of a show first. The show doesn't have a soul then you know what I mean, Like the jokes don't matter and anyone can say them. Like the soul of the show creates the humor of the show. There are things that people find funny in the show that aren't even jokes, but it's

because you know the soul of the show. And I think that also is a marker of a good comedy, like in Seinfeld, like no soup for you like means nothing if you haven't seen Seinfeld. But if you have seen Seinfeld, that can make you cry laughing, And that's because of the soul of the comedy. You know, like that kind of stuff matters. I think you're making a good show. I think I read some with it. You don't like tackling issues. I don't know really If this

show gets tackled, and so be it. But I'm trying to like, that's so much pressure, and why do we always have to tackle issues? How come Mark can't make some dumb shit like you know, like that's a great point. I think it's only because black people feel like we're not being represented, so we kind of want to show the world like what's going on a lot of times. But is it still not representation? If not, that's true?

You know what I'm saying, I really don't like I had that in an interview and I felt like that came out wrong. But I'm just saying like I don't want to start from that point because that's not funny to me. That's not where I operate best. Like I said, the issue gets tackled and so be it. Similar like what's happening with Abbott. But those were naturally the places we were going to go and talking about what happens

in a school, what happens with the school district. But starting there just feels so you know what I mean, how do you feel when you think about, you know, the fact that people might see themselves in the character of Janine. I love that. That makes me happy. I actually love when girls will tweet and say, oh my god, I think I'm Janine. Like it's the worst revelation because you know, Jane's kind of annoying and peppie, but she's earnest, and I think it's beautiful that people can see themselves

be all of that. You know. One of the big things for me with Janine was clearly she has a big heart, but to a fault, you know, and she's wrong a lot and right a lot. And I think it's really cool that young men and especially young black women can see themselves in this poorly dressed like always making mistakes girl. I think that's actually special for us. To me, that feels like a new version of representation, Like to identify with someone who is not together yet.

I think that's fun. You know. So at some point she has to break up with the spire and RAPPERO okay, what is why are people so nad? People like like, because you could do bad, people's parents call me, we got to lose Treeka. I'd be like what, Like I was at like a Jewish wedding and this Jews grandmother grabbed my face and was like, you need to leave the boyfriend. I'm like this, it's just a show, and she's like, I don't like it. Like people felt very strongly.

If he makes it, are you gonna you gonna get a deal? You go sign our dream chases or sometimes a deal. Look, people hated him in an episode two Now They're said they nearly don't want to see him go after his fade performance. They're like, they're all about him. You said, Abbot, the first time since high school that your mom says she's proud of you. Wow, how did that make you feel? That was a moment. I almost cried when she said that, and she didn't even know why.

I was like, you have not said that to me, And I don't know how long because everything else I was doing, you know, Witnesses she found blasphemous like Black Lady Sketchule. She was like HBO the nudity Network, and I was like yeah, So she didn't like that. I would tell her work in this place called BuzzFeed, and she would like, tell me the truth. Are you stripping? And it'd be like she really could not I'm so serious.

She could not understand what but it made no sense to her, And Yeah, showed her the website and she's like, this is nothing. This is a website. And I would show her videos and she's like still not, well, how are you making money from this? But now you know ABC, she can understand a TV show that made sense to her, so she gets it now and she loves it. She's such a sitcom watcher that if she didn't like it, she would like say it like her comedy opinion means

a lot to me. She told me two weeks ago, She's like, I'll watch this even if you know it wasn't your show, Like I love this show. That means a lot to me for sure. I don't think parents realize how much those I love you and I'm proud of you, how far they go for all of us, even when we've become a dose that a child still wants to hear that. I know she probably won't told me again for like ten years, but I'm gonna hold

on to that one because it meant a lot. And she she didn't say it to make me feel good or anything. She genuinely meant it. I damn, it's crazy your star of Abbott, executive producer, head writer as well. Yes, okay, it's a lot of responsibility. Yeah, it's got to be at least two hundred people. Yeah, right, Yeah, it's a

lot of pressure. Does that weigh on you mentally? Only sometimes when I feel I like, even right now, I'm like, I have to I am speaking for myself, but I do feel like I need to represent an entire group of people. I want people to be able to have jobs next year on the Abbot. I want to make sure the show keeps going, so I want to try to present myself on behalf of the entire production. And besides that, No, because everybody else is so good at their jobs that it made my life so much easier.

It made it easier to delegate, to communicate because everyone else was so fantastic. Yes, it's a lot of work and a lot of pressure, but I don't feel it because everyone rose to the occasion to stay grounded. I play video games, yep, I go bowling. I see my family as much as I can. I talk to my family constantly because my family is they're not like my sisters still just like will make fun of me, and I think I need that, do you know what I mean?

And they keep me very ground it just staying connected to them, and I honestly even staying connected to Philly, like working with m Philly organizations. There's an organization called Yeah Philly that I've been working with since twenty nineteen and that they work with youth in the areas, like an anti gun violence initiative ran by Philly kids. It's incredible and just saying tapped in with the city and my family, I think really keeps me, keeps my feet

on the ground. Do you feel success yet? I feel it in small ways, Like when I was like I'm gonna buy a cappuccino maker. I know that seems small people, but like little ways where I'm like oh, and then I called my business manager and it like leave us alone buy the cappuccino maker, and I just was like, Okay. I thought, so a little ways like that where I want to buy something, but I'm so used to being I used to be broke for a long time, so I don't know those things seem big to me. This

I wasn't doing this last year. I was afraid to talk to you. Actually, I was like afraid because you show sometimes you're like yeah, and I was like, oh my god. I've talked to Charlotta Magne and I was like, but that's also a good sign of doing something I don't want. By the way, no positive affirmations for me. This has been nice. This has been lovely. This is positive, right, this has been lovely. But I have had such a good time. Yeah, final question, what does Quinta ultimately want

to do? What do you want out of all of this? I hope that after you know, the show finishes airing, it will it will have made something in the world just a little bit better. And I don't want to do that by putting it in the show. I just want people to have a good time watching it. I want them to leave thinking about the human condition a little bit more. As you can see, we've we've started doing our part with helping with schools and so we've

got that covered. But if other people are inspired to go, you know, help in any way they came to schools, that's incredible. I love when people like just tell me, hey, I made a donation today, or hey, I checked into a meeting, a local meeting at because anyone can go to these meetings for schools at you know, government meetings or whatever. All that makes me really happy. Um. And other than that, i'd like a farm eventually. Oh so I'm working towards that nice farm. I'll live in la

and I'll live in the city and stuff. But one day I want to retire and you will never see me again. Why a farm? Why not a farm? Everything's going to ship. I want to grow my own food. I want to have a compound and uh, you know, I have some animals, and so that's my plan. Well, acquinted. It was a pleasure, and I just want to continue to see you grow lovely, I hope. So it was. I like, this was a wonderful experience. It's a long change of perception to me. You hated me. I didn't

know what did you think of me? Coined fact. Don't answer that. I don't want to you know what. I don't want to know for my own compidence sake. Okay, Yes, thank you, thank you.