Jalen Hurts. Brandon Graham. Jason Kelce. Gritty. Other than being Philadelphia sports activities icons, what do these 4 figures have in frequent?

They’ve all guest-starred in Abbott Elementary.

The Season 3 premiere of Quinta Brunson’s hit sitcom featured cameos from Eagles gamers Hurts, Graham, and Kelce, whereas Flyers mascot Gritty stole the present method again within the Season 2 premiere. Different excessive profile visitor stars all through the present’s run embody Ayo Edebiri as Janine’s sister Ayesha, Taraji P. Henson as their mom Vanetta, and Leslie Odom Jr as former Abbott scholar and Legendary Constitution Faculties CEO Draemond.

So are the Abbott Elementary creators continually listening to from celebrities who need to be part of the enjoyable?

“[Quinta] will get bothered about that quite a bit, I’d say,” co-showrunner Justin Halpern joked throughout an Abbott Elementary set go to through the Tv Critics Affiliation (TCA) winter press tour.

“I believe all of it comes from such a spot of affection,” Brunson, who created and stars in Abbott Elementary, defined of requests to be on the present. “That is actually candy, and I admire it, however we do write character first. We’re not likely fascinated about who we will stunt solid, we’re simply writing characters. Then after the very fact — normally after the desk learn — we’re like, ‘Oh man, who could be good for this?'”

“We’re not likely fascinated about who we will stunt solid, we’re simply writing characters.”

Take the Hurts cameo, for instance. Whereas Abbott Elementary‘s writers have been engaged on Season 2, Hurts and his group reached out to say that he was a fan, and that if there was ever a spot for him within the present, he’d like to be concerned. But the Abbott Elementary group wasn’t prepared to simply shoehorn a cameo someplace it would not make sense.

“We have been already on our path, nevertheless it was good to know that he was and obtainable and was a fan of the present,” Brunson stated. “Then it naturally labored out from there.”

One other think about deciding who will get to be concerned — particularly on the subject of celebrities enjoying themselves — is whether or not they even make sense within the context of the Philadelphia-set Abbott Elementary.

“Adhering to the verisimilitude of a mockumentary collection, we’ve got to be actually even handed about who we carry on the present,” co-showrunner Patrick Schumacker informed TCA. “If that individual is enjoying themselves, wouldn’t it make sense in the event that they cross paths geographically with this college in West Philly? If it would not make sense, we’ve got to place a cease to it.”

These pointers for casting visitor stars have not restricted Abbott Elementary coming into Season 3, although, as Brunson teased a number of main stars who shall be showing within the weeks forward.

“The visitor stars that we’ve got this season have been blowing my thoughts,” Brunson stated. “They’re very natural to our world, however I’ve had ‘pinch me’ moments as somebody who loves comedy and who loves TV and making this present. I’ve had two of them prior to now week, the place I’ve needed to pinch myself and be like, ‘I am unable to imagine this individual is on our present.’ It has been unimaginable.”

New episodes of Abbott Elementary air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, and can be found to stream on Hulu the next day.