In February, fans of Quinta Brunson’s Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award-winning showAbbott Elementarywere delighted to hear that it was renewed for a third season. The now-beloved cast of characters, from Brunson’s adorably optimistic Janine to Lisa Ann Walter (ofThe Parent Trapfame)’s tough as nails Melissa Schemmenti to Sheryl Lee Ralph’s no nonsense Barbara Howard, has been entertaining audiences with their wild antics and hilarious one-liners since the show’s premiere in 2021.
Characters like custodian Mr. Johnson, played byveteran actor William Stanford Davis, have gotten their chance to shine more and more in the second season. Audiences will be getting more and more of Davis now that he has been upgraded to series regular, a move that will only improve the already stellar cast of the series. It’s no mean feat to hold one’s own among actors like Brunson, Walter, Ralph, and others like Jenelle James (who plays the wildly self-assured principal Ava Coleman) and Tyler James Williams (first grade teacher and aspiring principal Gregory Eddie), but Davis holds his own with grace and ease. He push-broomed his way into Abbott fans’ hearts from the moment he wrote “ILLUMINATI” on the board and informed a group of students that “That’s who runs the world, kids” in the first episode.
From his absolutely unhinged one-liners to his unbridled confidence, here’s how Mr. Johnson steals every scene he’s in:
Unpredictable Witticisms
When Mr. Johnson enters the room, it’s impossible to be prepared for what’s going to come out of his mouth. Often, it’s something completely unhinged and questionably appropriate for an elementary school, especially considering that, at times, the other characters aren’t addressing him at all to begin with — such as the iconic, “Well, I’m a pacifist. You mess with me, I’m-a pass a fist across your face.” Other times, he pulls out some pearls of wisdom when it’s least expected, like the time he changed Gregory Eddie’s perspective on not getting a job he firmly believed he deserved.
“If you think I’m some sort of Black Yoda… Hmm, then correct you would be, Padawan.You got to be open for what life brings you. If I’d kept aiming for that one job I wanted so much when I was your age, you’d be looking at a very unfulfilled operations manager at Uncle Bradley’s Baked Beans.”
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He goes on to say that if he hadn’t been rejected from Uncle Bradley’s, he never would have had the opportunity to find the things he loves. In a conversation between Mr. Eddie, who traditionally acts as the straight man in mostAbbott Elementaryscenes, and Mr. Johnson, who’s often the wild card, Mr. Johnson shows Mr. Eddie a rare moment of sincerity—- arguably the most unpredictable thing he could have done.
Conspiracy Theories
While it’s certainly a comedic show at heart, writers ofAbbott Elementarydon’t shy away from the fact thatreal-life public schoolsare underfunded and rarely given the resources they need. As a result, Principal Ava Coleman often uses custodian Mr. Johnson as a substitute teacher in a pinch, provided he’s feeling like it. Hilarity, chaos, and blatant misinformation ensue. Davis plays Mr. Johnson with a certain gravitas, such that it often doesn’t register at first when he says something absolutely out of left field, like his description of human-sized lizards under the Denver airport as if it’s an undisputable fact (despite the fact that he’s been told in no uncertain terms not to mention said lizards again).
Related:Why Abbott Elementary Is One of the Best Mockumentary TV Shows
Uninhibited Self-Confidence
No one believes in Mr. Johnson quite like Mr. Johnson does. Perhaps it’s because he won the bronze medal in the hammer throw in the Olympics (and yes, according to him, therumors about the Olympic Villageare true), but it certainly seems like it comes from a deeper place, inherently within him. Whether he’s push-brooming the season’s antagonist off the stage with a suave dance and sunglasses inside, or starting a “gifted custodian” program when Abbott’s gifted student program doesn’t work out — “You see a cleaning genius. I see a genius cleaning.” — Mr. Johnson never doubts himself for a second.
Everyactor onAbbott Elementary, from creator Quinta Brunson to Broadway legend Sheryl Lee Ralph, brings their A-game to every scene in every episode. William Stanford Davis was recently bumped up from episode guest to series regular as eccentric custodian Mr. Johnson. Since his first appearance, it’s been clear that the actor, known for his roles in the television seriesSnowpiercerandRay Donovan, is right at home acting alongside the stellarAbbottcast. With lines like “David Blaine ain’t got nothin' on me” while performing some of his signature janitorial magic and a self-assuredness only rivaled by Principal Ava Coleman herself, it’s abundantly clear why Davis’s Mr. Johnson is becoming one of the most beloved characters on television today.
