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Spoilers below of Abbott Elementry’s “Science Fair” episode
Tyler James Williams, who plays our favorite green-thumbed teacher, Gregory Eddie, has stepped behind the camera for the first time to direct an episode of Abbott Elementary.
In the latest episode that aired Wednesday night titled Science Fair, Williams pulled double duty as both an actor and director, marking his official debut in television directing.
The episode centered around Abbott’s highly competitive science fair, where the teachers—especially Janine (Quinta Brunson), Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter), and Ava (Janelle James)—became just as invested in the projects as the students. Meanwhile, Gregory had a smaller presence in this episode, which allowed Williams the space to focus on his directorial duties.
While this was his first time in the director’s chair, Williams has been intrigued by directing since his childhood acting days. Reflecting on his work on Everybody Hates Chris, he credits producing director Jerry Levine for sparking his interest in the craft.
“I think the first time I got interested in directing is when we did Everybody Hates Chris, and Jerry Levine would just talk shots with me,” Williams told Deadline in an interview. “[He] would let me look behind the camera and see how things worked and really educated me on the process, not from the perspective of a child, but from the perspective of an artist.”
After years of observing the process, Williams finally felt the time was right to step into the role, choosing Abbott Elementary as his directorial launchpad.
When Williams first shared his desire to direct an episode of Abbott Elementary with Brunson, she wasted no time. “She immediately walked me over to Randall Einhorn and said, ‘Tyler wants to direct an episode.’ And Randall said, ‘Hell yeah,’” he recalled.
After getting the green light, it was a challenge to determine the best episode for him to direct. When the science fair storyline was chosen, the team felt it would allow Gregory to step back slightly while keeping the core narrative intact.
Williams wanted to honor the comedic style that makes Abbott Elementary so unique while also incorporating elements of classic comedy he admires. One of his favorite sequences to direct involved Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) having a conversation in the gym while Mr. Morton (Jerry Minor) struggles to put up a sign in the background.
“It was just so reminiscent to me of this older style of comedy where you would have these bits going on in the background while something else was happening in the foreground,” Williams explained. “It felt like I could give an homage to what was a more early 2000s version of the comedy scene.”
Williams’ years of acting experience, particularly as a child star, gave him a unique perspective when directing Abbott Elementary’s young actors. He believes that most child actors don’t need things to be dumbed down for them but rather require clear guidance to bring out their best performances.
“I had this really beautiful moment with Lela [Hoffmeister], who plays Courtney in the episode. We’re in the science lab, and I explained to her that her character, over the course of this whole episode, is taking notes on the teachers for her experiment,” he shared. “I watched her find her own moments in the pocket between two people talking to find the camera and take notes. That’s the type of stuff that makes me excited about the next generation of actors.”
Now that he’s had his first taste of directing, Williams is eager to explore more opportunities. He’s open to directing another episode of Abbott Elementary as well as other network comedies. “I love network TV, specifically. I think it gets overlooked a lot of the time, and my brain thinks in comedy shots and rhythms, even in my everyday life,” Williams shared, expressing his passion for network television.
For now, Williams remains focused on Abbott Elementary, which was recently renewed for a fifth season. He hopes the show’s success will inspire more creators to see the value in network comedies and invest in developing strong, character-driven storytelling.
