Quinta Brunsons mockumentary Abbott Elementary has amassed a great deal of success, but the sitcom hasnt received straight As across the board.

During a Tuesday appearance on Amy Poehlers Good Hang with Amy podcast, the Emmy winner opened up about the mixed response shes received about her character, second grade teacher Janine Teagues.

Ill be real with you, [Janine is] a Black character, Brunson told Poehler during their conversation. Black audiences have so few still representative characters on screen, and Black womanhood alone is so touchy. Brunson admitted that it became tough for her when women were seeing Janine not present as they wanted her to, noting she understand[s] it. The Abbott star and creator added that when she first conceptualized the role of Janine, she wasnt really thinking about representation, but she became representation.

I think its important for us to have characters who are more realistic than they are the absolute best representation of us, Brunson said. I think it creates layers for us not only on TV but in the public eye.

Brunson is a triple-threat, notably creating, writing and starring in Abbott since it debuted on ABC in 2021. The series spotlights a group of teachers working at the Philadelphia elementary school of the same name. Overall, Abbott has garnered a total of 24 Emmy nominations and four wins, including Brunsons 2023 win for outstanding actress in a comedy series and an additional win for its 2022 outstanding writing for a comedy series.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the comedian said she was very happy about landing a fourth season of Abbott and that her team was in at a really chill place that Im enjoying from a writing, creating and acting standpoint following the joint actors and writers strike that shifted the shows third season.