SPOILER ALERT:This post contains details from Wednesday nights episode ofAbbott Elementary.
Thats where it piqued my interest, he said.
DEADLINE:Tell me more about where your interest in directing came from.
Tyler James Williams directing a scene on ‘Abbott Elementary’Gilles Mingasson/Disney
Thats where it piqued my interest.
We just speak symbiotically with one another.
All the departments work really well together, and then particularly myself and camera department work really well together.
So this field felt like a good first place to get started.
DEADLINE:What did those conversations look like to have you direct an episode this season?
She immediately walked me over to Randall Einhorn and said, Tyler wants to direct an episode.
And Randall said, Hell yeah.
DEADLINE: Abbottdoes have a very specific style and tone.
It felt like it was kind of second nature.
But that was just kind of going further into what was already the visual language of the show.
DEADLINE:What was your favorite part of the episode to shoot?
WILLIAMS:Theres a lot of great pieces.
It actually worked out really well the way we set it up.
What was your experience in that regard?
WILLIAMS:I think its a combination of both.
I think more nervous in prep, because these are your people.
These are your peers.
Thats what calmed me down a bit and brought the stakes down.
It wasnt hard to direct them, because we played those jokes with each other in the room.
WILLIAMS:I understand their minds.
And it was nice to have the experience of knowing, no, they know what theyre doing.
Theyre just not given the words sometimes to articulate what theyre doing.
I had this really beautiful moment with Lela [Hoffmeister], who plays Courtney in the episode.
Like, thats what youre kind of doing, scene by scene.
Thats the throw in of stuff that makes me excited about the next generation of actors.
Thats a smart actor who just happens to be like 12, but shes a very smart actor.
DEADLINE:The kids on the show are so good.
More generally, how is working with them?
Does it make you reflect on your own experiences as a child actor at all?
WILLIAMS:Its almost therapeutic.
I guess, in a way, I dont feel as crazy.
But also, theres something really nice to being able to do it differently.
I think the world that I came from was a lot harsher.
DEADLINE:As a director, are there other genres or formats that interest you?
But then also exploring the other data pipe comedies would be nice.
I love internet TV, specifically.
So I think I will explore it at some point.
Right now, when Im signed on to a show, that show has 100% of my energy.
DEADLINE:You have worked in the industry for a long time.
WILLIAMS:Theyre always curveballs.
Whats nice about having been here as long as I have is most of them I had seen before.
So it was stuff like that.
Ive seen a lot of directors over time either thrive in that scenario or fall apart in that scenario.
So I was able to kind of pick up from the things that I learned over time.
DEADLINE: Abbottwas just renewed for Season 5.
This show is accomplishing something few web connection comedies have been able to recently.
How does that feel?
WILLIAMS:I was just talking to Quinta about this and saying were now entering kind of uncharted territory.
For me, the longest Ive ever done on the show is four seasons.
Its really great to see.
Im really proud of the work that we do.
Im proud that weve somehow been able to maintain the quality of it.
I know its something that you dont see a lot.
We can see more of this.
I dont like being the outlier here, or the the asterisk.
This should be everybody.
