Abbott Elementary's Sheryl Lee Ralph Couldn't Watch Janine, Gregory's Kiss

Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams‘ onscreen kiss was watched and rewatched by millions — but not by their Abbott Elementary costar Sheryl Lee Ralph.

“No, I couldn’t watch it,” Ralph, 67, exclusively told Us Weekly exclusively at the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors Brunch on Sunday, October 20, which was held at the Balboa Bay Club and Resort.” When they did the whole lean in, I was stunned and I was just like, ‘Oh no, no, no.’”

Ralph found it too weird watching Brunson, 34, and Williams, 32, take Janine and Gregory’s romance to the next level.

“I don’t want to see my kids doing true adult things,” the actress, who was the Artist of Distinction recipient at the event, told Us. “I don’t want to see it.”

Abbott Elementary, which debuted in 2021, follows teachers at a fictional Philadelphia public school. After two long seasons of buildup, Gregory finally confessed that he’s had feelings for Janine. She admitted she felt the same but decided to focus on herself for a while. Season 3 showed the pair trying to just be friends, which ended in a kiss heard around the world.

Before the season 4 premiere, Williams, 32, broke down for Us how the costars worked “really hard to make sure” there was a visible shift between Gregory and Janine.

“[It is] new and fresh and different from what the previous seasons were. This season should feel tonally different for them,” he shared earlier this month. “[When season 4 starts], this will be the first time that Gregory is in the school having fully disclosed and tried to explore what happened with Janine. Obviously, it’s a workplace and it’s going to make things a little complicated. The biggest thing that I can tease is how do you interact with a coworker that you have now expressed feelings for and definitely had some sort of physical interaction with? That’s really his biggest challenge this year.”

Brunson, 34, meanwhile, was just as excited to see Janine and Gregory as a real couple, telling Us, “I’m really pumped about that [story line]. I’m excited about Janine and Gregory both as individuals and as people who have had a situationship up until now.”

While Ralph didn’t watch that specific scene, she has been having the time of her life playing fellow teacher Barbara Howard.

“I love so much that Barbara Howard continues to learn. She may be your teacher, but she is a lifelong student, and I love the fact that she’s not afraid to learn,” she explained to Us. “A lot of people don’t want to learn something new, they don’t want to change.”

Ralph continued: “And when they say you can’t teach an old dog new jokes, and she’s like, ‘Oh no, I’m going to learn a new trick and use the computer too.’ I love it. I just appreciate that about her and she really appreciates a good cocktail now and then.”

As new episodes continue to be released, Ralph is looking forward to fans seeing the Halloween episode, teasing, “Halloween is so funny. But I just want you to know when you watch the episode, remember this: All of us in those fur and faux fur costumes, it was 107 degrees outside, 107 degrees and we were shooting outside, but we suffered for our art. But it’s funny.”

Ralph also recalled a highlight from a previous season when Jason Kelce, Jalen Hurts and Brandon Graham made surprise cameos.

“They bring the hunk. I love the hunk. They bring the muscle. I love the muscles,” she quipped. “And they are the Eagles. Go Eagles. Who’s not happy to represent Philadelphia? Come on now. Thank you. Get a good cheesecake and a good person to say ‘Go Eagles. Go Philly.’”

Abbott Elementary airs on ABC Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Hulu.

With reporting by Mike Vulpo