Quinta Brunson on How Mary Tyler Moore Inspired Her Career Path Emmy-winning “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson grew up on a diet of Nick at Nite, so she remembers “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” fondly. “That show went platinum in my household,” she says. “‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ was supremely important to me. As a kid, I wasn’t necessarily looking for representation or anything other than ‘this is a really funny show.’ And that theme song is second nature to me!” Later on, as Brunson pursued her dreams, Moore’s path was a guidepost. So it’s all the more appropriate that Brunson is set to receive the Mary Tyler Moore Visionary Award at Variety’s FYC TV Fest on May 6. “Seeing her first on ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’ she gave me this understanding of how the business could work — that you could be a featured player on one show and then a lead on your own show,” says Brunson. “And then have your own business, have your own studio. I remember seeing Mary Tyler Moore on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ and seeing these two incredible women in media and television just sitting there chatting it up, that was really defining for me. It made me never question whether or not I could do this.” Even now, Brunson continues to be a student of television. She’s currently rewatching “Girlfriends,” caught up on old episodes of “The Steve Harvey Show” and has given “Dharma & Greg” a try for the first time. “I remember it from when I was younger, but I never actually watched the series,” she says. “I know it was a big sitcom, and that show was everywhere at the time — but now, I personally barely ever hear it mentioned! It was a very good pilot.#quinta_brunson #mary_tyler_moore #variety_fyc_tv_fest #abbott_elementary #westfield_promenade_mall
