Ethan Shanfeld For Chris Perfetti, “Abbott Elementary” was not just another pandemic-era script on his desk. “I first read the pilot in the spring of 2020, and it was in no small way a profound moment,” he tells Variety. The actor, who plays the enthusiastic, delightfully corny BFF to Quinta Brunson’s Janine in the hit ABC sitcom about public school teachers, was sitting on a park bench in Atlanta, laughing to himself. “I remember chuckling out loud and looking around me and being very aware of if I was making anyone uncomfortable,” says Perfetti. “I had a strong feeling that if anybody had the guts to make this thing and make it right, it would be great.”
