Jill Scott, also known as Jilly from Philly, joins the cast of Abbott Elementary as its latest guest star. In the episode “Ava Fest: Tokyo Drift (Season four, Episode 20), the singer visits the fictional Philadelphia-based school, portraying herself. The series has a history of inviting Philadelphia natives to the show, such as Bradley Cooper, Kevin Hart, and Questlove. One of the highlights is when the singer performs her iconic hit, “Golden” from her sophomore album, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2.
In a past interview, Quinta Brunson, the series star and creator, shared why she loves getting celebrities like Scott on the show. “I think it’s so nice when people look at it as an opportunity to be in something that their kids can watch also,” Brunson said. “Because a lot of actors who are part of more dramatic projects or things that are little PG-13 to rated R, Abbott is something that their kids can see them in.”
“I want to be taken seriously as an actress,” Jill Scott says regarding her process with picking roles.
While this would be one of the first moments Jill Scott portrayed herself, it’s not the first time fans have seen her on screen. The singer has starred in several movies and TV shows like Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?, Baggage Claim, and a Steel Magnolias-inspired film centered around African American women. During a 2012 interview, she opened up about her experience working with Queen Latifah and Phylicia Rashad on the series.
“Being able to work with great actresses on a daily basis, you just don’t get those opportunities,” Scott tells TheDrop.fm. “Plus it was more than just working with them. We developed sincere friendships. Every day was filled with laughter, huge masses of laughter.”
The singer has also opened up about why she’s not too keen on taking roles that involve singing. “I really wanted to separate the two…I love them both and wanted to be taken seriously as an actress,” Scott told theGrio. “I took on a role like The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in order to expand all of my horizons…I just didn’t want to cross-pollinate.”
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