Abbott Elementary is easily one of the best comedy series on TV today, and soon the brand-new fifth season will begin airing on ABC. In fact, Abbott Elementary season 5 is set to premiere on the network on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, at 8:30 p.m. ET. This date might seem like it's far away from now, but it'll be October before you know it!
While eagerly counting down the days, there’s one surprise about the show that might shock even longtime viewers. One beloved actor, originally meant to appear only in the pilot, impressed everyone so much with their performance that they stayed on and have since become a central part of the show. Can you guess who it is and which Abbott Elementary character they portray?
Obviously, it wouldn't be Quinta Brunson since she's the show's leading star. Nor is it any of the other actors playing the main teachers who are already central to the story. If you guessed William Stanford Davis, then you'd be right. Davis is best known for portraying Mr. Johnson, the lovable and quirky janitor at Willard R. Abbott Elementary School, whose hilarious antics and perfectly timed one-liners make him one of the funniest characters in the workplace comedy.
During an interview at San Diego Comic-Con, Deadline asked Davis about how he brought Mr. Johnson to life and made him such an important part of the show that fans really care about. Davis responded by saying that he was only supposed to be a guest star and appear in the pilot episode, but due to the positive reaction from the producers and focus groups, his Mr. Johnson character was kept on. He then goes on to give credit to Brunson and the fans for recognizing the character’s potential, which ultimately led to him being an essential member of the Abbott Elementary cast.
"That’s a great question, because Mr. Johnson was supposed to be a guest star, and whatever I did in the pilot episode, not only they loved it, but when they showed it to focus groups, they said the needle would go off the monitor. Once again, I owe that to the fans and to Quinta [Brunson] for seeing that and recognizing this character."
Honestly, I couldn't imagine Abbott Elementary without Mr. Johnson roaming the halls, dropping hilarious one-liners, and stealing every scene he’s in. Every time he appears, I find myself laughing out loud, and honestly, some of my favorite moments on the show are the little things he does that you never see coming.
He’s the kind of character that makes you look forward to every episode, and I can't wait to see what he gets up to in the upcoming fifth installment. I'm sure he'll continue to crack us up. Hopefully, we'll see him get a love interest next season!