Taraji P. Henson Guest-Stars on Abbott Elementary

Taraji P. Henson Joins the Cast of Another Hit TV Show!

The actress needs no introduction after winning our hearts with her cheeky portrayal of Cookie Lyon on Fox drama series Empire. Now the 52-year-old is bringing her award-winning skills to the sitcom Abbott Elementary.

The mockumentary show follows a group of teachers in a Philadelphia public school as they overcome various trials in raising children. To learn more about the Hidden Figures star’s role in this comedy series, keep reading to find out more!

Taraji P. Henson Becomes the Latest Celebrity to Guest-Star in ‘Abbott Elementary’

As shared by Variety, the mother of the series’ female lead, Janine Teagues (played by Quinta Brunson), is portrayed by Henson, and Abbott Elementary fans will finally get the much-anticipated facial reveal

Vanetta, the Hollywood sensation’s screen personality, will join the second season of the Primetime Emmy Award-winning series as a guest star. Her role was announced over the weekend at the Paley Center for Media’s annual PaleyFest LA.

Abbott Elementary stars Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Tyler James Williams and William Stanford Davis were in attendance. Janelle James and Chris Perfetti attended the event via Zoom, but the Washington native outshined their presence.

According to the news outlet, the Golden Globe Award winner’s character is set to appear in the episode titled “Mom.” The plot follows Janine’s plans for a solo Memorial Day trip, derailed by the unexpected presence of her mother. Vanetta shows up in her daughter’s life asking for help, a twist that leaves fans gasping.

The episode “Abbott Elementary” is scheduled to premiere April 12 at 9 p.m. and is the 21st episode of the second season. As the show continues to delve into the background of its beloved characters, Henson joins the growing roster of guest stars on the show. Before her performance, Ayo Edibiri played Ayesha, Janine’s sister.

Although these entertainers coped effortlessly with their roles, the crowd favorite seems to be Henson. Following the show’s announcement about the Washington native’s role Twitter, Fans excitedly flooded the comments.

The post shows Henson posing with Brunson, her on-screen daughter, on the set of the show’s elementary school. The duo smiled brightly for the camera and flaunted their resemblance to confirm the news. Celebrated actress Yvette Nicole Brown started the congratulations. The “Community” star fell three red heart emojis next to the adorable expression: “Yassssssss! Looks like sisters but YASSSSSSSS!!!”

The news broke Thomas Sanders’ dictionary as the internet personality couldn’t find words to express himself as he gushed, “Omggggfdkxixusjdjxhcj.” Hulu shared similar sentiments while writing, “Dreams do come true.”

A fan showed off his wordplay skills with a genius to the BET Award winner’s casting and wrote, “I’ll be a fool for Taraji…April or not.” One doubting fan tweeted: “I’ll believe it, but since it’s April Fools’ Day, I’m cautious.” Another concerned person rang, “Nah. Announce it again in the morning so we know you’re not trying to fool us into an April Fool’s joke.”

The popular sitcom has been renewed for a third season

Earlier this year The Blast reported that Abbott Elementary fans should be rejoiced as their favorite mockumentary is slated for a third season. The fantastic news came after the series dominated the Golden Globes ceremony with multiple nominations and wins.

The show took home the award for Best Comedy Series while the cast received recognition for their work. Tyler James Williams also won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in the Musical, Comedy or Drama category.

The entertainer’s victory came after Brunson’s win at the 2022 Emmys. The sitcom’s lead actress received the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress and wowed audiences by singing her acceptance speech in the vein of jazz singer Dianne Reeves’ 1993 song “Endangered Species.”

The actress also added the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series to her list of achievements. Given the show’s success and its lovable cast, it came as no surprise that ABC decided to renew the sitcom for a third season.

Regarding the renewal, Warner Brothers Television Group CEO Justin Halpern gushed about the mockumentary’s potential. According to the businessman, “Abbott Elementary” was a gift that was given again and again.