“I wouldn’t call it overwhelming, but it was whelming,” Quinta Brunson recalls of her first-ever awards season. But now in her second cycle, the Abbott Elementary creator and actor is something of a seasoned pro. “There’s a beauty in the relaxation,” she says…even if that means a little boredom.
“You do this for about…two to four hours before a show,” Brunson says as her hair and makeup is tended to from the glam chair. She and her team opted to stick to the classics: an Old Hollywood wave and an elegant, timeless beauty look, with Eartha Kitt, Judith Jamison, and even Betty Boop serving as references. (“I know that’s a cartoon, but big eyes, big-ass head,” she says with a hint of self-deprecation.) The team chose to keep it relatively simple, letting her winged liner do all the talking. “Makeup can make us look totally different but I do really like looking like myself.”
Brunson made history at the Emmys, becoming the first Black actor to win in the Best Actress category in over 40 years. She marked the occasion wearing a berry colored tea-length dress from Christian Dior and De Beers jewelry. Alongside her accomplishment, Brunson’s crushed satin dress also made headlines, thanks to its intentional wrinkles.
“It is supposed to be crinkled,” says Jessica Paster, Brunson’s stylist. “The haters are gonna say, ‘Oh my God, why didn’t she steam?’ We’ve steamed—this is the beauty of the fabric as well as the draping.” Plus, it was exactly what Brunson envisioned herself in. “I felt like a little princess,” she says.
Watch as Quinta Brunson gets ready for the 2024 Emmys.
Director: Jameer Pond
Director Of Photography: Brandon Widener
Editors: Daniel Poler, Katie Wolford
Producer: Gigi Chavarria
Associate Director, Creative Development: Alexandra Gurvitch
Associate Producer: Lea Donenberg
Assistant Camera: Thomas Rubino
Audio: Gloria Marie
Production Assistant: Brock Spitaels
Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar
Production Manager: Natasha Soto-Albors
Line Producer: Romeeka Powell
Senior Director, Production Management: Jessica Schier
Post Production Coordinator: Jovan James
Supervising Editor: Erica DeLeo
Post Production Supervisors: Edward Taylor, Christian Olguin
Associate Talent Manager: Paige Garbarini
Director of Content, Production: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
Executive Producer: Ruhiya Nuruddin
VP, Digital Video English: Thespena Guatieri
Images Dior
Filmed at Conrad Los Angeles