Bill Hader Is Heading to ‘Abbott Elementary’ After Teaming Up With Quinta Brunson

Bill Hader and Quinta Brunson are about to spend more time together. The 2 comedians are both in Warner Bros.’ animated ‘The Cat in the Hat’, where Hader voices the title character and Brunson plays Sherri, the HR director at the Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration.

The film opens in theaters on November 6, and Hader has been busy promoting it. One of his talk show stops ended up producing some exciting news for fans of Brunson’s hit ABC sitcom.

During an appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on Monday night, Hader revealed that he will guest star on ‘Abbott Elementary’. Variety first reported the news, which quickly spread among fans of both stars.

The guest spot is set for later this season. His character and the episode’s air date haven’t been revealed yet, so fans will have to wait to find out who he’ll play at the Philadelphia school. The news arrives as ‘Abbott Elementary’ continues to draw big audiences. According to Variety, the Season 6 premiere pulled in 6.3 million viewers over 7 days.

Brunson created the series and stars in it. The comedy airs Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC, and episodes stream on Hulu the next day. A guest appearance from someone with Hader’s comedy credentials should only add to the show’s momentum. His deadpan style seems like a natural fit for the mockumentary format.

🚨 NEW TRAILER for the sixth season of Abbott Elementary! The season premieres October 7th on ABC, next day on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. https://t.co/gtvfrjYPjw
— The Disney Beat 🍂 (@DisneyBeat101) September 30, 2026

Hader has one of the most impressive résumés in comedy. He spent 8 seasons on ‘Saturday Night Live’ from 2005 to 2013, where he became one of the show’s most popular performers.

He went on to co-create, write, and executive produce ‘Documentary Now!’. He also created, directed, wrote, executive produced, and starred in HBO’s ‘Barry’, which ran from 2019 to 2023 and earned him 2 Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

His film credits include ‘The Skeleton Twins’, ‘Trainwreck’ and ‘It Chapter Two’. He has also voiced characters in ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs’, ‘The Angry Birds Movie’, ‘Inside Out’, ‘Finding Dory’ and ‘Toy Story 4’.

Let’s go, team Abbott! We’re all new Wednesday on ABC. Stream on Hulu. https://t.co/TlLwzyQPbf
— Abbott Elementary (@AbbottElemABC) November 3, 2026

This won’t be Hader’s first memorable TV cameo. He appeared in a 2021 episode of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, and he recently played Abraham Lincoln opposite Larry David in ‘Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness’.

Those appearances show how comfortable he is joining an established comedy ensemble. Fans will be curious to see how he fits in with the Abbott staff. The timing makes the collaboration even more fun. ‘The Cat in the Hat’ features a voice cast that also includes Bowen Yang, Xochitl Gomez, Giancarlo Esposito, America Ferrera, Matt Berry and Paula Pell.

In the film, the Cat is an agent who has to cheer up 2 siblings struggling after moving to a new town. Brunson’s Sherri works at the same organization, so the pair already share scenes before reuniting on ‘Abbott Elementary’.

Details about Hader’s role are still being kept quiet. Whether he plays a parent, a district official, or someone completely unexpected, his episode is sure to be one of the most talked-about of the season. Until then, fans can catch new episodes of ‘Abbott Elementary’ every week. ABC is expected to share more about Hader’s appearance closer to the air date.