Abbott Elementary entered its fifth season with a talented slate of young actors who have grown into professionals. Janelle James spoke on Vulture's Good One podcast about casting troubles during the early years of the show. She mentioned:"If I remember, in our early seasons, they had to go find kids."The problem, she said, was finding "a lot of dark-skinned Black kids" in LA. Acting is expensive for children. You need free time to take your kids to auditions and events. This situation isn't common within the Black community. According to Janelle James, the show had to actively seek out young talent. Most of these kids were not seasoned actors at all. They learned and grew while on set. James was proud to have seen them grow into skilled professionals over time.Read more about the story.Where did the production team search for talent? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIn the initial production stages of Abbott Elementary, it was a challenge to find the right young performers. Wendy O'Brien, the casting director, and creator Quinta Brunson had to go around searching for children in Los Angeles. They did not find enough dark-skinned Black kids who were already pursuing acting in the industry. The team had to go beyond the usual pools and agent lists. They discovered many kids who had never worked on a television set before.Brunson was very specific about what she needed: Black children who could mirror the real community from West Philadelphia. Abbott Elementary was based on the underfunded public school where Brunson's mother taught kindergarten for forty years. This sort of real setting required performers who could represent that environment accurately and genuinely.Why did experience matter less? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostJanelle James mentioned that Abbott Elementary was specifically looking for young actors who had not done much television. Many child performers coming from Disney and Nickelodeon tend to give bigger comedic performances. The show did mockumentary-style filming, similar to The Office. This type of filming really requires subtle acting and natural delivery from young performers. Brunson and director Randall Einhorn decided they wanted kids to play scenes realistically. They needed children who could answer questions from teachers or react to cafeteria food in realistic ways.Sometimes, experienced child actors hit jokes too hard or perform in cuter styles. The actors on Abbott Elementary wanted authenticity instead of practiced comedic timing. The casting team realized that the inexperienced kids would bring raw and honest performances to their roles. This creative decision helped make the show feel like a real school environment rather than a polished television production.How have young actors developed? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostJanelle James celebrated how these child actors have grown to become skilled professionals through the seasons. Many of these youngsters had never set their feet on a television set when they first started. They learned the craft while being part of the Abbott Elementary production. The children were able to develop their acting talents quite naturally since the set was supportive.According to James, it was everyone learning as one big group. It was an invaluable training situation for young, inexperienced talent. These kids actually gained more industry experience that turned them into real professionals. James felt remarkable pride in witnessing this transformation take place. This actually proved that the challenges with casting were all worth it. Abbott Elementary was giving some kids opportunities they might never have found through traditional acting channels.Follow Soap Central for more such informative articles.