Abbott Elementary is arguably one of the best sitcoms of all time, and it’s hard to imagine the Emmy-winning series without its A+ cast. This includes William Stanford Davis, who plays the eccentric and brutally honest janitor, Mr. Johnson. While he is still one character that definitely needs more love on Abbott, we got to see him really shine in Season 3. Even though he’s certainly made a name for himself now thanks to the ABC sitcom, he recalled that he actually failed a Friends audition years ago.
Davis has been in the entertainment industry since the mid-90s, coincidentally playing a janitor on The Bold and the Beautiful. Throughout his career, he’s only had minor roles in both film and TV, and at one point, he auditioned for the NBC megahit Friends. He told The Hollywood Reporter what happened with his audition and how people didn’t think he was in the right business:
Oh my God, several, man. Where to start? I auditioned for Friends, and the casting director called my agent and told him that they thought I needed to quit, that I needed to go back to doing something else. And that’s the way it was told to me. I thought they had me confused with someone else. I said, ‘My audition couldn’t have been as bad as the one they’re describing.’
Getting that kind of feedback is not easy, especially when you think you did a good job. Friends had many guest stars and it's certainly possible that even more well-known actors of today auditioned back then but didn't get parts.
Davis shared that the part he was auditioning for was a minor one; he was supposed to act like he was ice skating on the floor. While it would have been entertaining to see him in that role, everything definitely happens for a reason.
It's possible if William Stanford Davis had landed that Friends role, his career could have gone differently. Even though he still seems a little upset over it, he does look back at that time as a real challenge in a good way. And it put him down the road to doing more comedy that would eventually lead him to his long-awaited breakout role in Abbott Elementary:
That was the best thing that happened to me. It made me decide that no one was going to have those kinds of remarks or comments about my work. I’m not going to book the gig, but no one is going to ever say, ‘Boy, he sucked.’ I was on the road doing stand-up comedy, and I put all of that on the back burner and concentrated on being the best actor I could possibly be.
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Even though Davis doesn’t get the best residual checks from Abbott, the show changed his life. It’s now hard to imagine someone else playing Mr. Johnson, and if things had gone differently years ago, who knows what would have happened with the role.
It’s also a good thing that he never listened to that casting director and quit, or else he 100% would not have gone on to play the legend that is Mr. Johnson. Abbott Elementary has an amazing ensemble cast, and they all play a vital role. Without them, this beloved sitcom wouldn't be what it is.
Fans will be able to see much more of William Stanford Davis in Season 4 of Abbott Elementary when it returns to the 2024 TV schedule this fall. Hopefully, this time around, he will be in a lot more scenes because it is always a riot when Mr. Johnson is on-screen. There’s also much more to look forward to including Gregory and Janine’s relationship which is in full bloom. Even though the future of sitcoms is worrisome, Abbott does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, and fingers crossed that sentiment will be true for the entire cast too.
