English Teacher
Created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez , English Teacherpremiered on FX on Monday , September 2 . Season 1 lie in of eight thirty - minute episodes and follows Evan Marquez , a instructor in Texas who " finds himself at the intersection point of the personal , professional , and political vista of workingat a high school . " In improver to Alvarez , the main cast includes Stephanie Koenig , Sean Patton , Enrico Colantoni , Carmen Christopher , and Jordan Firstman .
Koenig plays Gwen Sanders , an optimistic story teacher at Morrison - Hensley High who tend to see the best in people , even when she should n’t . The actor asterisk in Apple TV+ ’s Emmy - nominated seriesLessons in Chemistryalongside Brie Larson and has also been featured in task such asSick Girl , The Offer , andThe Flight Attendant . WhileEnglish Teacheris yet to be reincarnate for a 2d season , thecast stay on optimisticabout the show ’s return .
English Teacher , which has a 97 % score on Rotten Tomatoes , is the perfect comedy series to watch for those who enjoyed Glenn Howerton ’s A.P. Bio .
ScreenRantinterviews Koenig about her onscreen and offscreen friendship with Brian Jordan Alvarez , capturing today ’s generation of high schoolers , and her Leslie Townes Hope for Gwen ’s storyline inEnglish Teacherseason 2 .
Alvarez Wrote The Part Of Gwen Sanders With Koenig In Mind
“I was quietly getting excited for the potential to work with Brian in a big way with a budget for once.”
ScreenRant : To start , I would love to know how you got involved inEnglish Teachersince you also have writing credits .
Stephanie Koenig : I ’ve known Brian for a really longsighted time . I ’ve made a hatful of sketches with Brian and movies and web serial , so I ’ve been function with him for a while , and I know that he was create this show — I think around 2020 he write the pilot . I do n’t think back when it was , but it ’s been a while , and I ’ve been chase it and know that he had write a part for me and knowing that likely would n’t work out because maybe I ’d be filming something else , or maybe I would audition and not get it .
So I was quietly getting excited for the potential to work with Brian in a big way with a budget for once . Before they tear the pilot , he had ask me to do the mini writer ' room for the other episode of the show . I have it away how good Brian is at make appearance , and I acknowledge how good the pilot was , but attend all of the topics that we could address in this show and how rum it could be , I was just really frantic to possibly act in it .
Custom Image by Yailin Chacon
And then they were shooting the archetype , and I was shooting Lessons in Chemistry on Apple , and there was a sentence there where I thought I could n’t shoot the archetype , and FX was stress to work out my schedule with Apple , and it looked like it might be too hard , and then they just kept really working at it , and they go along pushing for me and Apple was like , " have got on , lease ’s just figure this out for her . " And they let me go shoot the pilot , and I ’m forever grateful that they let me shoot the fender .
The sitcom addresses a lot of hot - clit issuing . When you ’re in the writers ' room , how do you decide what matter you may address , and which one ca n’t be reckon through a comedic lens ?
Stephanie Koenig : aboveboard , it all has to be funny . I think it ’s whatever get us laugh . But we also just talk about it with extreme forethought . There are some sensitive thing that we want to verify that we ’re approaching with upkeep , while also being funny , which is a hard thing to do , but there are just so many smart writers in the elbow room , and the EPs and Brian are so bright at doing that teeter totter . It ’s just making sure that we really , really talk about it , and then the thing that sticks , the affair that makes us laugh the most , is usually the avenue we ’ll take .
Evan, a gay high school English teacher, and his coworkers as they try to balance the complicated demands of their students.
This is disjoined from raging topics , but that Edward Durell Stone face mommy in the field slip instalment with Sharon , fiddle by Andrene Ward - Hammond , who is so suspicious , was a topic that we could not stop express mirth about . That some mummy was just constantly talking about this ludicrous kind of made - up sexual practice game that she ’s afraid the youngster are playing and she wo n’t kibosh speak about it . We just laughed so heavily about that and so it just made it in , and we entrust that that would be jolly entertaining for everybody to watch and pretty relatable .
So many people want to see more of Sharon .
Stephanie Koenig : There are already , like , Emmy campaigns for Sharon !
Could you see her coming back for more episodes of the show ?
Stephanie Koenig : I beg . I require that so defective . She is one of the funniest people I ’ve run with . I could not keep a straight facial expression with her . Everybody postulate more Sharon . I ’m loving the Emmy crusade for her , so I retweet those as much as possible .
Koenig Hopes English Teacher Will Continue To Explore Gwen’s Friendship With Evan
“I think they kind of call each other out while being the most supportive they can possibly be like a real friend should.”
Gwen is so fun . I feel like she ’s one of those characters who can do anything and it ’s entertaining . What do you enjoy most about playing her ?
Stephanie Koenig : the great unwashed keep saying that they have sex the looks that I ’m giving mass , and I ’m like , " God , I love that , " because I intend that ’s something I ’m mayhap organically doing that Brian and the editor in chief are using . One of my pet fit is in the pilot film .
It render her to a T when she ’s in the gymnasium and Evan is having to explain to the kids what non - binary way and the way that she is trying to be helpful and caring too much and not knowing what to say . I retrieve it ’s her not knowing what to say around kids and not need to appal anybody . She just is caring too much , and I love go out somebody juggle how laborious that is to conserve .
I also love her friendship with Evan . You two have such big energy together . How do you believe these characters complement one another most ?
Stephanie Koenig : I know seeing real friendships in goggle box shows . I think that ’s where we find a lot of really great stories about friendly relationship and where we feel comforted keep an eye on TV shows . It feels like they ’re our admirer too , and you kind of get to be in spite of appearance of this . It ’s made up , but it feels so substantial . Just anything like Friends or New Girl or Pen15 , it ’s just a special affair to watch a friendly relationship displayed on television . Brian and I are existent acquaintance , so it ’s an easy thing to do . And I think they kind of call each other out while being the most supportive they can perhaps be like a literal friend should .
It ’s like they ’re going to peradventure be a vocalise board for some mad stuff . I think actually maybe Gwen does n’t call him out enough and is very , very supportive of everything that he ’s doing . But it ’s a beautiful friendly relationship . I hope we can research it more . And I be intimate the sequence where we develop in a fight . I think it was fun to see those two competitiveness . It used to be an early instalment . I ’m happy they pushed it to a little bit by and by so that you could get to know Gwen and Evan as solid friends and then have it be a giving deal when they really have something go wrong .
The show focuses on Evan ’s life , but I ’d also bed to find out more about Gwen and her background .
Stephanie Koenig : I require to know about Gwen too ! More Gwen all day . I wonder what ’s go to happen with her boyfriend — if they ’re sound to stay together or they ’re operate to break in up . Is Gwen going to be single or is she go to be back and away ? I do n’t know . I do n’t have it away what we ’re move to do in season 2 .
She did say that " your husband is the one most likely to kill you , " so mayhap marriage is n’t something she ’ll want . [ Laughs ]
Stephanie Koenig : I had to say that line three times . We had to shoot that scenery in like 45 moment . The Christ Within was dying , all that self - defense hooey by the car . We were run out of light , and they were like , " Just go , go , go , go , go ! " So we were really improvising stuff , coming up with stuff with the writers on the spot , and then one of our author , Dave King , came up with a blood rake .
He ’s like , " Okay , so you ’re go to propose to him , and then you ’re going to get up and say , ' Boom , you ’re utter . Your husband is the most likely person to kill you . ' " So every clip I get down up from the proposal , I could n’t say it . So I had to keep die back on the knee and be like , " Hold on , withstand on , hold on , " just because it was such a funny line that he came up with .
I even saw it spread around TikTok with a subtitle , like , " I have intercourse the show . "
Stephanie Koenig : Our crew made piddling pricker that said , " Boom , you ’re dead , " on them for a wrapper natural endowment and that just made me so happy .
Koenig Is Glad That English Teacher Resonates With Real-Life Educators
“Many teachers have expressed, ‘How did you guys nail the reality of that generation?’ I’m like, ‘Thank God we did.'”
Gwen and some of the other teachers are hilariously informed about the student ' dramatic play . The teenagers fetch so much to the show . Which one of those characters resonates most with your sense of humor ?
Stephanie Koenig : Oh my God , it ’s so heavy to pick . What I eff about the show is that each installment kind of play up a dissimilar scholar and lets them gleam , and other guest stars too . I think that ’s what this show does really well . I was so well-chosen with how everything with the students amount up . They ’re so unique , and they ’re so funny in their own right . So I do n’t know if I could pick . I have it away them all . I ’m diplomatic like a teacher should be . It ’s like , " Oh , you ca n’t expect a teacher who their preferent student is ! "
Those are your kid !
Stephanie Koenig : I roll in the hay ! I want them to prosper and grow and experience loved .
They ’re such a great addition to a series like this .
Stephanie Koenig : Yeah . It ’s so important to see what these main characters are actually having to debate or help with . Their lives are essentially making certain that these kids do well and instruct them well , and it ’s severe to do that . And you have sex what ’s really nice ? I just got a text from my good friend ’s babe . She ’s an English teacher , and she ’s like , " You ’ve made the teacher chew the fat . "
So apparently all of her teacher friends are argue episode and hooey , and many instructor have expressed , " How did you guys nail the realness of that generation ? " I ’m like , " Thank God we did . " It ’s just so funny . They ’re so gratifying . They have something to instruct us . We have something to teach them . It ’s a courteous microcosm of just how the world is with new generations coming in and how you contend with each other and help each other .
Lastly , are there any other musical style you ’d wish to research that you have n’t had a chance to ?
Stephanie Koenig : I need to do repulsion for sure , but probably with comedy in it . Either that or also be in a Mel - Brooks - case motion-picture show that I would direct and write and make like a spoof drollery .
About FX’s English Teacher Season 1
Created by Brian Jordan Alvarez
FX ’s English Teacheris a funniness series make by Brian Jordan Alvarez , in which he stars as “ Evan Marquez , ” a mellow school day instructor in Austin , Texas who often finds himself at the intersection of the personal , professional , and political aspects of working at a gamey school .
English Teacheris currently uncommitted to stream on Hulu .
Evan , a gay eminent school English teacher , and his coworkers as they try out to equilibrise the complicated demands of their student .
