TVLine's Performer Of The Week: Tyler James Williams

THE PERFORMER | Tyler James Williams

THE SHOW | "Abbott Elementary"

THE EPISODE | "Picture Day" (January 28, 2026)

THE PERFORMANCE | Gregory Eddie is one cool customer. Surrounded by wild outbursts and childlike behavior (and not just from the schoolkids) on "Abbott Elementary," Gregory is calm, collected, and generally unflappable — which makes it so much fun when he is clearly, well, flapped. This week, Gregory spiraled into a deep pit of insecurity when it came time to take staff pictures for the school yearbook, and Tyler James Williams was flat-out hilarious as Gregory did his best to approximate a normal human smile.

When the photographer announced it was time to take the teachers' pictures, a look of panic washed over Williams' face as Gregory confessed to Janine: "I didn't have time to practice my smile." He gave it his best shot, but his first attempt — a terrifying, bug-eyed grimace — left Janine speechless. A recent "Top Model" binge had Gregory feeling confident, though: "Tyra said it was all in the eyes." As he pointed his intense stare at the camera, Janine encouraged him to give "maybe a little less." (He was scaring the kids, after all.) Then Williams added another layer of physical comedy to the bit, with Gregory solemnly squatting down on the photo stool like a sumo wrestler. ("That's a choice," Janine observed.)

It was admittedly a tiny scene, but it was an absolute laugh riot, and another example of how Williams manages to shine, even inside a ridiculously talented ensemble like "Abbott's." And for next year's Picture Day: Just give the poor guy a little advance warning, would ya?

Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!