Kyle Schwarber became the 21st MLB player to hit four home runs in a game on Thursday night, but the cameras weren’t just focused on him for his on-field performance. The Phillies slugger became the latest local athlete to be filmed for the Emmy Award-winning “Abbott Elementary.”
West Philly native and showrunner Quinta Brunson and the her fellow castmates were spotted throughout Citizens Bank Park filming an episode that serendipitously Schwarber will be the guest star, the Athletic reported.
The show’s main characters were all there Thursday night, including Brunson, Tyler James Williams (Gregory Eddie), Janelle James (Ava Coleman), Lisa Ann Walter (Melissa Schemmenti), Chris Perfetti (Jacob Hill), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Barbara Howard), William Stanford Davis (Mr. Johnson) and Matthew Law (O’Shon). They were seated in Section 114 and were met with resounding applause when they were shown on Jumbotron.
Signs were posted outside of the section, notifying attendees that they may be filmed and fans spotted the “Abbott” crew stationed around the stadium.
Abbott elementary filming at the ballpark tonight!!! pic.twitter.com/Nfu4qRgYZR
— 🏳️🌈 baseball queen 🏳️⚧️ ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍🫂 (@baseballqueen_1) August 28, 2025
Following a 19-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves, and a momentous night for Schwarber, the “Abbott” gang made their way down to the field to seemingly film a scene with the fan favorite. Brunson took the opportunity to get her own photo with the night’s MVP and posted it on her Instagram story Friday morning.
The Phanatic also posted on Instagram, captioning the photo with a series of emojis and teasing the team’s cameo on the show.
“One of our most incredible shoots,” the actress wrote in one of her Instagram Stories. “My abbott cast and crew knocked it out of the park. It was a home run. And a home run. And a home run. And a home run! Thank you to the Phillies and the fans for your hospitality ❤️ and thank you Kyle Schwarber!”
MLB Studios released a statement confirming their hand in making the collaboration happen, as reported by the Inquirer.
“As big fans of the series, MLB Studios initiated outreach to Warner Brothers and subsequently the Phillies to get the shooting process started,” the studio wrote in a statement. “Collaboration between MLB Studios, the Phillies and the show commenced to shoot a bottle episode on location at a Phillies game, with a goal of ensuring authenticity and access to the field.”
Last month, Brunson was at Comic-Con in San Diego when she gave fans a vague hint that the cast would return to Philadelphia to film at a “live event” for its upcoming season, which debuts on ABC on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 8:30 p.m.
“I do think that Philly sports fans will be very happy … and sports fans in general,” she predicted at the time.
“Abbott” reportedly shot on-site for two days leading up to Thursday night’s game, using over 600 extras that took over Citizens Bank Park while the Phillies were playing in New York.
Current and former Eagles Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham have made guest appearances, along with Flyers mascot Gritty. While the show is primarily shot in Los Angeles, they have made a habit of to returning to Philly and has previously filmed episodes at the Franklin Institute and Please Touch Museum.