For casting director Wendy O’Brien, who won an Emmy in 2022, attracting high-profile guest stars to populate the world of Quinta Brunson’s “Abbott Elementary” has become significantly easier as the ABC comedy’s popularity has skyrocketed over the past three years. But handling the flood of cameo requests for Season 3 presented a unique set of challenges – one that O’Brien welcomed.

“In Season 1, no one knew who we were,” she said. “In Season 2, the pulse of the show just kept getting higher and wider. In Season 3, it was incredible how many people were introduced to me and, I can only imagine, Quinta.”

Even though the number of calls to the casting department is increasing, the instruction has remained essentially the same since the series began. “The cameos have to make sense so they’re not distracting,” O’Brien explained. “They drive the story forward and are still decent in the world.”

There’s an unofficial plan O’Brien relies on when she looks for talent — up-and-coming comedians as well as established stars — to complement the casting. “Because the tone of the show is so grounded and because of the mockumentary style, it’s a very subtle comedy,” she said. “Reactions are very important because we depend on them a lot more than we would on a regular show. Not everyone has that power. It’s really about being conscious of the brand.”

While Taraji P. Henson, Tatyana Ali, Kevin Hart, Keegan-Michael Key and Ayo Edebiri have been cast in major roles in “Abbott Elementary,” Bradley Cooper is the series’ biggest casting coup to date.

In the post-Oscars episode that aired March 10, Cooper made a memorable appearance as an impromptu visitor on “show-and-tell” day, when he stopped by his favorite Philadelphia deli near school and was spotted by a student who asked him to come to class. The ongoing joke was that no one, not even the adults, could say exactly why he was famous, or pinpoint the roles he was known for.

Cooper’s casting was a mixture of luck, timing and delicate logistical gymnastics, O’Brien recalled. It was fortunate that the gig came about at all, as Cooper, a Philadelphia native, was in the midst of a press campaign for “Maestro.” “We really didn’t know for quite a long time if it was going to happen – and not because he didn’t want it to happen,” she said.

Originally, the hope was to cast the role with an actor of considerable name recognition, ideally one with local ties, as Abbott Elementary’s comedy leaned into the tonal peculiarities of Philadelphia. “He was so incredibly busy that it was difficult to spend even four hours with him in Los Angeles. It was a very tricky casting move, but it was probably the easiest deal I made all season. He was so easy-going and so happy to be there.”

The first two scripts for Season 4 recently crossed O’Brien’s desk, and she said they’re “already funnier than any of the other (episodes).” And she has a wish list of “dream guys” she wants to add to her arsenal this season: Jay Ellis and Daveed Diggs.

“It’s exciting just knowing that it’s a more pleasant process because we all know each other better,” O’Brien said. “There are more shortcuts, which makes it more efficient. Then you’re less nervous and can come up with crazy ideas.”

This story first appeared in the Down to the Wire Comedy Series edition of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

Read more from the comedy series Down to the Wire here.

The post “How ‘Abbott Elementary’ Landed Its Biggest Casting Coup (Yet): Bradley Cooper” first appeared on TheWrap.