Tyler James Williams, the Emmy-Award-Winning Actor, Expands His Gardening Abilities to Extend Beyond ‘Abbott Elementary’.

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On screen, Tyler James Williams is used to getting his hands dirty Abbot Elementary School‘s Eddie, the first grade teacher who embraces his green thumb. Offscreen, the Emmy-winning actor is “imitating art” and teams up with Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day to launch its Lots of Compassion program on National Garden Day (April 14).

Part of Williams’ new role? Help turn vacant lots in deprived communities into thriving gardens. He started digging in the ground of Third Street Elementary and – in the words of Gregory in season two – “experiencing what they call ‘Black boy joy'” through gardening. The household cleaning products company is partnering with Gardening for kids to identify local community leaders receiving $20,000 grants for transforming vacant lots into green spaces.

“Is it art imitating life, or life imitating art? I think so much about the research, because Abbot Elementary School and Gregory in particular is the interaction of real people in these scenarios, real teachers and their students,” Williams tells The Hollywood Reporter. “They told me about their little yard on Third Street and they have a stevia plant and they’re going to pick it. I just realized it was such a sweet little plant.

I saw how the kids (and how to garden) changed the way they looked at the world, how they saw their independence and what they were capable of with their little hands. People actively influence the next generation and how they come to see the world. Gregory should be aware of that.”

Raised in Yonkers, New York (Reportedly the 18th happiest city in the US in 2023, according to WalletHub) says he “remembered how depressing” it was to see empty dirt patches.

“Yeah, so when I was growing up there was a huge turnaround to what it is now. It’s beautiful (now) – it certainly wasn’t (then),” he says. “I remember walking past these empty and abandoned spaces and not really thinking much about it. Then you go deeper into Westchester County and see how every space was utilized. … I didn’t realize how it affected the mental health of me or anyone around me. Ms. Meyer’s actually gave me these numbers: 15 percent of the US is considered empty and abandoned. It is about the size of Switzerland.”

Being approached by the home cleaning brand “made sense right away. It feels like something that was universally accidental. I asked, “What can I do to help?” and they said, ‘Can you help spread the word?’”

As part of the initiative, the company partnered with horticulturists to create a pansy-viola hybrid called the Compassion Flower. It’s the inspiration behind their latest product line ($5 to $19) that benefits Lots of Compassion, which receives $1 from every item purchased at MrsMeyers.com and Grove.co. The range includes hand and dish soap, an all-purpose cleaner, a room freshener, and a soy candle, and the brand donates $200 annually (or $1 million over the next five years) to the nonprofit.

“It brings to light (how much compassion) trying to build these little quaint garden spaces. We just don’t hear much about it. They need the money, and (for Ms. Meyer’s) to take a dollar and on to $1 million is a long way. I am very proud to be able to help stimulate that for this reason.”

Abbot Elementary SchoolThe resident secret gardener of ‘s has also inspired the real cast and crew. “On the grounds of Warner Bros. is there a garden where we put the garden of our show. (They thought), why just leave this as an unused piece of trash? Randall Einhorn, our executive producer and director, actually tends the garden every day and we get vegetables from there. We watch people pick things out of it and it’s really cute. Randall has really great tomatoes!”

As for his own green thumb: “I’m just getting started. I have this Click & Grow garden where you put some stuff in, some basil and tomatoes, some rosemary. I could use the basil in my actual meal, I thought I was as successful as the original version of man who had to do that since the dawn of society,” he joked.

Check out the limited edition Compassion Flower products from Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day.