IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

IMO Live: Give Your Parents Grace with Quinta Brunson

June 24, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

When Quinta Brunson was a kid, her older siblings made her their "little jester," forcing her to recite lines from Martin and In Living Color on command. They also made her walk up three flights of stairs to fetch the TV remote because they were too comfortable to get it themselves. That dynamic—being the youngest of five, raised by parents in their 70s with siblings up to 20 years older—shaped her comedic eye. She grew up absorbing Stevie Wonder, doo-wop, WWE, and The West Wing all at once, then showing up to kindergarten talking about Luther Vandross while her classmates were on Nick Jr. "I didn't feel strange," she told Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson during a live taping of IMO at the Obama Presidential Center. "I would get to school and share all the things that I thought were normal."

The double life that got her to L.A.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (03:02) **Introduction of Quinta Brunson** - Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson welcome Quinta as the guest, highlighting her Emmy-winning achievements.
  • 2 (06:51) **Quinta’s Chicago Roots & Improv Beginnings** - Quinta discusses her early visits to Chicago, taking classes at Second City while in college.
  • 3 (10:14) **Growing Up as the Youngest of Five** - Quinta describes her family dynamic, being the "oops" baby with an eight-year age gap from the next sibling.
  • 4 (19:08) **A Protective Family & A Glimpse of Reality** - Quinta shares how her parents created a safe, "Full House" feeling in a rough Philadelphia neighborhood.
  • 5 (26:39) **The Contentious Period with Her Mother** - Quinta opens up about college-era conflict with her mother, who held on "for dear life."
  • 6 (33:10) **Giving Parents Grace** - The conversation shifts to a core theme: extending grace to parents who are acting from fear and past trauma.
  • 7 (35:00) **Shifting Values: From Community to Internet** - Quinta reflects on how her parents valued family and community over material things.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Michelle Obama Craig Robinson

Show Notes

Emmy-award winning actress, producer and writer Quinta Brunson joins Michelle and Craig for a conversation during the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Quinta talks about her early days in comedy, how she broached the topic of her career with her parents, and reveals the one surprising situation that gives her imposter syndrome.

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To learn more about the Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund, click ⁠here⁠.

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IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

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