Tyler James Williams gets real about directing struggles on 'Abbott Elementary'

Tyler James Williams recently got candid and opened up about directing his own episode on Abbott Elementary.

Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, the 32-year-old actor and rapper reflected on directing his first episode of the Emmy Award-winning comedy series and the challenges he endured.

Articulating his thoughts on acting and directing at the same time, Williams said, “[It was] very difficult. I don't recommend it.”

He added, “It's a lot to split your brain, I think, and to focus on not only telling the story, but what your piece is to play in telling that story.”

“I knew it was going to be a challenge, but it was one I was ready for, so [I'm glad] I got a chance to do it,” the Amber Alert star noted.

Further, he jokingly quipped, “I'm also looking forward to the opportunity to be able to do one or the other, and not both all of the time."

Moving forward, the Lab Rats actor was asked about working with child actors on set, to which he responded, “I’d rather work with kids and adults a lot of the time.”

"Kids, as long as you learn how to speak their language, they want to do a good job. They want to work, their egos are not involved. They just kind of show up and they do their thing. It was really great,” Williams mentioned.

For the unversed, Abbott Elementary was started in 2021 and has been renewed for a fifth season in January 2025.

It is pertinent to mention that the fourth season, which consists of 22 episodes, was released on October 9, 2024, and airs every episode on Wednesdays on ABC.