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'I Wasn't A Star': Lisa Ann Walter Reveals How Abbott Elementary's Season 4 Renewal Made Her Feel 'Safe'
Despite her numerous appearances on TV and movies, Walter admits she never felt secure in her career until ABC picked up Abbott Elementary for another season.
In the unpredictable world of showbiz, where success often feels like a fleeting dream, Lisa Ann Walter’s story stands out. Best known for her heartwarming portrayal of Cheesy in The Parent Trap, Walter’s path to success has always been filled with challenges and uncertainties. Even with all her success, there’s been something missing—a feeling of being truly secure. Now with Abbott Elementary getting picked up for another season, things are looking up. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Walter shares how the show’s success has shifted her perspective, instilling in her newfound sense of security and confidence.
From uncertainty to security
Despite a varied career, including TV shows, movies, authoring a book, and stand-up comedy, the 62-year-old actress reveals to PEOPLE that she struggled to feel secure professionally. However, everything changed when ABC renewed her latest show, Abbott Elementary, for a fourth season in February.
Portraying the tough yet passionate second-grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti, Walter found a newfound sense of security in the show’s success. “I wasn’t a star. I was the woman that made you cry in The Parent Trap and you’re still looking for a job the next week. So honestly, feeling safe? The season four pickup of Abbott.” Walter candidly reveals.
Walter will be able to take her kids on a family vacay
The success of Abbott Elementary not only brought Walter professional security but also personal fulfillment. She could finally take her four kids—Jordan, who’s 36, Delia, 32, and the twins Spencer and Simon, 23—on a special family vacation to Italy, all paid for by her.
“Just because you’re in a movie doesn’t mean you’re rich,” she explains. “I had not been able to afford taking my kids on a vacation outside of taking them to the San Diego Zoo, or to go skiing locally. This was the first time I was able to have everybody go on a trip.”
Walter wants her children to experience Europe as she did as a child traveling with her dad for work. She recalls, “We travelled all over the place to all the countries in Europe, just soaking up everything—museums and all the beauty of these countries.”
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A lifetime of hustle
She came back to the United States to study acting at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Then she moved to New York City to chase her acting dreams. “Then, I got pregnant pretty soon thereafter,” Walter says about expecting her first husband, Sam Baum.
Being a stay-at-home mom wasn’t for Walter. She wanted to keep busy, so she tried to get her son Jordan into baby modeling. “And I remember Sam said to me, ‘If you spend all of your time pushing your son to be the main baby in a commercial or something and you don’t get on stage, you are going to be a hateful person to be around.’”
That’s when Walter turned to writing standup comedy and started touring. “Female comics were rare in those days,” she says.
All in all she juggled motherhood with her career, often working up until days before giving birth and hitting thr road shortly after. Despite the challenges, she persisted, driven by the need to support her family.
Looking ahead
Walter’s role as Melissa Schemmenti in Abbott Elementary has earned her recognition. Now with the next upcoming season, Walter feels a sense of stability she hadn’t experienced before. She acknowledges the uncertainty of the industry but remains optimistic about the future.
Abbott Elementary will be back on ABC on April 10, at 9 p.m. ET.
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