The beloved superintendent of Abbott Elementary has been waiting his whole career for this moment

When William Stanford Davis auditioned for The friendsthought he absolutely nailed his performance.

“I thought I killed it. Oh my God. I waited for casting to call and say, 'We want to book him,'” he says Rolling rock. “I was in a friend's office and they had my agent on the loudspeaker and they asked me about the job. And I'm about to do a touchdown dance when the phone goes silent. Like really, cold silence. And they said, “They think maybe Stan should go back to telemarketing.” My jaw dropped.”

It's an experience that could have convinced a less driven actor to leave Tinsel Town entirely. But for Davis, who moved to Los Angeles in 1984 with the sole goal of becoming a professional actor, that bad audition only pushed him harder. “It was like a fire for me,” he says. “You don't do great work all the time. Different things could be holding you back, or maybe you just weren't right for the role. But no one would ever say that about my work again.”

For the past 40 years, Davies has fed off this level of tenacity, first making guest appearances on soaps such as Bold and the Beautiful and Passions before moving on to bigger roles like the Showtime drama Ray Donovan. But it was the school comedy that Quinta-Brunson created Abbott Elementary and the character of a loud, observant and conspiracy-theorizing janitor that led Davis, 72, to a milestone he wasn't sure he'd ever reach: the first series regular role of his career.

“I've had a lot of recurring roles in the past, and you learn to live with it,” Davis says. “You work, money comes in, you can pay your bills, you know, you'll be fine. But something about [Abbott] it felt different. When they made me a regular series, the feeling was so incredible. My wife and I were in tears. We were crying so much I thought the neighbors were going to call the police. Simply, this trip was worth it.”

In the Emmy-nominated comedy, now in its third season, Davis plays Mr. Johnson, a school janitor who rules the halls of the fictional Williard R. Abbott Elementary School in Philadelphia with a careful fist. Along with teachers Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson), Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter), Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti), and principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), Davis and the band juggle their daily struggles that come with trying to teach children and sustain their lives – and their edification – at the same time.

Although not a member of the teaching staff, the heart of Davis' comedic performance lies in how intrinsically he relates to school events. He's a performer during a talent show, the voice of reason when kids learn about a new internet trend that involves hopping from desk to desk, and the only person who knows how to keep the lights and air conditioning working at the same time. Simply put, the school doesn't work without him. says Davis Rolling rock that he bases his performance on the standards he had growing up.

“Mr. Johnson reminds me of the janitors at the schools I used to go to,” Davis says with a laugh. “They knew everything. They knew the kids who smoked in the boy's room. They knew the kids who played hooky. That's Mr. Johnson. He has his ear to the ground about everything. I've often said that this is a man who really cares about keeping the school together — even if he has to use spit on a string to do it.”

says Davis Rolling rock that while he's avoiding spoilers, he's excited for viewers to learn more about the elusive janitor and see him become a bigger part of the show. “This man has been all over the world, and we're going to see a little bit about his education, his knowledge of things,” he says. “He is not just a conspiracy theorist, although he is very enigmatic, but he has a wealth of knowledge. And I think you'll see that and more, despite his crazy behavior.”

For Davis, becoming Mr. Johnson was a watershed moment. But aside from his career milestone, he was very excited about the opportunity to continue learning more in his career. As someone who “cut his teeth on episodic TV and dramas,” appearing in a sitcom has been a learning curve — not to mention the past few months have been dominated by figuring out how to deal with recognition and reaching audiences. But most of all, Davis credits the support of his family and other cast members — especially Ralph and Branson — for their support.

“I've really gotten to know Sheryl on a more personal level, and she's helped guide me through this and navigate this journey,” says Davis. “And I've never worked with or for someone who is so generous and kind and who has this vision [Brunson] he's got. The relationships were – kind isn't even a good enough word. It was truly an incredible journey. I knew something great was about to happen. I didn't know when – I didn't know it was going to happen until I was 70 years old. ”