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Updated 34 minutes ago, October 3, 2026

Matthew Lillard, who plays a school principal in the upcoming Prime Video series Carrie, spoke about cuts to teaching jobs and educators’ pay in a USA TODAY video interview released September 29. He said his years watching his children move through schools helped shape how he approached Principal Grayle.

Lillard called the state of American education “abysmal and horrific” and pointed to the daily work of teachers, coaches and counselors. At Comic-Con in July, he said he wanted the role to reflect what teachers are going through.

His poverty-line comparison is an expression of frustration, rather than a description of typical teacher salaries. The National Education Association puts the average public school teacher salary for 2024-25 at $74,495 and the average starting salary at $48,112.

The Economic Policy Institute estimates that teachers earned 25.2% less per week than comparable college graduates in 2025. All 8 episodes of Carrie arrive October 7.

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