Lisa Ann Walter has spent the last five years playing teacher Melissa Schemmenti on “Abbott Elementary,” but her passion for education has much deeper roots.
That’s why she has teamed up with Bic, serving as the brand’s “head teacher” for its Supply Ride Bus Tour, a national initiative giving educators access to free classroom supplies.
“I think it’s just a beautiful thing that they’re doing, and I thoroughly support it, because my mom was a teacher; my daughter’s a teacher; I play a teacher on TV. And I — without doing it — I think I really understand the struggles that they go through,” she tells Shop TODAY.
The bus is making stops in Atlanta, Chicago and Austin, where teachers have the opportunity to hop on the bus and fill their bags with free supplies for their classrooms.
The very first stop was in New York City, where we got the chance to hop on the bus and speak with Walter about the partnership, as well as the essentials she keeps in her own bag every day.
From the phone case that people stop her in the street to ask about to the “emergency kit” that she keeps with her at all times, keep reading to discover all of her daily essentials.
What’s in my bag: Lisa Ann Walter
Walter says that she’s been stopped on the street by people asking about this unique phone case. “You can get them in lots of colors, but I like black because that way it doesn’t look dirty.”
The best thing about it, she says, is that can be used as a phone stand to prop your phone upright or on its side. And, when you’re holding it, you can rest your fingers comfortably in the slots. “You never get carpal tunnel,” Walter adds.
Of course she has to have her sunglasses in her bag, “I have to have a metal [frame],” she says. “Gucci is my favorite: I have a brown pair and two gold pairs.”
“I have to have my notebook, because ... I write ideas down,” says Walter. In her current notebook is a mix of comedy material, notes from her stint in the musical version of “Heathers” and more. “I can’t do it on my phone, I have to write it.”
While she’s not picky about her notebooks and will use any one that she is given, for those looking for something easy to carry with them, this pocket-sized version is from the editor-loved and classic brand, Moleskine.
Of course, she needs something to write with. “I have my Bic pen with the four colors, because that means you’re rich,” Walter jokes. “When I was a kid, if you had this pen, you came from wealthy people.”
She also carries a Bic permanent marker in a bright color. “I always have to have [one] in my bag now. I never thought there’d be a day when I’d say that, but I always have to sign things and colors show up better.”
These throat lozenges are a popular pick for those who have to use their voice a lot or perform for work. Since Walter sang while performing in “Heathers,” she kept these in her bag.
Something that’s “very important” that Walter keeps in her bag is her “emergency kit,” which is a small plastic bag filled with various small essentials like “nail glue, bobby pins, safety pins, Rolaids, wardrobe tape, eyelash glue.” She adds, “I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve saved my cast-mates’ butts. When we were at an event and they came running up, [like] ‘Who’s got a safety pin?’ They just know now, they’re like ‘Go to Lisa, she’s got it.’”
Walter calls this concealer the “most important” thing in her makeup bag. According to the brand, it provides up to 24 hours of hydration and radiance, while helping you correct and conceal any areas of concern.
She calls this lip stain from Pixi “incredible.” Her chosen color is the Fresh Pink shade, but she adds, “They have other ones, and they last forever.”
“I haven’t had a chance to go to the colorist, and I’ve got a few grays,” Walter says. And she says that this powder is an effective way to cover them up. It comes in eight different colors to match the shade of your hair.
“Because I’m super fancy and important, [I use] Maybelline,” Walter says. “It works; it’s the Bubble Colossal, [it’s] waterproof — all of my stuff has to be waterproof.”
This is a product that Walter says “everybody comments on.” “It is a container with a mirror and when you open it up, there’s a light, so it’s for when you’re in da club,” she says. Because of the light, she says, “even if it’s dark or you’re in a car, you can see your face.” She adds, “I literally use that lip gloss mirror to do my makeup when I’m out.”
