Chris Perfetti Feels 'Very Attached' to His Abbott Elementary Costars: 'These People Are My Family Now' (Exclusive)

Chris Perfetti is excited to be back on screen and on set with the cast of Abbott Elementary.

While appearing on the latest episode of PEOPLE in 10, the 35-year-old actor explains what it was like to return to set with his costars and what fans can expect from this season of the mocumentary sitcom.

“Season 3 of Abbott Elementary is going to blow you away,” he says. “I feel like we are back and better than ever.”

Although the season will be shorter than the past two due to a break in filming during the writer’s strike, Perfetti says it only highlights the cast’s ability to connect with their audience. He teases that “the laughs are coming quicker” this season.

When it comes to how he resonates with his character Jacob now that the show has reached its third season, he says he has seen a deeper level of character development.

“I think I'm learning more and more from filming TV, you cannot hide from yourself,” he explains. 

“I think that Jacob is nothing like me, but Quinta [Brunson] obviously saw something in me that resonates with her idea of this character, and the more that we do it, you kind of get permission to believe that you are this person,” he says of Brunson, who is the show's creator, executive producer, co-writer and also stars in the series.

“Where Chris ends and Jacob begins is kind of a mystery right now,” he adds.

Along with getting to know his character better, Perfetti also says the cast of the award-winning show has grown into a family. Their connection is something he says he knew was “special” since the show began.

“Right now I’m feeling very attached to my Abbott family,” he says. “It is a real gift to be able to play a character for as long as I’ve been able to be Jacob and these people are my family now — there was a connection from the get-go.”

During a round of rapid fire questions, Perfetti confesses out of his costars, he’d most like to be stuck on a deserted island with Janelle James, swap lives with Brunson and sing at a karaoke party with Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Perfetti also reveals that the cast has collectively connected with the city the show takes place in — Philadelphia.

“I feel like you can't be a part of this show and not be rooting for the Eagles at this point, and knowing all the slang, throwing it around like you’ve been in Philly your whole life,” he jokes.

Crediting the writers of the hit show, Perfetti shares that he and his costars don’t often improvise while filming (although he admits diving into a trash can this season was an act of his own accord).

“We are so blessed with the writing on this show, I would say there's a real air of improvisation on the set of Abbot Elementary, but most of the time I feel like it's just not needed,” he says. “Anything I would come up with in the moment is usually not as good as what they have written.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Abbott Elementary airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and episodes can be streamed the next day on Hulu, where seasons 1 and 2 are also available.