Janelle James

Janelle James is an American comedian, writer, and actress. Her writing credits include Black Monday, and she acted on the programs Crashing, Corporate, and Central Park. James currently portrays principal Ava Coleman on the ABC series Abbott Elementary.

Janelle James
Born
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
NationalityAmerican
Occupation
  • Comedian
  • writer
  • actress
Years active2009-present
Known forAbbott Elementary
Notable work
Black and Mild, Strong Black Laughs
Children2

Her debut comedy album Black and Mild was released in 2017. She was named one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch (2020).[1]

Career

Stand-up and television

James began her career in 2009 at an open mic she attended while living in Champaign, Illinois.[2][3] She described her style of comedy as "just talking shit"[2] and her stand-up includes a range of topics such as Trump, motherhood, being a woman over 35, and dating.[4] James named Bill Burr, Hadiyah Robinson, John Early, Wanda Sykes, Richard Pryor, and Kareem Green as favorite comedians.[5][6]

In 2016, James' work was recognized by Just for Laughs and Brooklyn.[5] She gained wider prominence as the opening act for Chris Rock's 2017 Total Blackout tour.[2] That year, she released her debut comedy album Black and Mild.[2] The show was recorded at Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis.[3]

She performed on Netflix's 2018 comedy series The Comedy Lineup.[2] She was also slated to perform at the network's inaugural Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival based in Los Angeles in 2020.[7]

James was a staff writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede (2017) and the Showtime comedy Black Monday, and also acted in a recurring role on the show.[8][9] She has also appeared on the shows Crashing, Corporate, and is both a writer and voice actor for Central Park.[9]

As of 2021, she was a featured comic on Netflix's The Standups.[10] She is also a main cast member on the ABC comedy Abbott Elementary.[4][11] Her performance as the self-involved principal Ava Coleman has been hailed by critics.[12][13][14]

Podcasts

In 2019 she hosted Strong Black Laughs, an interview podcast featuring legendary Black comedians. Among the guests were Luenell and Sherri Shepherd.[15] She also hosts You In Danger, Gurl, a comedy podcast about relationship red flags and bizarre dating experiences.[16]

Personal life

James was raised on St. Thomas and moved to the United States mainland when she was 16.[17] She resides in Brooklyn, New York and has two teenage sons.[2][5]

Accolades

Discography
  • 2017: Black and Mild[1]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2017 The Rundown with Robin Thede[8] N/A Writer
2017 Crashing[9] Julie 1 episode
2018 The Comedy Line-Up[4] Herself Stand-up special
2020–2021 Black Monday[9] Joyce Recurring role; also writer
2020 Corporate[9] Maggie 1 episode
2020–present Central Park[9] Fran (voice) Recurring role; also writer
2021–present Abbott Elementary[10] Ava Coleman Main role
2021 The Standups[10] Herself Stand-up special

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2020 Tom of Your Life[19] Agent Parker

References
  1. "Interview: Laughing Along with 'Black and Mild' Comedian Janelle James". Rebellious Magazine. 2018-01-29. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  2. Kai, Maiysha (2018-08-31). "Pretty, Funny: Comedian Janelle James Ain't No Joke". The Root. Retrieved 2020-09-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. Kozell, Isaac (2017-10-02). "Janelle James on Her Debut Album 'Black and Mild' and Comedy's Point of No Return". Vulture. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  4. "Janelle James on Netflix's 'The Comedy Lineup' and making 'white man power moves'". The Daily Dot. 2018-09-01. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  5. Chafin, Chris (2016-06-02). "Brooklyn's 50 Funniest People: Janelle James". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  6. Terrell, Kellee (2022-02-08). "'Abbott Elementary' Star Janelle James Is Addicted To Making Us Laugh". HuffPost. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  7. Turchiano, Danielle (2020-03-02). "Netflix Is A Joke Fest Brings Weeklong Standup and Improv Events to Los Angeles". Variety. Retrieved 2020-09-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. McDonald, Soraya Nadia (2017-10-13). "With 'The Rundown,' Robin Thede adds a smart new perspective to late-night". The Undefeated. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  9. "Here Are Variety's 10 Comics To Watch For 2020 | The Comic's Comic". Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  10. Jones, Marcus. "'Abbott Elementary' star Janelle James talks playing a 'chaotic' principal 'you hate to love'". EW.com. Retrieved 2022-01-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. Nelson, Jenny (2017-01-06). "Janelle James (@janellejcomic) on Inanimate Objects and Hot Dudes". Vulture. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  12. "Three new sitcoms worth your time — and one that needs time to grow". Los Angeles Times. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  13. Roush, Matt. "Roush Review: Workplace Humor in 'Abbott Elementary,' 'American Auto'". TV Insider. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  14. "Everyone should be attending 'Abbott Elementary' : Pop Culture Happy Hour". NPR.org. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  15. "This Week in Comedy Podcasts: Janelle James Takes Over Strong Black Lead". Vulture. 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  16. "This Week in Comedy Podcasts: Janelle James, Red-Flag Expert". Vulture. 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  17. Castleberry, Tony. "Janelle James returns to Wilmington to deliver more jokes". www.wect.com. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  18. "Janelle James". Shark Party Media. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
  19. Festival, Burbank International Film. "TOM OF YOUR LIFE". Burbank International Film Festival. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
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