Janelle James facts for kids

Janelle James is a talented American comedian, actress, and writer. She is widely known for her funny role as Ava Coleman in the popular TV show Abbott Elementary. For this role, she has won important awards like a Screen Actors Guild Award and an NAACP Image Award. She has also been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

Besides acting, Janelle James has also written for TV shows such as Black Monday. You might have seen her acting in other shows like Crashing, Corporate, and Central Park. Her first comedy album, called Black and Mild, came out in 2017. In 2020, Variety magazine recognized her as one of their "10 Comics to Watch," showing she was a rising star in comedy.

Janelle James's Career

Stand-up Comedy and TV Shows

When Janelle James was in high school, she once waited in line for 12 hours! She was trying out for a show called Wanna Be a VJ on MTV. This shows how determined she was even back then.

She started her comedy journey in 2009 at an open mic event in Champaign, Illinois. An open mic is a place where new comedians can try out their jokes. Some of her favorite comedians include Bill Burr, Wanda Sykes, and Richard Pryor.

In 2016, her comedy work started getting noticed by big names like Just for Laughs and Brooklyn magazine. She became even more famous when she opened shows for the well-known comedian Chris Rock on his 2017 Total Blackout tour. That same year, she released her first comedy album, Black and Mild. This album was recorded live at Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis.

Janelle James also performed on Netflix's comedy series The Comedy Lineup in 2018. She was also scheduled to perform at Netflix's first "Netflix Is a Joke" comedy festival in Los Angeles in 2020.

She has worked as a writer for TV shows like The Rundown with Robin Thede (2017) and the Showtime comedy Black Monday. She also had a recurring acting role on Black Monday. You might have seen her on Crashing and Corporate. She is both a writer and a voice actor for the animated show Central Park. In 2021, she was a featured comedian on Netflix's The Standups.

Her biggest role came when she joined the main cast of the ABC comedy Abbott Elementary. In the show, she plays the principal, Ava Coleman, who is very focused on herself. Critics have praised her performance in this role. Because of her work on Abbott Elementary, she has received many nominations for awards. These include the Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Critics' Choice Award.

In 2022, Janelle James hosted the ABC game show The Final Straw. She also hosted the 2023 Writers Guild of America Awards, which celebrates great writing in TV and movies.

Podcasts Hosted by Janelle James

In 2019, Janelle James hosted a podcast called Strong Black Laughs. On this podcast, she interviewed many famous Black comedians, such as Luenell and Sherri Shepherd.

In 2020, she hosted another comedy podcast called You In Danger, Gurl. This podcast was all about funny and sometimes strange dating experiences. It explored different signs that a relationship might not be good.

Janelle James's Life

Janelle James grew up in St. Thomas, which is a beautiful island. When she was 16 years old, she moved to the mainland United States. Today, she lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is a mom to two sons. While her exact birth date is not publicly known, it has been shared that she is around 45 years old.

Discography

• 2017: Black and Mild

Filmography

Television Roles

Film Roles

Awards and Nominations

Janelle James has been recognized for her talent with several awards and nominations:

• 2016 – Named one of Brooklyn magazine's 50 Funniest People
• 2016 – Selected for Just for Laughs New Faces
• 2020 – Chosen as one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch