Janelle James (born September 23, 1979) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. She is best known for her role as Ava Coleman in the ABC television series Abbott Elementary, for which she won a Critics Choice Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and two NAACP Image Awards, in addition to nominations for five Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.
Her writing credits include The Rundown with Robin Thede and Black Monday, and she acted on the programs Crashing, Corporate, and Central Park. Her debut comedy album Black and Mild was released in 2017. She was named one of Varietys 10 Comics to Watch for 2020.
Early life and education James was born and raised on Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Her father had a food truck, and starting at age 7, she helped out by selling beers on the beach to tourists. At age 16, she and her mother moved to New York. While in high school, she once stood in line for 12 hours to audition for MTV's Wanna Be a VJ. After high school, she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, but left after a few years.
Career James began her career in 2009 at an open mic she attended while living in Champaign, Illinois. She described her style of comedy as "just talking shit" and her stand-up includes a range of topics such as the Trump administration, motherhood, being a woman over 35, and dating. James named Bill Burr, Hadiyah Robinson, John Early, Wanda Sykes, Richard Pryor, and Kareem Green as favorite comedians.
In 2016, James' work was recognized by Just for Laughs and Brooklyn magazine. She gained wider prominence as the opening act for Chris Rock's 2017 Total Blackout tour. That year, she released her debut comedy album, Black and Mild. The show was recorded at Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis.
She performed on Netflix's 2018 comedy series The Comedy Lineup. In 2019, she hosted Strong Black Laughs, an interview podcast featuring a variety of established Black comedians, including Luenell and Sherri Shepherd. She hosted You In Danger, Gurl, a comedy podcast about relationship red flags and bizarre dating experiences, in 2020.
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. She has also appeared on the shows Crashing, Corporate, and is both a writer and voice actor for Central Park. She was also slated to perform at the network's inaugural Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival based in Los Angeles in 2020. She was a featured comic on Netflix's The Standups in 2021.
She gained wide prominence in her role as a main cast member on the ABC comedy Abbott Elementary. Her performance as the self-involved principal Ava Coleman has been hailed by critics. James garnered award nominations including a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, a TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy, a Golden Globe Award, and a Critics' Choice Award.
In 2022, James hosted the ABC game show The Final Straw. She hosted the 2023 Writers Guild of America Awards. She appeared as a supporting character in the 2025 buddy comedy One of Them Days. James is a voice actress for the principal character Sheila Flambé on the Netflix series Strip Law.
In 2026, James posted that she taped a new stand-up special for Netflix.
Personal life After college, James married a teacher, with whom she had two sons. They split while living in Champaign, Illinois. For many years she was based in Brooklyn, New York, but moved to Los Angeles in 2022 after the success of Abbott Elementary's first season.
Awards and nominations 2016 – Brooklyn's 50 Funniest People 2016 – Just for Laughs New Faces 2020 – Variety's 10 Comics to Watch
YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.2022Black Reel Awards for TelevisionOutstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy SeriesAbbott ElementaryDorian AwardsBest Supporting TV PerformanceGotham Independent Film AwardsOutstanding Performance in a New SeriesHollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, ComedyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesTCA AwardsIndividual Achievement in Comedy2023Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesGolden Globe AwardsBest Supporting Actress – Television SeriesIndependent Spirit AwardsBest Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesNAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesScreen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2024Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesScreen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2025 Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 2026Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion PictureOne of Them Days Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Abbott Elementary
Discography 2017: Black and Mild
Filmography Television YearTitleRoleNotes2017The Rundown with Robin ThedeN/AWriterCrashingJulie1 episode2018The Comedy Line-UpHerselfStand-up special2019Laff Mobb's Laff TracksHerself1 episode2020–2021Black MondayJoyceRecurring role, 4 episodes; also writer2020CorporateMaggie1 episode2020–2022Central ParkInvestor #2, Fran, MarthaVoice, recurring role, 11 episodes; also writer2021–presentAbbott ElementaryAva ColemanMain role2021The StandupsHerselfStand-up special2022Life & BethAminata1 episodeTuca & BertiePartridginaVoice, 1 episode2023Star Trek: Lower DecksKatrotVoice, 1 episode2024Monsters at WorkJoyVoice, 4 episodesKite Man: Hell Yeah!Queen of FablesVoice2025 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Ava Coleman Episode: "The Gang F***s Up Abbott Elementary"Super Duper Bunny LeagueNarratorVoice, first bridge series2026Strip LawSheila FlambéVoice, main role
Film YearTitleRoleNotes2020Tom of Your LifeAgent Parker2024The Garfield Movie Olivia Voice Role2025One of Them Days Ruby
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