I had no idea that she was so famous."
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What has it been like to seeAbbott Elementarybecome an instant hit?
JANELLE JAMES:It’s fun, it’s exciting, but I’m not surprised.
Janelle James plays principal Ava on ABC sitcom ‘Abbott Elementary.’.
[Pause] That’s not true.
I feel like I have good taste [Laughs].
But I don’t try for things that I think are bad.
Janelle James on Netflix’s ‘The Standups’ season 3.Clifton Prescod/Netflix
So I knew it was a good show, whether I booked it or not.
So I’m not surprised.
And they seem to be doing that, so that’s great.
Lisa Ann Walter, Janelle James, and Sheryl Lee Ralph on the ABC sitcom ‘Abbott Elementary.'.ABC/Prashant Gupta
You mentioned you were really impressed by the script.
Well, I didn’t know who was cast before I got the part.
I didn’t know until our first table read.
Tyler James Williams and Janelle James on ‘Abbott Elementary’ on ABC.ABC/Gilles Mingasson
And Tyler, I had never met him.
This is amazing."
This is such a good mix of people.
Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, and Chris Perfetti on the ABC comedy ‘Abbott Elementary.'.ABC/Gilles Mingasson
And the fact that they’re already legendary was a plus.
But regardless of their stature, I just think they’re so well cast.
We’re all well cast for the part that we’re playing.
It’s like magic.
Well yes, I meant more when you filmed the pilot.
Because when we see it, the chemistry is so great.
I wonder if you all could feel that on set.
Yeah, everybody’s cool.
No one’s a lunatic [Laughs].
We really clicked, and it’s a good thing we did because we filmed under COVID protocol.
And we just really clicked right away as a cast.
While there was a demand forAbbott Elementaryto come back, you happened to release a special through Netflix’sThe Standups.
Was it nice to provide something to tide people over?
Now they’re like, “Oh, wait, that’s the principal onAbbott Elementary!
I’m promoting it as myself.
And I’m not a name actress or something.
And it’s broadened my fan base, so that’s awesome.
Were you aware of those parallels going into playing Ava?
Yeah, obviously the format is likeThe Office, orParks and Recyou know, and those were huge shows.
So I did know that my archetype is, an incompetent boss, which all of those shows contain.
How would you describe your character, Ava?
Oh, she’s nuts [Laughs].
And so I’m the villain, and every show needs that or it’d be boring.
I’m the character you hate to love.
I believe Michael Scott started like that as well.
You’re like, “What is this guy’s deal?”
And then by the end you’re like, “Oh my God, he’s getting married!”
So Ava will show different sides, but right now she’s just absolute chaos.
That’s how I would describe her.
And she’s the clown, which is what I am.
She comes in, gets a laugh, and then she’s outta there.
Coming onto this project, was there room for you to improvise?
It’s been great.
This is a really great, supportive, fun environment.
And this is also the first acting role that I didn’t write for myself.
So when I appeared onBlack Monday, I kind of wrote myself onto the show.
It’s like my mind was blank.
I was like, “All I have is the lines.”
And then once I relaxed, I did have stuff.
So that made me really happy.
Do you have a favorite line that Ava has said so far?
I remember the line about zombies eating hot people first.
You know, they eat the hottest ones first.
Let me back my tasty ass up.”
Oh my God, that killed me.
And I couldn’t believe they kept it.
And it was hilarious, so I’m so happy.
Definitely already saw it as a GIF on Twitter.
I was shocked when I saw it.
I was like, “Oh, wait, they kept it!”
Have you seen any other lines strike a chord with people?
Oh I mean, I’m obviously not being appropriate with the sub, Gregory.
Does he wanna get in a sticky situation with me?
There’s so much.
Yeah, I have many lines.
I’m the lines person on the show.
I mean, we all are.
We’re all hilarious.
That’s the other thing we’re all funny, I am ridiculous is how I would describe it.
Is she the dark horse in this race towards love?
Hey, look, there’s still time to write in and vote for Ava.
No, I’m joking.
Is she the dark horse?
I mean, he’s in a tough situation.
I’m the boss is what I’ll say.
But you never know.
Ava deserves love … or does she?
That’s for you guys to decide.
In the newest episode, we discover that Ava is a pro at TikTok.
No, I’m always behind.
I wait till everyone leaves a social media site before I go on.
And we might find out that that’s really her main goal.
She obviously doesn’t want to do a principal job.
Would you ever enlist Ava’s help in maybe making your own TikTok account?
Sure, why not.
I mean, she seems to be effective.
To wrap, what has been the best part of being on this show?
And is there anything that you’re excited for people to see as more episodes come out?
The most exciting part of being on the show has really been working with everyone.
It’s so fun.Black Mondaywas also fun.
Yeah, and find out the motivation behind why we’re all behaving the way we are.
And we’ll laugh.
It’s, on its face, a hilarious show.
And that’s what I’m most into, as a professional clown.
Abbott Elementaryairs Tuesdays at 9 p.m.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
