Janelle James On The Growth Of Her ‘Abbott Elementary’ Character

Janelle James, who plays the self-involved yet surprisingly dedicated principal Ava Coleman in Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary, knows that the show faces a distinct challenge as a network sitcom that consistently sheds light on the concerns plaguing low-income schools. It has to be funny, of course, and family friendly too, without distracting from the social issues it addresses on a near episodic basis, such as constant funding problems, the home lives of the kids, and even recreational drug use. Here, James talks about how she’s spent the last three seasons getting to know Ava, a character with much more going on than might first meet the eye.

DEADLINE: How do you feel like Ava, and your performance of the character, has evolved over the past three seasons?

JANELLE JAMES: She’s more varied. She’s gone from a more wacky character to maybe a more well-rounded, believable person. This season, especially with the opener, her taking her job more seriously gives her a different flavor. Her having to stand up for her employee Barbara, this season. She was less antagonistic this season and more riding on the side of the teachers and students of Abbott, so that was a new twist to her this season.

DEADLINE: Do you think it was validating for Ava in that first episode when the teachers got tired of her strictness so quickly?

JAMES: I mean, she was dedicated to being different, but she also knew that the way that the school is supposed to be run is not the way to get things done. So, she was happy that the teachers realized that as well, but she still didn’t lose her educational trajectory. Now she’s in the book club. She’s in the library. She’s more curious about learning. Even though she went back to her quote-unquote old self, she’s still got some new personality. I don’t want to say she’s a new person, but she has some new interests, which is always something that I liked about Ava, because she has varied interests. She’s knowledgeable about things in a surprising way, and also curious about things in a surprising way. So now, that has led her to education. I don’t know where it’s going, but that’s a good factor for the show. 

DEADLINE: How did you find out that the way the teachers would get her back to her old self would be by blasting Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” in the gym? And what was your reaction to that?

JAMES: Quinta told me I would be dancing to it. All she said is, “You’ll be dancing to ’Back That Azz Up’ in the season opener.” Which can be anything. It’s very much in her character. That song means a lot to Black people, particularly Black women. It was just such a smart way [to bring out that side of her] character. That’s exactly what would happen. So, it’s a curveball, but then it was like, ‘Duh.’ That’s what’s so smart about Quinta [Brunson] and our writers. They really, for lack of better words, keep it real. It comes off as a comedic moment, and it is, but it’s a very real thing that would happen. Everything has such realism and heart underneath it, and that’s what I enjoy about the writing. No matter how silly it comes off, no matter how crazy the idea sounds… it’s such a poignant moment at the end of the day. So, I really enjoyed that. 

DEADLINE: Did you get any direction on how to react? Or did they let you improvise it? How many takes are there of you trying to fight the beat before giving in?

JAMES: Just, “Dance.“ That was the direction, and I knew I would be in the gym under a spotlight, so I was already sweating about that. But the scene itself, it’s two parts. The first part is me running full speed into the gym, because I’ve heard someone say something bad about Harvard… I ran in heels maybe eight times full speed into the gym screaming. The dance itself was 20 seconds of dancing with the camera guy on wheels circling me. I think that’s also what made that scene so great. The camera work was amazing. The spotlight was so dramatic. In my performance, I am thinking, ’One, don’t look like you’ve done this nine times already. Two, this is a family show. Keep it cute. Three, how can I make this poignant yet still comedic? How can I look like this is something that she’s fighting inside to be her new self and then reverting?’ It’s almost, if you watch Family Matters, when he would turn from Urkel into Urquelle. That’s a goofier version of what I’m doing. And then also, [I’m thinking], ’Wow, this skirt is really tight. My feet hurt.’ But, just not showing that on my face, and then really showing her transition from this new Ava back into her old self.

DEADLINE: You do so much physical comedy in this show. 

JAMES: Yes, Ava is always on the move, and that is different for me, Janelle James, because I am very stationary. I am always sitting down.

DEADLINE: How do you prepare to do a lot of that physical comedy and really embody Ava in that way?

JAMES: I’m literally training. I’m running on a treadmill at night. I am stretching. I am doing squats in between. Last season, I messed up my back. I was hanging upside down on one of those contraptions in between scenes. I was on that for a couple episodes, because my sciatica was acting up. I refuse to wear flats, even though it’s been offered to me, because I feel like it’s part of the character. She has to be tall, she has to be commanding. She has to walk a certain way. I’ve been wrecking myself, basically. [Laughs] This role is very physically demanding in a way that I am trying not to show on my face, because Ava would never.

DEADLINE: So, was this season about finding balance for Ava, after that debacle in the first episode?

JAMES: No. I think she went right back to how she was, and the school’s better for it. This season was to show that, yeah, Ava’s way of running this school may be unorthodox, but it’s what’s best for the school in the situation that they’re in. If you do it in the quote-unquote correct way, nothing gets done. This season was for the teachers to realize that and for Ava to continue to do what she does. Now, if she comes up for herself every once in a while, all the better. It keeps her interested, sticking around.

DEADLINE: You previously said, around the premiere, that this season was going to be edgier. Now that all the episodes are out, can you point to moments that made you say that?

JAMES: I mean, you saw that kiss in the finale. That came to mind first. I think I have a religious joke every season, but those are my faves, because I like dark humor. I had the joke about Jesus having many holes, such as Barbara, and why would he be mad at that? That’s breathtaking in a sitcom, I think. I love that. I love the smoking episode, when we find out that Janine not only smokes weed, but she smokes it every night. For a family sitcom, we not only got away with it, but did it in a real way. Nobody was like, “Oh, this is out of character for this show.” We’re making a point, and it’s still funny, and everyone’s not like clutching their pearls.

DEADLINE: How do you think Ava will react to Janine and Gregory, if that kiss prompts them to finally get together in Season 4?

JAMES: She’s all upset in the finale. We just got our first script for the first episode of next season, and I haven’t read it yet. I just got it, like 10 minutes ago, actually, so I too am curious about why she’s so upset. A clue was in the playground scene, where she talks about going to HR. I really think, based on how self-involved she is, she’s afraid that this relationship thing is going to mess up the flow of the school. Now she’s got something else to worry about. Like, ‘Oh now Gregory and Janine are fighting,’ and she has to deal with that instead of selling her clothes on Etsy during lunch or whatever. She just doesn’t want another problem. I think that in any environment, you date a co-worker, and it can be a recipe for disaster. As a principal, she would have to deal with the fallout. That’s my guess. I would hate it to be that she’s simply just a hater. I think she has more going on than that. 

DEADLINE: I read that you pitched an idea for Season 3, but it was likely being delayed to Season 4 because of the low episode count. Do you remember what it was? How do you decide when you’re going to pitch an idea?

JAMES: I don’t even remember what that pitch was now, so that sucks. I determine when there’s a good time to pitch when Quinta asks me, ‘Do [you] have any ideas?’ I don’t just go, ‘Hey, I have an idea.’ Usually I’m hanging out with Quinta, and she’ll say something, and then I might pitch on top of that, but I’m not really trying to insert myself into the writers’ room in any way. Sometimes she’ll run things by me like, ‘Oh, I was thinking this. Do you have a problem with that?’ I never have a problem with anything, usually. I trust the writers. We’re in Season 4. They’re killing it. It’s great for me to only have to worry about acting.

DEADLINE: What haven’t you gotten to explore about Ava that you are hoping will be touched on in future seasons?

JAMES: Just her backstory. Who was her family? Did she actually grow up in Philly, or did she just end up there? Why is she a principal? My theory about Ava is she’s pretty well off, and this is something that she just does. This is her way of helping kids, even though people don’t see it that way or give her any credit for it. This is a way to give herself some social standing. This is a way for her to compete with her sorority sisters. This is a way for her to get attention. I think she’s just so layered in her motivations. I’d like to see what those are.