In the ABC mockumentary hit Abbott Elementary, the comedian-turned-actor Janelle James portrays an odd yet enduring principal and has earned four consecutive Emmy nominations, including the 2025 nomin ...

Few TV characters steal scenes quite like Principal Ava Coleman and few actors do it quite like Janelle James. The actress is ...

But with only a smattering of acting parts (including a recurring “Black Monday” role), James had not experienced the cachet that comes with becoming a star before she portrayed Principal Ava Coleman ...

The romantic storyline represents uncharted territory for a character known more for self-absorption than self-reflection.

V iewers of the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary” — set in a Philadelphia public school — will be familiar with comedian Janelle ...

As ultra-confident principal Ava Coleman, Janelle James has been consistently hilarious over the course of “Abbott Elementary.” Season 4’s greater focus on Ava could finally bring James an Emmy.

Villarreal: Well, Ava Coleman, the character you play, has had so much character development this season and it was very earned too. She started out the series as this very polarizing character.

Janelle James became an instant fan-favorite when “Abbott Elementary” debuted in 2021. She was relatively new to the acting game when she joined the sitcom, having previously focused mainly on ...

Janelle James discusses Ava’s growth on “Abbott Elementary” and why she wants to be in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” sequel.

The fourth season of Quinta Brunson’s Emmy-winning “Abbott Elementary” is all about Ava Coleman, the incompetent, self-obsessed school principal played by Janelle James.

Titled “Volunteers,” the episode has Abbott’s principal, Ava Coleman (Janelle James), asking the community for some help around the school. The gym scoreboard has fallen off the wall.