JANELLE JAMES HOPES THAT HER 6TH NOMINATION IS THE CHARM!!!
Janelle James Celebrates Her 5th Consecutive Emmy Nomination for Abbott Elementary
Janelle James is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work as Principal Ava Coleman in ‘Abbott Elementary’ at the 2026
Emmys..Janelle James has been on a hot streak — and she shows no signs of slowing down.
The Abbott Elementary actress is celebrating her fifth consecutive Emmy nomination for her role as the hilariously charming
principal Ava Coleman, whose quick wit and unapologetic nature have captured the hearts of viewers and the Television Academy
alike.
“Every year it happens, I’m like, ‘Oh, wow, that’s surreal,’” James, 46, tells PEOPLE of her Emmy nom, adding that it reminds
her that she’s “still killing it.”
“It means that I’m standing out among all these super-talented people who are nominated. It means that the show is doing well and
only getting better,” she says. “Not only [is it] a fifth nomination for me, but [there are] five seasons of [the show]. We’re doing
such good work that we can be paired up against all these cable shows and still be in the running and recognized as a sitcom.
That’s all amazing.”
PEOPLE recently caught up with James to talk all-things Emmys, Abbott and what’s next. During the interview, she jokes that the
first thing that came into her head when she heard the news that she scored yet another nod was think, “Hopefully, my dress has a
built-in corset this year!”
She elaborates, “I had a mishap last year [my dress was] sliding down the whole night. My goodness. So that was my first thought.
And then after that? Honored. What an honor. Throw that in there.”
That signature humor of James’ sometimes mimics her on-screen character, but the star says there’s one big difference: “I come to
[the role] already embodying a lot of the characteristics that she has — minus the meanness,” James says with a laugh.
Thinking back to when she first got the gig as Ava, she says she was most interested in “embodying the type of personality of
someone who wants to be famous. I think that’s so interesting because that’s not me,” she shares. “[Ava] has invited these people,
these camera people, into the school, basically constructing the show for herself. I thought that was just so funny and would be
interesting to play.”
Abbott Elementary debuted in 2021 and has since earned 37 Emmy nominations, winning four. This year alone, the ABC sitcom
depicting the chaotic lives of passionate teachers in Philadelphia has garnered seven Emmy nods, including Outstanding Comedy
Series, Best Lead Actress for Quinta Brunson and Best Supporting Actress for James.
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What keeps James hooked on the part is all thanks to the writing. “[The writers] have had her evolve in such interesting ways, and
then brought in some of her life outside the school in interesting ways while still keeping her personality the same at its core,
which I think is hard. And it’s been lovely,” she says.
James adds, “In addition to the acting, she’s allowed me to step back into my femininity after cosplaying as a man during standup
comedy for 15 years. I mean, she’s fabulous. And I’ve been able to ease back into my fabulousness.”
Before landing her breakout role in Abbott Elementary, James worked in stand-up comedy. She had spots in two Netflix specials,
opened for Chris Rock on his 2017 Blackout Tour and worked in the writers’ room on shows like Central Park and Black Monday.
Before that, James “did every hustle in the book,” working odd jobs and turning her skills into side gigs, as she told Conan
O’Brien in a 2025 episode of his Needs a Friend podcast.
“Playing [Ava] has enabled me, especially this long, to become a better actor,” James says. “We’re similar in that I get all her
motivations. I get her backstory. I get her hustle. I like that she keeps it moving. I do the same.”
As for what’s next with Ava, James is excited to see her her friendship with Janine (Brunson) continue and can’t wait for scenes
with Gregory (Tyler James Williams), who “always makes me step up in a way that I enjoy.”
Another thing? “I wanna see more backstory about her family and who she is and how she became who she is,” James says. “I know her relationship with O’Shon is going to continue to grow. I think their moments are really sweet. I’m into that.”
And as for herself, she’s focused on “staying the course.”
“I’ve had so many ups and downs. I’ve had so many of those. And I just keep moving,” James shares. “I don’t really ruminate or
wonder if things are going to happen. I just know. I keep it moving. And that’s all I hope to do, not only in my career, but in life,
period. I just keep going. So that’s what I’m proud of. And it’s working out. Five Emmy nominations. I’m doing my job.”
The 78th Emmy Awards air live on Monday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Abbott Elementary is available to stream
on Hulu.
