Photo: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Janelle James
Ava Coleman on Abbott Elementary · Stand-up comedian · Album: Black and Mild
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Who is Janelle James?
Janelle James (born September 23, 1979) is an American comedian, actress and writer, born and raised on Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She started stand-up in 2009 at an open mic in Champaign, Illinois. She gained wider attention opening for Chris Rock’s 2017 Total Blackout tour and released her debut album, Black and Mild, recorded at Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis, that same year. She wrote for The Rundown with Robin Thede and Showtime’s Black Monday, appeared on Crashing, Corporate and Central Park, and was named one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch for 2020. She plays Ava Coleman on ABC’s Abbott Elementary, a role that has won her a Critics Choice Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and two NAACP Image Awards. She hosted the podcasts Strong Black Laughs (2019) and You In Danger, Gurl (2020), and in 2026 she posted that she had taped a new Netflix stand-up special. Her official site says she has toured with Chris Rock, Amy Schumer and David Cross.
Sources: Wikipedia · official bio · Comedy Club Tracker (sources per date below)
Career timeline
- 2009First open mic, Champaign, Illinois
- 2016Recognized by Just for Laughs and Brooklyn magazine
- 2017Opens Chris Rock’s Total Blackout tour; album Black and Mild
- 2018Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup
- 2020Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch
- ABCAva Coleman on Abbott Elementary; moves to Los Angeles in 2022
- 2026Tapes a new Netflix stand-up special
Podcast & show guest appearances
16 verified guest appearances by Janelle James on other people’s shows (their own podcasts are excluded), newest first.
MyShowNotes ✓ full episode notes exist on MyShowNotes · Request show notes tap to ask us to write notes for that episode
Rotten Tomatoes Awards Tour Podcast
S4E14: Janelle James on Ava Coleman, Comedy, and Keeping ‘Abbott Elementary’ Fresh
Good One
Janelle James Is Her 'Abbott Elementary' Character in Real Life
Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa
Janelle James: Head Of The Class
The Envelope
Janelle James on 'Ava's season' of 'Abbott'; Aaron Pierre breaks down the action of 'Rebel Ridge'
See all 16 guest appearances
The Awardist
'Abbott Elementary' star Janelle James, 'Harry Potter' series star John Lithgow on J.K. Rowling controversy
UnWrapped
Abbott Elementary's Janelle James Reveals Quinta Brunson's Teleportation Skills and How She Built Ava
Andy Cohen’s Daddy Diaries Podcast
Deep with Janelle James & Shallow about Chris Redd's Attacker
The Inconsistent Podcast with Rob Haze
Inside Voices with Janelle James
Each episode matched in the show’s own podcast feed.
Abbott Elementary and stand-up
Ava Coleman
Her award-winning role on ABC’s Abbott Elementary (Wikipedia; official bio).
Stand-up
Opened for Chris Rock in 2017; her official bio says her latest special is in season 3 of Netflix’s The Stand Ups.
People
- Chris Rock, whose 2017 tour she opened
- The Abbott Elementary cast (ABC)
- Robin Thede (The Rundown)
Places
- Saint Thomas, USVI (born and raised)
- Champaign, Illinois (first open mic)
- Minneapolis (Acme Comedy Company, album taping)
- Comedy Cellar, New York (on its lineups in our tracker)
Specials, albums & books
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Without a verified product ID, Amazon links open a search for the title; availability varies.
- Black and Mild (comedy album, 2017) · source: Wikipedia · Amazon search link
Licensed photo, credit aboveJanelle James live dates & lineups
From our comedy tracker: dates, rooms, roles and who opened, each with its source. Updated Saturday, October 17, 2026.
Upcoming dates
No upcoming dates in our tracker yet.
Past performances
Oct 16, 2026
Unverified · 1 source
Comedy Cellar club
New York, NY
Role not listed by the source
- 10:00 PM
Sources: Club calendar
Openers & features
Janelle opened for
None recorded yet. Club pages almost never print opener or feature names for Janelle James’s shows, so this fills in as sources confirm them.
Opened for Janelle
None recorded yet. Club pages almost never print opener or feature names for Janelle James’s shows, so this fills in as sources confirm them.
Momentum
No momentum note yet. Our tracker started on Oct 14, 2026 (1 runs logged since), so there is no earlier period to compare bookings against. A note appears only when the data supports one.
Said on podcasts
No podcast mentions logged yet.
More on Janelle
- Official site: janellejames.com
- MSN: Mark Normand & Sam Morril on We Might Be Drunk, May 18, 2026 (the Seinfeld introduction)
- Movies & TV shows: every Janelle James credit
How we check: a run shows as confirmed only when two independent sources agree on it (for example the club’s own calendar plus a ticketing listing, or Janelle naming the dates on a podcast). Everything else stays unverified until a second source turns up. Roles appear only when a source states them. Know a date or an opener we missed? Use the form below.
Janelle James FAQ
Who is Janelle James?
An American comedian, actress and writer who plays Ava Coleman on Abbott Elementary.
Where is Janelle James from?
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Does Janelle James have a comedy album?
Yes, Black and Mild (2017), recorded at Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis.
Is Janelle James on tour?
Our tracker has no upcoming dates for her right now (one past Comedy Cellar listing). Check janellejames.com for news.
Janelle James tickets
See Janelle James live: tickets via the official link below.
Spot something missing?
Know a credit, guest spot, or tour date we missed? Tell us and we’ll check it.
Request show notes
Official links
Disclaimer: Editorial content about comedians only. Facts are cited to the sources linked above; tour data comes from our comedy tracker and stays unverified until a second source confirms it. We do not fabricate quotes. Support performers via official channels.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Profiles and lists are not paid placements. Read our full disclosure.