Actor profile

Janelle James

23rd September 1979 Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Acting

Janelle James is an American comedian, actress, and writer. She is best known for her role as Ava Coleman in the ABC television series Abbott Elementary, for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an NAACP Image Award, in addition to nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.

5 Movies 26 TV Shows 31 Credits

Filmography

Movies & TV Shows

The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday 2025 poster

The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday 2025 3rd November 2025

One of Them Days poster

One of Them Days 16th January 2025 as Ruby

The Garfield Movie poster

The Garfield Movie 30th April 2024 as Olivia (voice)

Tom of Your Life poster

Tom of Your Life 1st September 2020

Sixteen Thousand Dollars poster

Sixteen Thousand Dollars 20th February 2020 as Catherine

Strip Law poster

Strip Law 20th February 2026 as Sheila Flambé (voice)

Super Duper Bunny League poster

Super Duper Bunny League 19th April 2025 as Narrator (voice)

Hollywood Squares poster

Hollywood Squares 16th January 2025 as Self

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! poster

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! 18th July 2024 as Queen of Fables (voice)

Sherri poster

Sherri 12th September 2022 as Self - Guest

The Jennifer Hudson Show poster

The Jennifer Hudson Show 12th September 2022 as Self

The Final Straw poster

The Final Straw 10th July 2022 as Self - Host

Abbott Elementary poster

Abbott Elementary 7th December 2021 as Ava Coleman

Teenage Euthanasia poster

Teenage Euthanasia 6th September 2021

Monsters at Work poster

Monsters at Work 7th July 2021 as Joy (voice)

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune poster

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune 7th January 2021 as Self - Contestant

Star Trek: Lower Decks poster

Star Trek: Lower Decks 6th August 2020 as Katrot (voice)

Central Park poster

Central Park 29th May 2020 as Fran (voice)

Black Monday poster

Black Monday 20th January 2019 as Joyce

The Comedy Lineup poster

The Comedy Lineup 3rd July 2018 as Self

Late Night with Seth Meyers poster

Late Night with Seth Meyers 25th February 2014 as Self

@midnight with Chris Hardwick poster

@midnight with Chris Hardwick 21st October 2013 as Self

Gotham Comedy Live poster

Gotham Comedy Live 15th November 2012 as Self - Comic

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars poster

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 22nd October 2012 as Self - Guest Judge

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen poster

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen 16th July 2009 as Self - Guest

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia poster

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia 4th August 2005 as Ava Coleman

Jimmy Kimmel Live! poster

Jimmy Kimmel Live! 26th January 2003 as Self

The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA poster

The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA 25th February 1995 as Self

LIVE with Kelly and Mark poster

LIVE with Kelly and Mark 5th September 1988 as Self - Guest

The Emmy Awards poster

The Emmy Awards 25th January 1949 as Self

Golden Globe Awards poster

Golden Globe Awards 20th January 1944 as Self - Nominee