Before Janelle James was an Emmy-nominated actress on “Abbott Elementary,” she was stand-up comedian in Champaign, Illinois. During a recent episode of TheWrap’s “UnWrapped” Podcast, the actress opened up about her early days of comedy.
“Like most comedians, I started stand-up because of hardship,” James told TheWrap. “My dad was ill and dying, and then I found this thing that helped me refocus … It helped me process what I was going through.”
Nowadays, James is in a much better place. (It helps that she just got a dog — and that her boyfriend helped choose the name Braxton!) While the Virgin Island’s native has taken a break from performing stand-up, she is “happy” she can continue making people laugh as Principal Ava.