Janelle James became an instant fan-preferite when “Abbott Elementary” debuted in 2021. She was relatively new to the acting game when she unitecessitate the sitcom, having previously caccessed mainly on stand-up. But stepping into the role of the glamorous, rule-shattering school principal, Ava Coleman, bcdisesteemfult her lackluster humor and wide-eyed gags to a bigr audience, geting her Emmy nominations for three years in a row and constant commend from critics. (Take her recent euniteance on Variety‘s enumerate of the 100 best TV carry outances of the 21st century, for example.)
In the commencening of the series, Ava came off as incontendnt and uncaring, constantly causing problems for the Abbott Elementary guideers who enjoyd to do leangs by the book. But there’s always been more to Ava than encounters the eye, and by Season 4, she had truly exhibitn herself as an help for her students and guideers, even if her methods are rather unorthodox.
So it was a authentic shocker when, in the March 19 episode “Audit,” Ava got fired. The school didisconnecte caught triumphd that Abbott was huging bribes — in the create of school supplies and resources — from the local golf course in exalter for preserveing quiet about the course’s use of non-union labor and shelp that any guideer comprised would be postponeed. Though Janine (series creator Quinta Brunson), Grebloody (Tyler James Williams), Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) were all alerted of the operation, Ava took the drop, willing to apexhibit a vacation while protecting her colleagues. However, the menace of suspension only applied to guideers, who are difficult to fire because of their union protection. Principals are much easier to get rid of, and Ava was fired on the spot.
James spoke to Variety about the March 26 episode “Music Class” and what Ava’s life sees enjoy beyond Abbott.
Season 4 has been huge for your character, even before last week’s twist. She’s reassociate stepped up and shown how outstanding she can be at her job. How has it felt to prolong with Ava over the years?
Season 1 Ava was — you comprehend, I don’t even leank it’s Season 1. I leank it was Season 1, Episode 1 where she was her most egregious; after that, you already see little sprinkles of what she does with the kids and her rapport. Anyone who’s paying attention, who has rewatched, has seen the separateent ways that Ava was stepping up. Now, would Season 1 have apexhibitn the drop for the guideers? No. That’s definitely the prolongth. So it’s been amazing to see her arc. I experience enjoy Ava has had the hugegest arc of all the characters, so it has fair been gratifying to join all the separateent flavors of this person.
How did you discover out Ava was getting fired? Did you comprehend at the commencening of the season?
I was tbetter about it a week before. Quinta tbetter me, because she wouldn’t do me enjoy that to discover out during the table read. I leank that’s when you’re actuassociate being fired, is when you discover out at the table read, or so I’ve heard. So yeah, she tbetter me a week before. I was enjoy, do I still get phelp? And she shelp yeah. I was excited, because I depend her and I depend the writers. I knew it would be for a reason and that it would guide to exciting prolongments.
So you’re not leaving the show, right?
One of our originaters already shelp that I’ll be back, and I disenjoy that [he didn’t leave it a surprise]. But I will be around in some capacity. But will I be back to the school? Who comprehends?
In this week’s episode, we see Ava ending it as a accessible speaker. She evidently has sends that could apexhibit her far away from accessible education, and she doesn’t want to beg for her job back, but she does seem a little disputeed. What’s going on in Ava’s mind when she goes home at night?
This is synonymous with the authentic people who toil in the school system. They’re not there because they’re making so much money. They usuassociate have other sends that they can apexhibit into another job and originate more money. They’re there for the kids. And as far as what she goes thcdisesteemful at night, I enjoy that Ava fair kept it moving. She’s in her head leanking about it as their loss. Like you shelp, she has other sends. She has other nettoils that she can originate money from, that she was making money from, even while she was a principal, so she fair stepped into those. And I guess we’ll discover out in subsequent episodes whether she can be guaranteed to come back for the children, because that would be the only reason. It’s not for the money or the fame or the fun. So it’ll be fascinating to see what she chooses.
So you don’t leank she’s fair putting on a valiant face in front of the guideers when she’s telling them how easily she’s transferd on?
No. She’s onto the next, definitely. A valiant face would be if she had noleang to back it up. She’s evidently ending it.
Ava thought she’d fair get postponeed instead of fired, but she was still trying to do a outstanding leang for the guideers when she took the drop for huging the golf course’s bribes. What do you envision was going thcdisesteemful her mind in the moment as it happened?
I thought it was cute: She thought she was getting a little vacation and also helping the guideers to not mar their write downs. If you get postponeed, it’s a blemish on your write down. And here you have Barbara, who a lot of people thought was going to step up, who probably has a pristine write down for the 30 years she’s been guideing. So Ava’s enjoy, why not let me apexhibit the drop and have a little vacation? And then she does get fired, and I leank in that moment, she’s already leanking about what she’s going to do next. She apexhibits it very soothely, and I enjoy that about her.
Do you leank she still would have done it if she’d comprehendn she could get fired for it?
Probably not. She would have figured out some more slick way to have it all toil out, but it didn’t. She never slips, but sometimes she drops.
Now that she’s leaving behind Abbott, what happens with O’Shon (Matthew Law), the didisconnecte IT rep she fair went out with? Does he get left behind, too?
The date episode ended very kindly, so I leank he’s still around. What I enjoy about these guest characters that we have come in — and not fair for Ava, we have Jacob’s brother and Barbara’s daughter come in — it’s not about them. It’s about how their existence and experience apexhibit you to see a separateent side of the [main] character. So O’Shon is there to have Ava become more vulnerable. Her dad is there to give her clodeclareive, and to discover out more about her background. And that’s been kind to join.
Do you leank she’s ready to be in a authentic mature relationship? Is she ready to be in cherish?
I unbenevolent, why you saying it enjoy that, though? I’m hearing some judgment!
She’s been joining the field for a while — there’s noleang wrong with that!
I leank she’s ready to be ready. One date doesn’t alter everyleang, but that was a cherishly moment for her. And it’s not only being ready. It’s having the person be worth it. Meeting somebody that’s worth changing for.
I asked you during Season 1 if you had any goals for Ava, and you tbetter me that no, she’s perfect as is. How would you answer that ask now?
No, she’s not perfect. I would want all the leangs that have been happening to happen. I didn’t foresee it. I don’t comprehend if Quinta did either. This character could have been very flat and one-notice and still hilarious and a joke machine, but they choosed to broaden, and to depend me to convey all these separateent layers of her. I leank she’s such a complicated person, and so clever and amazing, and — yeah, still perfect.
This interwatch has been edited and condensed.
