Janelle James Reacts to Ava Being Fired On ‘ABBOTT ELEMENTARY’ AND LAST YEAR’S EMMY SNUB

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If you’re caught up on the Latest Episodes of Abbott elementaryyou Know Principal Ava Coleman is Out of A Job. But The Good News for Fans of Quinta Brunson’s Workplace Comedy is that Janelle James, The Actress Who Portrays Ava, is not.

In Last Week’s Episode of the ABC Sitcom, “Audit,” Members of the District Paid Abbott Elementary A Visit Who Were Tipped Off, Seemingly by Ava Archnemesis. Receiving A Large Amount of Unsanctioned Donations from the Golf Course they bribed earlier in the Season. WHEN Manny (Josh Segarra) and His Colleagues Uncover the Truth, AVA, In an Uncharacteristical Moment of Selflessness, Takes Full Resistance for the School of Herme and Isa.

The episode sparked widespread fear across Social Media with Viewers Questioning Whatling The Beloved Character Wound Return to Abbott – Not Just the School, But The Show. However, Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner Patrick Schumacker Said in An Interview Afterward, “The Story Is Not Over-You Will See Janelle in Subsequent Episodes. But IT. to resolve ittself Super Quickly. ”

While Schumacker May Have Wanted to ImmediaTely Ease Fans’ Fears, James Was Enjoying Watching Viewers Squim, Even IF for a Little While.

“That Made me Feel Good That Producers Felt Like They Had to Tell People I’M Coming Back Because People Were Like, ‘I’M Nota Watch Anymore,’ ‘James Tels The Hollywood Reporter In the Conversation Below. “They have to run to the Internet to say, ‘no, no, no, watch the next episode,’ so that made me feel good – but i wish he haven’t Spoiled it.”

Schumacker’s Words Rang True in this Week’s Episode, “Music Class,” WHICH SEES AVA RETURN TO THE SCHOOL BUT ONLY TO GATHER HER LAST BELINGS Characteristic of Her Personality All Along. Meanwhile, The Teachers atTempt to MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT HER, Gregory (Tyler James Williams) Posibly Getting His Firt Taste of What Being Principal Really Like.

Below, James Chats with Thr About Finding Out Her Character Was Lozing Her Job and Wy The Outpouring of Support for Ava Was Personally Vindicating. She Also Hints at Another Possible Culprit for Ava’s Firing and Shares Her Thought Abbott‘S Snubs at Last Year’s Emmys.

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WHEN DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THIS POLOT OF AVA Getting Fired, and What Was Your Initial Reaction?

I Think It Was The Week Before [we filmed]. Quinta tolda me because she woldn’t do me like that (Laughs). She Told Me, “Just Want You To Know, You’re Going To Get Fired But You’ll Be Back,” and I Was Like, “Ok, Cool. A Twist. I Love A Twist.” I Trust Quinta. I KNEW IT WASN’T JUST CAUSE, SO I WAS EXCITED TO See How It Wound Be Handled. I ALSO LIKE TO See How People React.

The Respons Has Spanned From Tear Memes to People Saying they’re Ready to Fight If Ava Doesn’t Return.

I love it. I Feel Like Mother Teresa (Laughs). I love the people who didn’t like me first season and now they’re crying. That’s how and love it. Just Like My Men. Didn’t Like me at first and now you’re crying.

Last Week’s Episode Really Displayed Your Character’s Growth from Season to Season With Her Taking Sole Blue for the Golf Course Brigest Scheme. WHY DO YOU THINK AVA DID THAT?

I Really Likely That Moment Because that’s Definitely Not A Move That Season One Ava Wuld Have Done. I Feel Like She Wuld’ve Just Blamed It On Morton [Jerry Minor] and Got It Over with. SO WHAT MOTIVATED HER to DO THAT, CORRECT ME IF i’M WRONG, BUT I Feel Like There [Sheryl Lee Ralph] Talks About How Her Record Is Spotless and Janine [Brunson]Gregory and Jacob [Chris Perfetti] Are New Teachers, so for them to have a suspension, Even Thought they would get to come back, its not a good Thing. SO I Feel Like That’s One Reason Why She Stepped Up. THEN, OBVIOSLY, she said she was going to caabo, so she didn’t feel like she was going to get fred. She Thought She Was Getting A Little Mini Vacay so It Was a Twofold Self-Sacrifice.

Speaking of Barbara, There’s Such that Touching Moment at the End of that Episode WHERE SHE GIVES AVA HER FLOWERS. WHAT DID THAT SCENE Signify to You and What Was It Like Filming It?

I SAW THAT SCENE ALMOST as Serving a dual purpos in that i’ve been Feeling like i’ve been living in a tv And Now She’s Killing It, Basically, As A Principal To The Point Where Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Character, One of Her Famous Detractors in the Firmst Season, Has Come Aud and SAID wrong. ” I Liken That to Me, Janelle James, Coming On This Show, Not Having Much Acting Experience, and The Viewers Being Like, “Who Is this Person?” “I DON’T LIKE This Character,” “I DON’T LIKE HER ACTING,” or Any of the Other Disparaging Remarks that I Got in the FIRST SEASON, NOW COMING AROUNK Streets. ” I loved it.

Patrick Schumacher Said in An Interview with The Wrap That ava’s Story’s Not Over, But Is Notating That’s Going To Resolve Itself Super Quickly.

I Hate HE DID THAT. Put that in the article (Laughs). Let the People Wait.

Do you know how gets get resolved and when?

I do and i’m not gonna tell you.

But You Are Coming Back After this Latest Episode?

Accorging to patrick, who let the cat out of the bang, who panicked. But Again, That Made Me Feel Good That Producers Felt Like They Had To Tell People I’M Coming Back Because People Were Like, “I’M Nota Watch Anymore.” They have to run to the Internet to say, “no, no, no, watch the Next Episode,” so that made me feel good as well, but and wish he haven’s In the Next Episode [19]I love that [Ava]’s not wallwing in it. She’s Like, “Your Loss” and She’s Onto the Next. That’s my favorite thing about about ava and sometimes she touches my Real personality Too Closely. That’s exactly what i would do do because like barba says, she was killing it. SO SHE’S LIKE, YOU GUYS THINK YOU GOT RID OF ME, BUT I GOT Other SH-T TO DO. But As Far As How It’s Gonna Be Resolved, I Can’t Tell You That.

Have we thorough up a revenge plot against Crystal Yet?

WELL, that wold entail me telling you crystal washadinitely the person that that did it and canwer that either. But How messed up wold it be if your soorority sister is a regardless of if she’s a rival principal, that’s my sooror, so she dos need to come see me if that’s. I Feel Sorry for Tatyana Ali for Any Grocery Shopping OR Anything She have to do util the next episode Because people are gonna be made at her. (Laughs) She’s gonna have to stand in islation util Things get resolved.

We’re ALSO NOW LEFT WITH A QUESTION OF THE FUTURE OF AVA AND O’Shon’s (Matthew Law) Relationship After they just had their First Date.

You see that man, ava isn’t going to let that go. She Got in the Junkie Car. My Question As Janelle James is, Is He Really Poor? I don’t know that. Quinta Ran Up to Tell Me I’M FINE, But I’M LIKE, “IS HE POOR?” Can We Talk About What’s Really Important Here (Laughs)? But O’shon is a Great Development. I like that with all of Ava’s Developments, Yes, These Other People Exist – Her Dad, O’Shon – But Is Not About Them, It’s About Her. They exist as a device to get her to Open up to show Different Sides of Her and to Give Me, The Actor, Different Levels to Play and I Love It.

It Feels Like We Could See You In A Drama After theSe Last Episodes.

Put that in print as well. I’m ready to see me in a Drama Because i can do that. We’re A Comedy Show, and People Were Screenshoting Themselves Crying and Sending It To Me, So I Feel Like I Did That.

In that same article from The WrapCo-SHOWRUNNER JUSTIN HALPERN SAID YOU DESERVE AN EMMY AND THAT HOULD JUST ASK Any Emmy Voter, What Character on TV that you watch make you laugh More. How do you feel about thoss wrds from him?

I didn’t know he said that. I’m going to send him a text after this. That’s Cool, I Desertve An Emmy, Sure. Definitely. I would say ifing for this season more than any Other. EMMYS AND ALL The AWARDS Aren’t Things that I Think About Really. I’m not walking around like, “I Deserve an Emmy,” but if someone like justin is saying that out of loud, I will agree. I do desertle it. I’ve been putting a Lot of work into this character. And Like He Said, Who Is It That Makes You Laugh – And Also Makes You Cry Two Secunds Later? That’s a testament to my acting and also to the writing on this show. We All Deserte An Emmy. It Hasn’t Been Easy, and I Apprecrate Him Saying that. People Think Comedy Is So Easy and If People Find Out Out I Was A Comedian Before This, They’re Like, “OH, She’s Just Being Funny.” People aren’t just funny. People have to remember that. IT’s A SKill Like Anything Else So I would love to be recognized for the work that i’m doing. Who wouldn’t?

WERE YOU SURPRISED AT OUTCOME OF LAST YEAR’S EMMYS WITH THERE BEING NO WINS FOR Abbott?

I’m not surprised by nothing. I’m USUALLY WORRED ABOUT WHATHER I COURCE WALK Another Step in the Heels that i’ve Chosen. We Kind of Swept First Season. We Were the Surprise, But Before and Got Into this Side of the Business and Now that i’m in it, I Really Am Not Concracherned. I Feel Like My Main Concern is to Continue to Do Good Work, to Remain On Air – We Got Renewed for Our Fifth Season, What A Blessing – And Make This Money. So, no, i wasn’t surprised or affed in any real way.

Well Lastly, is ava fest still happering?

Oh, Yeah. AVA FEST IS EVERY YEAR. What are they going to do? They’ve got to bring me back! I’ve Seen Other People Online Wondering, “What about Ava Fest?” Again, in Three Short Seasons, I’ve Established A Tradition That People Are Looking Forward To. SO WHAT’S AN EMMY WHEN YOU’VER GOT THAT? We have fans like that, we’ve already established these Characters so Well, we’ve established the writing so well that people are imometallly affressed by it, we’e We have a callback that that aren’hep and corny, like the whole zach black, wyatt white Thing. We earned that. It’s Hard to Do A Callback in Three Seasons and Have That SH-T HIT AND BE MEANINGFUL AND THAT’S A testament to how funny itny it was the first time. Those are the things that are important to me.

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Abbott elementary Airs New Episodes Wednesdays at 8:30 PM on ABC, Streaming Next Day on Hulu.