Janelle James Talks Fifth Emmy Nod for ABBOTT ELEMENTARY and Dealing with Hecklers on KIMMEL
The comedian also opened up about bombing on stage and practicing her losing face.
Janelle James sat down on Jimmy Kimmel Live to discuss earning her fifth Emmy nomination for Abbott Elementary, joking with host Jimmy Kimmel about practicing her losing face in case she does not win. James kept the conversation candid, walking through the realities of awards season alongside stories from her years on the comedy circuit.
James traced her comedy background back roughly fifteen years, telling Kimmel about doing stand-up on the road and opening for a number of other comedians before landing her role on Abbott Elementary. She also spoke about the comedians who shaped her sensibility, naming Richard Pryor and Lucille Ball as influences. James recalled auditioning for Abbott Elementary during the pandemic, giving viewers a sense of how the show came together under unusual circumstances.
Much of the interview focused on the nuts and bolts of stand-up, with James detailing how she handles hecklers and what it feels like to bomb in front of a live audience. She used those stories to give viewers insight into the discipline required to keep working the road after years in comedy clubs.
James also used the appearance to look ahead, mentioning an upcoming comedy special set for Netflix. The special marks a next step for the comedian following her Emmy-nominated run on Abbott Elementary, adding a new project to a career built on years of stand-up work before her breakout television role.
