Janelle James Brings Her Signature Energy

Not all probiotics are created equal. New Oli Precise Probiotics are expertly made with clinically studied strains for targeted benefits beyond digestion. Like skin health, metabolism, or even stress response. Find your Precise Probiotic at a Walmart near you. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I get so many headaches every month. It could be chronic migraine, 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting 4 hours or more. Botox, autobotulinum toxin A, prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those who have 14 or fewer headache days a month. Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Effects of Botox may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness can be signs of a life-threatening condition. Patients with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions. Neck and injection site pain, fatigue, and headache. Allergic reactions can include rash, welts, asthma symptoms, and dizziness. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions, including ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. Why wait? Ask your doctor. Visit BotoxChronicMigraine.com or call 1-800-44-BOTOX to learn more. She done had a pina colada. A bird. Virgin pina colada. That's all it takes. We about to have a rich conversation? I mean, maybe a little bit. Meet me up here. Meet me up here. No, that's why. Once I hit two elbows, it's a wrap. Do we have an EpiPen? Like, let me get ready to experience this shit. If you see me in your stories, it was a mistake. Janelle! You walked right into that one. Hit him with the left. Hit him with the right. That don't sit right with me, sir! What's up, neighbors? Today, we've got Janelle James pulling up to the house, fresh off of her Critics' Choice Awards win. Now, we all fell in love with her as the lovable, scene-stealing Ava Coleman on Abbott Elementary. Easily one of the funniest characters on TV. Now, the Image Award winner, with multiple Emmy nominations, has been killing it for a long time as a stand-up, well before Abbott made her a household name. And I bet she's the kind of house guest that comes into the room and takes it over, leaves you laughing without even trying. I'm so glad to have you. Oh, well, you know, Kamala and me. You know what I'm saying? Doing pretty good for yourself. What did you say? Congratulations to you. I mean, yeah. You know how fucks with you? Can I curse on this? Yeah, it's my house, girl. Ain't no kids in here. Ain't no kids, even if they were. My favorite kind of house. It is so good to see you. I think the last time we actually spent time together that was not, like, crazy on a dance floor, we were shopping for jewelry. Oh, my God. That was so long ago. It was so long ago. I think it was for your Golden Globe nomination. Don't have me lying. It's one of them. Yeah. Yeah. And he was at Yerman. Yeah. David Yerman. Did I get free stuff from that? That's probably why I don't remember. They ain't give me nothing. Hold on. Let me just-- I didn't know how to play the game at that point. So that must have been early. That must have been a while ago. Right, because now-- Now, I don't do nothing. I'm not leaving here with something. I'm leaving with something. I know that you said you wanted a piña colada. Yes. But the thing I know about you, also, is you probably want to lean more piña than you do colada. You do your research. Am I correct in that you have an allergy to the coconut, like the meat? Yes. Probably the juice, too, but I live on the edge. But no-- Do we have an EpiPen? No, no, no. It's fine. I just had multiple on the beach just recently, and I'm still alive. OK. Yes. That's my drink. I don't drink, and this is the drink that I drink when I do. So we basically going to make a pineapple smoothie. Yes. OK. I'm with it. I'm with it. So in here, we got all-- A piña with a henna colada. Got a henna colada. Yeah. OK. Here we go. We're just going to blend this up. OK. So you know. OK. I'm chaffing. So instead of ice, we use frozen pineapple. OK. Now you make it-- oh. One finish. This is about to be delicious. And now I'm like, well, I never made piña coladas at home. Right? It's very simple. It's like something that shit only happens in a hut on a beach. Surely I couldn't do it in my home, but now I see I can. Here we are. OK. Bam. Did it. I'll be the judge of that. Right. Little garnish. Come on. Come on, now. You know. You better host. Hold on. I got you a straw. I got you a straw. I ain't no manners either. I should wait for you. You said, I wanted to see what this was hitting on first. Right. In case you got to throw it back up in the blender. Right. I don't want you to get comfy yet. Ah. Cheers. Cheers, indeed. See? That's nice. See? That's nice. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You know if you're going to dance on it, it's where it needs to be. Piña colada, easy. Very, very simple. I mean, it's mostly frozen pineapples and some pineapple juice with a little bit of coconut milk. Yeah. There you go. Yeah. In the spirit of Ava Coleman's announcement-- announcements on the PA system for Abbott Elementary. OK. It is a game we're calling Detention or Distinction. OK. So you've got some prompts in front of you. If it's a pop-- I really love this game. You don't get them often, and it's so tasty. Anyway. Piña colada. Continue. I'll be here. And then you'll tell me if it's an affirmative, it is a distinction. If it is a negative, it is a detention. OK. And we've got a PA system here. You can use it however-- Way fancier than at our school. Oh. Oh. Yes. It works. All right. OK. Here we go. First one. A no lending money to friends policy. Yeah. That's a distinction? Distinction. Distinction. Yeah. Yeah. It's a pass. No lending friends. I don't lend money. I'll just give it to you, because I know I ain't getting it back. Here. You can have some money. And it better be a good amount, because you can't ask me again, because you're not going to pay me back. So I don't lend money. I feel like after 25, everyone should learn that lesson. There is no lending. Is that right? To adults. No. You're not getting it back. It's so funny, because there is this idea, right? The theory of when you lend people money, the assumption for the person, the lender-- If you can afford to not get it back. To not get it back. Which is what's going to happen. I've never asked a friend for money, but I would be more passive aggressive. Like, woo. Landlord and came by again. Oh, my tooth. I was trying to eat. I was going to eat. Ah. You know, you go to a concert, right? And you see people filming the whole live performance on their phone. Watching the performance through their phone. Do you ever even watch those videos? OK. So I'm going to say that's detention. Detention. For myself, because I'll be doing that. Same. I'll be filming. I at least try to make it for just a brief moment and then put my phone there. Exactly. I was here. I was here. This is what I look like. These are my seats. And then I'm out. And then I can watch the show. Yeah. And some people are even live streaming. TikTok live or Instagram live for-- Detention for myself, as well. I have all of them. No. But-- The now. The distinction is I do that for a side stage. OK. OK. OK. OK. OK. OK. You think, because none of you could ever-- I ain't blocking nobody. --miss you. I know that's your style. Yeah. Being added to a stranger's close friends. Has that happened to you when you're on Instagram? You know the subcategory where you could be added to somebody's close friends? Yeah. I don't know this person. Why are you showing up? Why are you showing me this? I'm going to say detention. But it doesn't matter, because I ain't clicking anyway. I don't go in anybody's stories. Seriously? I watch my own stories over and over. So you can add me to whatever you want. I ain't going to see it. If it's that important, you better tell me when you see me. My social media policy is about myself. So I don't really scroll. I don't go on other people's things. Really? I'm trying to regulate my emotions and how much time I spend on there. Yeah. And yeah. I'm trying to post, interact with people who want to follow me. And then I'm out of there. So if you see me in your stories, it was a mistake. I don't care what you do. Putting your carry-on as well as your personal item in an overhead bin. Detention. Detention. What the hell? But I'm going to take it a step further. What about the situ-- you know, you first get-- I'm not talking about when the plane is full and you put your bags anywhere you can. But you know when, like, people are first getting on the flight. Mm-hmm. The flight is almost done. It's almost empty. And they put their bag, like, over the first class. Mm-hmm. When the regular people put their bags in the first class. Put their shit above me? What the hell? You said we about to have a rich conversation? I mean, a little bit. I mean, I've done it. I have absolutely done it. You, like, just put it in first class and then head back to 37D. And then head back to 37D. Oh, I was doing it more as when people have their carry-on. Then they got a sweater up there. Then they want to put a purse-- they got a whole bin to themselves. The dog bag. Yeah, the dog bag is up there. And you also are in that seat. And now you ain't got nowhere to put it. That's what I was saying. But-- We were saying the same thing. People in the back want to get over. I don't fault them, just as long as they don't-- You know, I'm just-- can I have space for my stuff, too? I was there once. Hello. Exactly. So yeah. I know how it feels. If you can get away with it, then distinction. Distinction. Yes. Correcting people's pronunciation. Ooh. What's the tone? Key. Yeah. And what's the relationship? What's the-- who was you? was you who are you why you do that to me just now i did don't be correct who is you did you just do to me right now no who is you walked right in and had one snob relationship tone yeah how egregious sometimes you just don't want your friend to be walking around continuing to say you know irregardless no it hurts me every single to the point I think now it's been added to the lexicon I think sure so now if I hear it now I think they know and they just like saying it yeah it's a little little black moment it's how I take it because I'm like you can't think that's the word for real still irregardless hold up neighbors listen y'all are not going to believe this we are nominated for not one but two NAACP image awards one for best talk series and another for me as best host and honestly I'm blown away I can't believe it you know if you've ever watched the show shared a link or pulled up with us how special this is and this is really for us so go vote for us the link is in the description for this video and honestly I can't say thank you enough a general disregard of dress codes for codes for events this is again it depends what's the event okay so you know like there's a a friend of mine trail thomas does the black excellence brunch okay and it's it's typically white attire it says that on the on the invite come in your in your best white outfit okay and you'll see people there in like pink head to toe monochromatic and he's like you are messing up what the pictures you are messing up my picture man I mean it's such a drag because who got all white outfits like well yeah you gotta go shop yeah I don't know he said for that one I'm gonna be gonna go you might not see me because I'm like man not only I gotta get all white I gotta be cute that's hard to find I'm mad clumsy to keep clean yeah I got something on there before I even get out of the car I got tied pins everywhere I don't know it's stressful so I said give him a break do you want people to come or not right yeah you need to put that don't come over here with no pink on I think he has started actually just face tuning people's outfits white hilarious saving seats in crowded places ooh detention or distinction I mean distinction like I'm with you unless I'm looking for the seat unless it's you if it's my seat distinction but now do you want to be the person sitting next to the person that was saving the seat that's mad at you that you sat down now now you gotta take that the whole function I'll be honest I've taken it you're like I have taken it I have taken it because I've been like I'm like it ain't no seat is she here or not and then you see they person excuse me excuse me no no you can you can go you can go ahead and you can go ahead and you look cause I'm like this is my little popcorn I'm sorry I can't I just got a text that okay no I'm sorry I can't hear I am this is Iglesias this is another like pick your battles I remember when it was when I finally knew I was ready to leave New York I was shoveling my car like out of the the street and to claim the space in front of my house like it was like one house like an office chair like from inside the house a trash can and a cone I have spent three hours shoveling this space you see I'm agreeing that's classic east coast behavior like people should know when I got home a neighbor had moved the cone moved the trash can now that's why and took the chair no that's why I'm in the parking space detention I was like I was as I was trying to find another parking space I remember being like Jesus you knew who it was yes yeah that's why I said Jesus please can you just make this the last time I have to deal with this we at war now it's about to be on with me and you until I move out of here that May I was moving to LA yeah hey won't he do it woo save my life keeping photos of your exes on Instagram they lucky they was on there in the first place much less detention you lucky if you on there in the first place yeah I don't want to have to do the clean up after the fact so it's not going to be much to to clean up to clean up again my Instagram is about me so my social media is about me so I'm assuming you're saying you're with a new person and you still have your ex yeah that's just not classy that's not nice yeah I agree I'm assuming a man is doing that and they're like what I don't even scroll down there I don't even scroll down there I ain't even know I bet if his ex-husband you can take it you bet that right they be out of there I love it exactly so go ahead marry post it up but otherwise it ain't got to be all over you Instagram that way in the event that it doesn't work out then it's not a problem everybody's good to go you ain't got to go through memory lane erasing that's so also having that feeling of like oh remember the better times I've never had that laughter you ready yes let's do it okay so I've got Jamaican food you ready we got some oxtail we got some brown stew we have some jerk chicken I've got wings and you found this in LA I made it oh you made it okay I didn't I didn't make it at all God damn it you're lying Hollywood lies everything is a lie out here everything is a lie girl you look good girl alright thank you so much you feel good I do actually I was um training for a marathon what's this because I've stopped and I I got to where I felt good I said you know why do you have to do the thing you know what I mean you didn't even run the marathon well I actually got injured and then um once you pause you're like you get time to think you're like what was I even why was I doing that who I got to prove you know what I mean people saying I look good that's all I wanted that's all I did all I wanted was some compliments at the end of the day I'll take a poo whatever you know what I mean so hey so thank you so much for saying that we got Jamaican food because you said you wanted to feel the Caribbean I did is that Earl already no that's somebody else Earl is the rooster oh just like Jamaica right exactly now wait are you from the islands are your people your family from the islands I'm from the islands yes and my people I'm from the Virgin Islands from St. Thomas you know we learned of my family's heritage my father's heritage goes back to Barbados I mean I could have told you that really yeah the brown see it's a certain brown it's a certain brown it's like a reddish yeah undertone it's to be there we went for a crop over I took my family my mom and two of my brothers oh you was with Rihanna yeah how did she die yeah and that was your first time it was my family's first time I had been the first time was with Rih and really first second and third time was with Rih this man that's where it gone you know what I mean we get it you know famous people you know what what's really crazy is I know what that looks like but I didn't mean that how that looks three times with Rihanna I'm happy for you ain't like I wanted to hang with her or anything that's cool let me ask you a question yep how much people be eating on this show because I feel like I feel like I'm digging in is this good is it good eating or are we eating no no we eat we can't eat I don't want Rihanna once I hit two elbows it's a wrap cut the cameras nah eat because we can get to all the stuff we can get to all the stuff we can get to all the stuff you know when the movie when the ladies be that yeah so did you have to learn that kind of stuff on set nah I mean guzzling do you no I do have to learn on set after I do it wrong yeah while you're eating the props don't eat the burger actually just yesterday we had like chocolates and I was killing them things and it's like it's a little spit bucket but I was like for what for what I'm eating it ain't no spit going on ooh it's a little spit bucket it's a little spit bucket she done had a pina colada a virgin pina colada at that that's all it takes I think about your experience on Abbott you said before that you weren't really checking to be an actor for real like stand up was your my thing your love and the thing that you were really focused on yeah but just cause I wasn't looking for it doesn't mean I wasn't open to it absolutely I think that's the distinction I've been neglecting to say when I talk about these things cause it makes it seem like I was like I ain't even wanna do nothing but if you were sent the script it was because you would have been open to it well my agents was like can you make more money I'm sure it's not out of the goodness of they heart they send you stuff you know what I mean they would send me stuff all the time and I would just kinda like half ass I wouldn't even try for stuff I feel like I have a good gauge for quality things and also what's in my wheelhouse too I'm like and I'm I always say I should be a cast of director because I would read something and I'd be like this a red haired white lady why would I even try really and then it come out and it's a red haired white lady Hollywood is very even though they try to act like right there's a formula and it's very specific yeah and I'm like why you wasting my time that part so I wouldn't waste my time but then when this came across the desk you know I was like oh not only excellent excellent palette and I could see the characters and uh well written and funny and da da da I was like oh I could see myself cast as this is this lady, let me really try. I was in a little money from touring. I was like, I'm here, you know? And I was still kind of like, eh. And it was during the pandemic. So I was like, what's that? I got to go outside? Like, what y'all trying to say, you know? Right, because none of us, we were still watching male. Like, this affected my Twizzlers, like my individual. Like, wipe that Clorox, man. I'm going to try. Because I ate a lot of Twizzlers in quarantine. Same. Same. Yeah. What I'm really loving about the arc and the journey that you are on in this show is that you have, and the writers, I would assume, have moved Ava from the punch to a much more multidimensional delivery. Sure. Right? Because there were, I mean, you can always count on Ava to deliver, hit him with the left, hit him with the right. I'm going to fight night. You know what I mean? And she's always going to give you that. But there's something that's happening now in her story, but also how you are approaching her character that is hugely dynamic in a totally different way. Well, thank you, Tom. Is that intentional for you, for you? Or is it all in the writing? Well, I don't have nothing to do with the writing, unfortunately. And Forge. Yeah. One job. I know, that's right. I'm in and I'm out. I'm in and I'm out. Which is interesting to note because you have experience writing. Yeah, right. Yeah. I think that's Quinta's vision of. Not only writing these characters well and making sure that they're well-rounded, but also her vision for the longevity of the show. Can't be the same the whole 19 seasons that we about to do. Come on now. Come on now. That's boring. Listen, if Grey's Anatomy is still on. And it is. And it is. And so, yeah, that's a testament to her vision of where the show is going to go. And then also, like, trusting me to be able to do it. I don't know if I had to show improve, but I think I did. It was like, oh, give her some more. Right. Let her cut. Let her cut. The teenagers that I don't know say. What has it been like for you lately with the response of people? Because I know when the show first came out, the love for the show, the love for all of the characters was intense. And I imagine that you going from your own success as a stand-up. Smaller. But, yeah, but, like, going to be able to go to Target. Yeah. Not an issue. That shifting after the first. Is it not an issue? Huh? Is it not an issue? Is it not an issue to go to Target? I mean, it is an issue. No, I'm joking. Cut that. Cut the camera. Look, it might be an issue today. What I'm getting at is that life changed for you. And I'm curious about how you feel about it now. How you're moving through those public spaces where people feel like they know some slice of you, some character. I'm much better. At first, it was like, whoa. Not only the fame part of it, but, again, right out of the pandemic, I was like, why are you in my face? Like, it was. Please talk a little bit. I didn't realize at the time that that's what I was going to do. I didn't realize what that was. I thought I was freaking out because of being recognized. It was really like just being outside all of a sudden. Period. And then all these strangers approaching you. And wanting to show you love. Like, so that means you'd be close to you. Wanting to show me love. Touching, then grabbing me up and all of that. It took me a while to realize that that was a big part of it. Like, just the acclimation of just, like, being outside. So now I'm a little better. I go outside less. That's how you handle it. You go outside less. And then also realizing that most. Most of the attention is positive. Positive. How have you handled or dealt with having to do less stand-up as a result of more TV? It's not even having to. I just haven't. I don't want to have my material be all about work. And that's what I do. Right. So that's why I haven't done as much. I hate those comedians. It's like, so today on set, like, dude, we get it. Right. Right. That's right. My stand-up has always been me living life. Something happened. I hung out with a friend. Something happened. My friend said something. I read something. I experienced something. I thought about something. And now I'm just doing work, mostly. So there's less that I am excited to talk about. And I don't think. Even though people think they would be interested in hearing what happened on set, I don't think it's that. I don't think it's that interesting. So that's why I do it less. I'm fine with that because I have always. Written slowly, anyway. I'm not pressed to just be saying stuff and putting out stuff that's okay. I have to like it. I have to love it. Love it. I've had a deal for a special. So this tells you what. I've had a deal for a special for three years. Janelle! And I just ain't. I ain't been feeling it. That's my favorite. I'm not ready yet. Yeah. It's not. Let me cook. You know, comedians went through this thing where it's like, oh, we got to release a special every year. Yeah. They were not good. This podcast is brought to you by Carvana. Selling your car should feel like one less thing on your list, not one more. With Carvana, it is. Just go to Carvana.com, enter your license plate or VIN, and get a real offer down to the penny. No back and forth, no surprises, just an experience you can trust. Like your offer? Accept it. Schedule a pickup, and we'll come to you with a check in hand. Your car, your timeline, your terms. Visit Carvana.com to sell your car today. Carvana. Pickup fees may apply. You're not releasing a good special every year. Right, right, right. So I'm just like, let me chill. For the first time in my life, I'm not like pressed for the money, which is a blessing. So yeah, I get to take my time, and it'll be me introducing myself to a whole new fan base as a comedian. Absolutely. So it's not, you can't just be like, guess what Cheryl said on set, y'all. Like, I just, you know. I wish I was more, and my agents wish I was more money motivated, because I could have. Do they want me to make more money? I can come out, what it do, baby boo, it's Ava, and make mad money. I know that. I'm smart enough to know what to do to make money. To make the money. But you don't want to. Because you want to do art. Right. And also, like, you want to love it. You want to love it, but yeah. That's the push-pull of, I think like intellectuals too. Like, you're just like, I know what I can do to fucking cake up, but I don't want to. Because then you get trapped there. In that, when did you first know that you were funny? Was it a talent show for school? Was it a, were you, you know, in the living room? Nah, I've just always been a real sarcastic know-it-all. And people would laugh around me. But I wasn't always, I wasn't ever like, ah, I'm hilarious. Like, people were like, oh, comedian's always on. I don't ever feel like I'm on. I'm just myself. You do experience, I'm sure you would agree, that you have had experiences where you have those comedians who are like, everything is always like at one. Exhausting. It's exhausting. I don't want to be, where people see me come and they like, hey girl. Right, right. The fucking show. I guess she's right. I guess she's practicing her special right now. Y'all ever been eaten? No, that's not my. So I guess I've always been funny. Classic, you know, dramatic, traumatic childhood that I turned into humor. How would you describe your childhood? How would you describe you growing up? Undescribable. I've lived so many places and I have a large, I'm the oldest of nine. You know, my dad is a character and I've moved a lot and I've been working since I was nine. I've been working since I was, yeah, a child. To help with like the family. Yeah, my dad had a food truck at first and then it grew into like a restaurant that like me and my siblings and him like built by hand. This is island shit, you know that. We built by hand into a structure and I would work every day after school on the beach selling, that's how I came out with my plate. Like, hey, what? We got jerk, we got, you know, and selling drinks and drawing pictures and selling it to tourists and little trinkets, all the, you know, when you see the white people like, oh, I like that island, but them kids kept bothering us. And that was me. You were the kid. We couldn't go nowhere without the kid trying to sell us something. That was me. I was that kid. Yeah. I've never met anybody that grew up like me. So that's why I say indescribable because it's just, it's been a lot. I've lived so much life and playing this character. I think that's why I identify with her so much. Like, yeah, she didn't go to principal school, whatever that is. Right. Whatever that is. That's so Ava that I ain't even looked it up. I don't even know. But I didn't go. I think you got to go to a school to get this job. I think so. But I didn't get, I didn't go. I don't know. I'm playing someone who don't know and I'm gonna keep it method. And so. She's done a lot of stuff. She's done a lot of things. She's lived a lot of life. A lot of life. She got all her stories and people are like, you lying and you find out it's true. I'm the same way. So I truly identify with that. And I love that Quinta obviously knows somebody like that because I always thought I was so special. And now I'm playing this character and I'm like, wait a minute, how you know? Right. I read it. I'm like, but I did that. You know, so it's good. It makes me feel like less alone. Yeah. Yeah. Really makes me identify and like this lady. It is so cool. It's so cool to see what feels like the runway revealing itself for Abbott, right? Because sometimes you have shows where it's like, where are they going to take this? Once this storyline ends, you've kind of run out of, you're just trying to figure out which drink you're going to have. Yeah, you know, I like choices. I'm the same way. Got to have an option. I ain't say all that, Scott. You got to have an option. Christian lady. No. It is evident that Quinta is playing the long game with Abbott. - Sure seems so. - You know what I mean? seem like i know anything is what i it's all i'm saying y'all have really had the marvel universe training i had no training i can't you tell i had no pr training what are you talking about i just very smartly don't tell us anything no truly i don't know anything wait really no i know maybe two episodes ahead of what you guys know we find out at the table read and more maybe just recently i've even tried to be like so what's this man she'd be like girl you don't know what i'm doing you know basically so yeah we don't know i was talking to her ran into her at a party and we were talking about house guests and i was like i want to invite you to come to the house and she was like i love it and i love you but she was like i have to be so protective yeah this thing yeah that kind of sucks that like i had she's like i have to really be careful about the face of our of our thing i could be out here yeah you and i kind of looked at her like i'm not really sure i follow and then it hit me like she's protecting not just the show the the quality the care but like people's jobs yeah livelihoods you know people's mortgages school tuition that kind of thing yeah right godspeed not happy but yeah glad you are that's a lot it's a lot it's a lot and she does it yeah and and she does it in a way that it feels like it empowers you to want to do more in your own life in your own creativity in your own expression right because i because i often run into her i do more work you said work well because i often run into her at backstage right she's like receiving this incredible accolade for the work that she's doing and you can see that it's not easy but she's a beast i mean i feel like that's like a certain type of personality too yeah i never want to encourage everybody to be like well you should also like we all have our own way of doing things i don't know if i would be able to do a quinta path i kind of can't be controlled uh in a lot of ways and so i know i have to like find it in a different way which i have i didn't come up through hollywood but i snuck in through comedy like we all have our different paths and then watching her gives me a glimpse into what that is and i'm like oh do i want that much responsibility that don't mean i because i see it that that's what i should want or think that i am less because i'm not or any of those things i'm very much like do your thing thank you so much for taking care of me yeah and i'm glad that that you have that and she knows i feel like this is something she's wanted forever she's not like me just floating through like what's up she has a fun you know this has been the plan yeah it takes a kind like me to play this character right you know what i mean so yeah it all works out what does your family think of this experience that you're having right to go from the girl who was building the house to the girl who was building the house the restaurant with the family nothing i do surprises anybody in my family so really imagine my mom i was thinking about like oh you golden globe nominated and no she's very proud of me but when people are like oh i saw janelle and she said something great she's like yeah you know what i mean that kind of way or a way that my mom has like supported me without even saying it is that she doesn't uh pish posh any idea like she's not like this what you need to do like i'm like i want to be a whatever she like word like she's just always been like that and i'll do it like she's never tried to stop me from doing anything or make me feel silly for doing anything or been even surprised like what like she's just like yeah you know so i know that's right that's a way of supporting especially for a black parent yeah she's never doubted anything that i i say so so because she's never doubted she's never surprised yeah yeah you did her favorite thing you always doing something you always doing something i'm always doing something yeah and then when i was younger if i said oh i want to do something she figured out how i could get oh you want to play violin okay we don't have money so i'm gonna barter with this lady and she teaches violin and we're gonna rent the violin for a little while and pay her in food or whatever like she just always figured out how to like get us access to whatever we said and then didn't wasn't like upset if we were like especially me all the time like i don't like that you know actually anyway she's like i saw it on tv i didn't know what it was i bet you better get your ass in there and get that violin she knew i was gonna you got at least three more weeks on that violin i was gonna get to it she recently said she said i i you know i never knew what she was gonna do but i knew you wasn't gonna be poor and facts facts you have two sons what is life like as a mother and a creative okay so my sons are adults now yeah that's one thing i feel like people don't know because how can it be because you how can it be she passed i got famous after they were older they've known me as mom right this whole time it wasn't something you had to manage something i had to help them navigate yeah they don't know nothing about about this nor do they care which is has been great really yeah like i was trying to get some little nepotism on but they got they um they got their whole life unlike me i have always known exactly what they wanted to do and have been doing it which shows that letting people choose their path as long as they're doing well so i've never i was pushed to straight a's and b plus you in trouble like you're grounded you're getting a whooping i was me and their dad were very like you need to just pass did you try your best oh you got a c did you try your best you're gonna bring it up so now they're like they were always like self-sufficient like were you a gentle parent yeah meaning you don't whoop ass for every for every transgression yeah then i guess i was a gentle i've always been conscious of oh we're not raising kids we're down to their names like i gave them names that like oh when they're men these names will command respect get them some interviews right okay matthew scott yeah exactly that's how i think you should think about like what because they only kids for such a short time right and yeah how will i teach them to regulate their emotions and and and be kind people key and encourage them like in a different way than my mom did but yeah with the grades and everything like i said oh you see and he's like i'm upset at myself i'm already feeling the way i need to feel the next one to be a don't worry about it so i guess i was a gentle gentle parent oh that sounds crazy coming from like a caribbean caribbean black woman that's amazing drink to that yeah do you have moments where you're able to look at and kind of take stock of your life do you operate from a place of like gratitude oh man especially here we out here in la you know yeah all of a sudden i have all the the country friends and the journaling and stuff so just recently really i have been running into so many people like are you writing it down are you are you sitting are you writing it down that's me i'm like i'm like are you right did you did you write any of this down today and i had like a i don't know maybe some kind of block to that like i used to really be like what it's all up here well you know write it down what is all that about but yeah i need to write it down because you're gonna make it a book another thing i try not to do is to turn every life experience into some kind of product but yeah i'll do it for you me look me and your agents will be on the phone next time no day like this is gonna make some money how are you feeling about the direction the character ava is going in for me it's been great again exciting she's doing new things experiencing new things she has like so many different branches to her story which is exciting for me as an actor it's amazing because it's letting me show so many different uh flavors of my talent yep i feel like i'm doing so many different genres in one i'm doing a rom-com one day next i'm doing a family drama then i'm yeah comedy and so it's it's amazing and i'm again just glad that they trust me to do it and i've been killing that shit killing that shit i mean to the point where i imagine that if you're in a place where you hear taking over for the 99 and a 2000 is you know what's so funny about it everybody's like where is she at where is she at but you know what's so funny about that yeah i ain't never been the most gluteus maximus i ain't never had so much to even be throwing anywhere so i would frequently retire to the bathroom around that right that song and now it's become the song that everybody wants me to throw my ass to the point today i'm like oh there's a big booty girl song let me go ahead and get me a drink but now everyone is everybody's like this shit matter of fact i wasn't gonna play this right i saw you i saw you this opera house but when you came in i was like throwing that juvenile i love you so much i love you so much you are the bomb oh my goodness that was i ain't even get to talk about how nice you've been to me throughout this whole experience can i get that on camera what you mean for real that was it that's why i'm here you've been nice to me since i came into this thing well it's the first time i see you on the on the red carpet yep so genuine kind of was like hey this how you do it every time you saw me you gave me a little advice even when i was like still like insolent like i ain't doing it man they ain't gonna tell me what i wear what i want and he was like hey girl this is a business and i appreciate it and that's why yeah not only because it's big time and you had kamala I also like you, so that's why I came on the show. So I appreciate it. Thank you. You're welcome. I really appreciate that. Yeah, now let's get a real hug, not a Hollywood hug. You know? Hey. Hey. Oh, that's awkward. I know you're not like that. All right, so this is a game the neighbors love, we love. It's called Make It Make Sense. So we're going to be shown an acronym. It's a common saying, like this one. I don't know what that says. We'll get a clue, right? OK. If you get it right, you get a chance to place a letter. I already know it. Negro. First one to solve this wins. OK. OK. You ready? Y-M-B-O-Y-D-M. I'd like to solve. OK, what does it say? You must be out your damn mind. Fucking with me. OK. OK. OK, now you get a chance to place a letter. Yeah. Hey! OK. T-B-I-Y-T-C. To be in your true cause. Wow, positivity. Tough. Bitches. That's where I was going. So I'm as you said. The. The beginning is your. Yo, you've been wrong at B. Can I get a clue? The brightest is yet to come. The best is yet to come. Oh, I thought this was black saying, so I was like, that bitch better. Yeah. But no. Same. Same. Since T was instrumental there. OK. Mm-hmm. Next one. M-Y-B. Man, you better. No. No. No. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Must. Shit, it's always a short one. Always a short one. Mind your business. Yeah. Well, I'm going to just go with the easy one. Mind your business. Why do I say that every day? Laughing out, crying. Lick. Laugh out. Clue. Look at God. Yes. Lag. Do we have an M? Yeah. No. Okay. Turn up my, no. T-A-M-P. How well do people usually do on this? I got so psyched after my first one. I'm ready to relax. I got so psyched. After my first one. True. True? Turn out the lights. Oh. What's the clue? That's supposed to make it easier? Oh. I'm stressed. The sigh. I don't like looking dumb. On camera? Because they at home like, it's down. Right, right now. That ain't my profession. That ain't my prerogative. That's above my pay grade. Why do you say it so fast? These are all things I believe in. I can't believe that I'm not getting it. Mind your business. Above my pay grade. I don't want to do that. Is that the next one? Because that would be all me. Eh? Damn. Was that an F? F? Of? Yeah. Oh. Oh. Ah. Man, man, man, man. Me. Man, my. Mm. Man. Mew. The hell is mew? You see the video of that little boy? What color is it? It starts with an M. And he was like, I don't know. Mew? You right. That's right, baby. Yep, that's right. Man. Man. Me. E. Man, me, me. Match? Meet me. Match me. Match my energy. Energy. OK. OK. That was-- M-M-E. Match my energy. That's what you got to tell the fellas. Blah. Meet me up here. Meet me up here. Where you going? Where you going? Where you going? I mean, what's that word? So that would be-- Oh, oh, right. Of? Of. Mm-hmm. Hmm. We both-- the same thing. Now, hell, of the-- We got to get this, don't we? The-- of the world. OK. T-D-S-R-W-M-S. Told that, bitch. No. I'm telling you, if you don't know what it is, you just add the word bitch. Turn down. The lights. Turbulent. Turbulent. Turbulent. That. That. Thanks. That. Sir. Sir. Sir. It's not sir. It's just sir. That don't sit right with me, some. Some? First of all, who is-- who is sir? Who is some? I don't know who is some. Some people? Some. That don't sit right with me. That was so formal, sir. Sis. Sis. Sis doing this. In my soul. That don't sit right with my spirit. Spirit. That's a good one. What am I, 65? That's what they're trying to make us. We saying sir. Sir. Respectfully. Right. Respectfully. Hey, neighbor.