Since Abbott Elementary’s premiere in 2021, the ABC sitcom has grown to be a fan favorite among many and has received much critical acclaim. As the show prepares to air its fifth season on the 2025 TV schedule later this year, the cast has probably gotten used to all the fame that has come along with it. However, that wasn’t always the case, as Janelle James recalled how she was accosted in a Target once, and Tyler James Williams told her what was up.
While James has been in the entertainment industry for a while now, her breakout role was Principal Ava Coleman on Abbott Elementary. The ABC sitcom (which you can also stream with a Hulu subscription) basically became an instant hit when it premiered in 2021, meaning that pretty quickly, James’ fame rose along with the rest of the cast. She told The L.A. Times on the Envelope podcast what it’s been like since the hit sitcom came out, and looked back on a time when she went to Target and was bombarded by a random stranger who wanted a hug:
Can’t go to Target — not that we are — can’t go to Target. I remember the first season, I was in Target and I was looking at doormats, as you do, and this guy comes up to me — I didn’t see him, I heard him say, ‘I got to hug you.’ And I was like, ‘He’s not talking to me, because I don’t know this man.’ And he picked me up. This huge guy picked me up off the ground and gave me a hug, which I’m sure was in love. But that had me shook.
funniest shows on Hulu and ABC has grown more popular, it means the fandom has grown too. And with the good fans come the bad ones.
former child stars still acting today. He rose to fame as a kid on the popular sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, starred in a Disney Channel Original Movie, Let It Shine, and was on The Walking Dead. So, he knows a thing or two about how to handle fame and being recognized. Plus, his younger brothers are also in the industry, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s said the same thing to them. And it’s possible he experienced something similar to James, as he knew immediately that moving forward, things needed to change for her.
Unfortunately, that’s the sacrifice that comes with being famous. What used to be normal trips to the store turn into something different, and you either have to have someone do the shopping for you, be surrounded by guards, or put on a disguise.
Now, it seems like Janelle James has learned from all of this. Plus, these days, she’s a seasoned pro as she’s going into her fifth season of playing Ava on Abbott, which has turned into one of the best sitcoms around.
There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for Abbott Elementary, which passed its 50th episode in 2024, and as long as the show continues, the fame will continue to grow for the cast. Now that the show is in its fifth season, it’s likely Janelle James has gotten more used to her new life and the adjustments she’s had to make, but that doesn’t mean it was easy.