Janelle James has won everyone over with her hilarious role in the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary. However, James recently got some recognition on another popular TV show. Here’s the Jeopardy! clue that paid tribute to everyone’s favorite sassy school principal.
‘All My Nerd Dreams Come True’
Comedian Janelle James has skyrocketed in recognition over the past year as a fan favorite from the wildly popular ABC comedy Abbott Elementary. James has worked on a variety of TV shows as both an actor and writer, and she has an extensive background in standup comedy, touring with the likes of Chris Rock and Amy Schumer. In 2020, Variety named James as one of its Top 10 Comics to Watch.
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Along with many of her Abbott Elementary castmates, James was nominated for an Emmy this award season. While she didn’t win, her co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph took home the Emmy in her category, which almost certainly took the bite out of the loss.
However, James recently reached a completely different kind of benchmark for success. Her character in Abbott Elementary has become so popular that James was named in a clue on a recent broadcast of Jeopardy!. The clue read, “As Ava Coleman, Janelle James is quite a principal character on this ‘educational’ ABC sitcom.”
The clue certainly didn’t go unnoticed by James. “Absolutely made my day @Jeopardy,” the comedian wrote on Twitter. On Instagram, James let herself have a full-blown fangirl moment. “I’m GAGGING! All my nerd dreams come true,” the TV principal wrote followed by a series of crying emojis.
Rather than take a picture of a screen like most Jeopardy! fans, she took a screenshot of the super fan site J-Archive instead, proving that she is a watcher of the show.
Janelle James Hosted Her Own Game Show
While James has made it clear that she’s a true Jeopardy! fan through and through, she actually hosted her own game show on ABC this summer. The program is called The Final Straw and it’s essentially a gigantic, high-stakes game of Jenga. The game show premiered in July and brought weeks of laughs and nail-biting competition throughout its first season.
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It’s unclear if the show will be renewed for a second season, but there certainly was never any doubt that ABC would bring Abbott Elementary back this fall. Season 2 of the beloved sitcom is off to a great start, and there is no shortage of outrageous antics and stinging one-liners for James’ character, Principal Ava Coleman. While James is certainly no newbie when it comes to show business, she’s showing no signs of slowing down!
