- That is the hilarious Janelle James
from the Emmy Award winning show, all the rage,
most successful show on television, thank you, everybody,
"Abbott Elementary."
(audience applauding)
Okay, so going into the break, I asked you
is it true that Chris Rock cold called you,
and how did that happen?
- It was, yeah, around this time.
I think it was the day after Christmas about five years ago.
And I had been doing standup for about
five years at that time,
and I had an unknown number pop up on my phone.
Who answers that?
And I answered it for whatever reason and it was-
And I said, "Hello?"
And he said, "Janelle, James, Christopher Rock."
Like that, and I was like, "Get the hell-"
(Janelle laughs)
And you know, I'm a comedian-
- He announces himself
as Christopher? - Christopher Rock!
But I'm glad he did because I'm a comedian,
we're all jerks,
it could have been somebody pranking me.
And if he had said Chris Rock, I would've hung up.
I'd have been like, "Whoever this is, leave me alone."
But Christopher Rock.
I'm like, "Oh, this is Chris Rock."
- Interesting!
- But he was my first big tour.
He took me on tour with him and that-
(audience applauding) Yeah! Yeah!
And then introduced me to such a,
a way broader fan base than I had at the time,
which would just white dudes in the Midwest.
(Drew laughs) (audience applauds)
- Okay, so you play the bad boss on the show.
You've got tons of attitude. - Bad?
- I love your character so much.
- Thank you. - Did you base your character
on anyone, did you know who she was?
- I read it and I was like, "Oh, this lady's crazy."
And I remember when we were shooting, I said,
"I'm gonna be nuts with her and do that
and be zany and be hilarious
because she does a lot of awful things.
So she has to be compelling in a lot of ways.
She has to be charming, she has to be on and hilarious."
So it's a amazing, I guess what actors call, a dream role.
It's so fun. - Yeah!
And it's not easy to do you
and you pull it off so brilliantly.
- Thank you so much, Drew!
People think comedy is easy. It's not.
- Exactly! (Janelle laughing)
Okay, I love this story so much
about you were working at Pretzel Time.
- I was, that was my first job.
Youngest manager in Pretzel Time history, by the way.
But anyway!
(Drew clapping excitedly) (Janelle laughing)
(audience applauding) - Chris Rock who?
- [Drew] Chris Rock who? Pretzel Time!
- Pretzel Time!
It was a great job for me
because I had a lot of responsibilities,
but then I quit it for the most benign reason.
- Which you would do! - Which I do still.
I quit jobs for any reason.
And the reason for that place, we had a lovely,
almost this color, champagne beige ensemble.
And then they changed it to bright neon pink
and I was like, "People will see me."
(audience laughing)
"I'm outta here."
(Janelle laughing) - So you were out?
- Outta here.
- See, I love that about you.
What were you like as a student?
- Oh, I was very studious.
I'm a nerd. I'm still a nerd.
My mom, I grew up poor, like most people,
and my mom was really good at making small things
seem like such a big gift.
So going to the library was like going to Disneyland for us.
And if you messed up or misbehaved,
it's like, "You're not gonna get books this week."
And I would bawl, I was a real big reader.
I still am.
And taking education very seriously
is what made me who I am now.
- I'm so in love with you.
I really am.
All right.
Would you play my favorite game with me,
"Red Flag, Green Flag, Yellow Flag"?
- I been dating! - All right, here we go.
(Janelle laughing) (audience applauding)
All right, we're gonna put 60 seconds on the clock.
All right, here we go! - Oh, boy.
- You're at the movies and after every single preview,
your date leans in and says, "That one looks good."
Okay, perfect.
I'm like, "Mm."
Okay, your date keeps calling you milady.
- Oh my God!
(Drew laughing) (Janelle laughing)
- The guy you've been seeing
shows up at your door unannounced.
- What he got with him?
(audience chuckles)
- Anything you want.
All right. - That's a "depends".
- You're at a party and your date pulls an Irish exit.
They just disappear. - Without you?
- Yeah, I agree. I agree.
What if he said,
"We're gonna both pull an Irish exit together"?
- I love that. - All right, perfect.
Your date chews with his mouth open.
Perfect.
He says he'll pick you up at 8:00 PM,
but he arrives at 7:30.
Yeah, that is like-
- Presumptuous much?
- Yeah, for me, I'm like- - Plus I'm not not ready.
I'm not ready. - We agreed on a time!
- I'm not gonna be ready at 8:00!
- I'm always late, but God, do I hate early people.
- [Janelle] Yeah. Get outta here.
- All right, your date signed you up
for a date to surprise you, and it's skydiving.
- Get outta here. Come on.
(Drew laughing)
- I love you!
(both laughing) (audience applauding)
Get outta here!
Janelle!
I think you're the coolest.
- Be my friend!
(Janelle laughing) - I'm in!
"Abbott Elementary," Wednesdays at 9:00 PM on ABC