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00:02Remembering that my job is to make people laugh,
00:05it's a powerful feeling.
00:07That's what I enjoy most, like,
00:09oh, I am basically manipulating people's emotions in real time.
00:13Right. Yeah.
00:14So if you're scared, think about that.
00:16Think about doing that.
00:18There's a lot of power in that.
00:24I heard Crystal's whack weave affects her ability to principle.
00:32Gotta.
00:35Ava, the teachers and I appreciate your doing something innovative,
00:40but this no homework thing is proving to be detrimental to how we do our job.
00:45Seems effective to me.
00:47Now that the students aren't always talking about homework,
00:49maybe we can get a D1 athlete from here.
00:53But it's all so sudden and a bit overly ambitious.
00:57I'm as ambitious as any administrator out there.
01:00Are you saying I don't work hard?
01:01I didn't say that.
01:02I'm just saying that I don't think that this is going to work for us.
01:07Oh, it's not going to work for y'all, huh?
01:09No.
01:09Well, everyone who is a principal at this school, please raise your hand.
01:14Oh, but I noticed you don't have your hand up.
01:16That's because you're not the principal.
01:18I'm the principal.
01:19You're the teacher.
01:20And no homework is the law of the land.
01:22I'm just saying.
01:23We'll just do as I say.
01:26Thanks.
01:29Welcome to the actor's side today.
01:31I'm so excited too, because she actually has been a standup comic for 15 years.
01:37But the acting thing, I think, came along a little more recently, particularly with Abbott Elementary.
01:43And boy, when she starts acting, things happen.
01:46Five.
01:47Count them.
01:48Five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, including this year.
01:54And my group, the Critics' Choice Awards, gave her that award because we're smart.
01:59And so many other honors too in this career.
02:03This is Janelle James.
02:04Hi.
02:06Wow.
02:07She sounds amazing.
02:08No.
02:09She's amazing.
02:09She's amazing.
02:10How is that though?
02:11Five nominations.
02:12You really weren't an actor much.
02:15That wasn't your ambition.
02:17You were really more a comedy standup.
02:20Standup.
02:20I'm glad you asked that because previously, as you said, I've been nominated five times.
02:24All the way up until four, I would say, yeah, I wasn't an actor.
02:28I was a standup comedian.
02:29But as time has gone on, I realize I am.
02:31Like, standup comedy is an act.
02:33I am doing an act.
02:35And I'm even more liking it to doing theater at this point.
02:39I'm basically doing a one-woman show every night, you know?
02:43And so now that I've crossed over to this, and I had some kind of like imposter syndrome
02:49because I'm just like, oh, I haven't been on television this whole time.
02:51I'm not an actor.
02:52I'm growing into it.
02:53But no, that's where the skill has come from, especially in the comedy realm.
02:58That's what has helped me, you know, and prepared me for this role.
03:02So I have been an actor the whole time.
03:04That's what I'm saying.
03:06It's a single camera show.
03:08It's like making a film as opposed to the audience, the three camera thing.
03:11Yeah.
03:11That's a whole art too.
03:13You know, learning how to play to the camera or not to play to the camera.
03:17Yeah.
03:17And have you mastered that in your mind?
03:20Yeah.
03:21I mean, that's a big part of the character herself because she's such a ham.
03:24Yes.
03:25And so I just always try to remember, like, she's the whole reason the cameras are there.
03:29I know.
03:29She's like, this is my show, you know?
03:32And so I just always try to remember that.
03:34And so that made it easy for me to always look in the camera because it's just like,
03:38hey, it's starring me.
03:39Don't forget, you know?
03:40So that wasn't that hard.
03:43Now, as I go to other projects now, it's like, oh, I have to train myself to not do that.
03:49You know?
03:50To not constantly.
03:51Even now, you know, in interviews, I'm like, huh?
03:53Yeah.
03:53You know, doing this thing.
03:54That's fun.
03:55Yeah.
03:55You did a movie I love, One of Them Days.
03:57Oh, thank you so much.
03:58Yeah.
03:58I think you got an NAACP award nomination for that.
04:01Yeah.
04:02And that was such a fun film.
04:03Oh, yeah.
04:04To work with Kiki and TZA.
04:06Like, I was like, of course, Issa Rae.
04:08And that fight scene, you know, that was not an indie film, but we did it really fast.
04:15I think they shot it in like 27 days.
04:17So my scene in particular was one day.
04:20Wow.
04:21And no fight coordinator.
04:24And so, thankfully, I've done like stunts and seen stunt people on Abbott.
04:32And so took that skill over to that show and took Sizz out into the hallway.
04:36And we choreographed that bloody scene that we did.
04:40That was a crazy scene.
04:41One take.
04:41One take.
04:42Yes.
04:44And yeah.
04:45I mean, just another like example of like how underrated comedy is.
04:49Like, that was a lot of work and we nailed it.
04:51Like, I only had one outfit.
04:53So they were like, if you mess up this nurse's thing, this is the take.
04:58And we did it in one take.
04:59So yeah, I'm super proud of that.
05:01That's amazing.
05:02If Frank Sinatra around, he would hire you for all of his films because he only wanted
05:06to do one take.
05:07Okay.
05:07And got mad when they did more.
05:08Well, I'm two take James on Abbott.
05:10You can ask anyone.
05:12Not quite Frank Sinatra levels.
05:14But yeah.
05:15That's what I always jokingly call myself.
05:17Two take James.
05:18Because I always want to go home.
05:23Abbott's such a fun character.
05:24She's a true social influencer, somebody who's very much out there.
05:31Do you relate to that at all?
05:33I'm trying.
05:35I'm trying.
05:36I'm not like a super private person.
05:38I go in and out of it.
05:40Like right now I'm off socials and I've been feeling lovely.
05:42I was like, oh, what was I doing before when I was on there?
05:45So I go in and out of it.
05:46But very different from her and like she is someone who definitely wants to be seen.
05:51I have to work for that feeling.
05:53Like, oh yeah, it's a good thing that I'm doing interviews and that people want to talk
05:58to me and stuff like that.
05:59So that's a major way that we differ.
06:02Yeah.
06:03And before we started this, I commented on your beautiful hairstyle.
06:05Thank you so much.
06:06Which was new to me, but you said not to you.
06:09Yeah.
06:10You know, I think all of us, all of the women on the show wear wigs.
06:13Like we're truly playing characters.
06:14So my hair has been short.
06:16I've been bald at many intervals.
06:18I've had all the, I've had so many colors.
06:20I've been blonde.
06:21I've had a bob.
06:22I've had, but I've been wearing these.
06:25And then that, you know, Ava's the same way.
06:28And even though she wears wigs, her hair changes episode to episode.
06:31So she switches up.
06:32And so I'm still learning that, in that I like to change my hair.
06:35But I had been previously just wearing, also wearing wigs for my public appearances.
06:40So people never knew what my real hair looked like.
06:44And so now that I, as I've become more popular, people are looking for Ava in the streets.
06:51You know what I mean?
06:52And so when I have a wig on, I'm very identifiable.
06:54So I've been appearing as myself.
06:56So one to hide and also to know, have people know what I really look like.
07:00It's like double, double sided.
07:02Do you not go out in public and, you know, want to be recognized?
07:07Is that, are you more private than that?
07:09And you just want to be you?
07:10Yes, because I'd like to be at community events.
07:14I want to be amongst the people, if I can say it any other way, but you just are going
07:19to be.
07:19And so that's fine to be recognized, but people want to take pictures and that's fine.
07:24I'm there really to mingle and talk to people.
07:26It's not like, oh, I don't want to be recognized.
07:28I'm just like, oh, I also want to hear that band or whatever event I'm at.
07:32And so it becomes like work.
07:34So that's annoying.
07:35Did you imagine the success of the show when you started it going into its sixth season?
07:41I mean, I remember knowing, I remember saying like, I know this show is going to go.
07:46Like I just, I knew the process of like Hollywood, like you do a pilot and then they pick it
07:50up.
07:51I knew, I knew it was going to get picked up.
07:53Yeah.
07:54Like just from the, from reading it, I was like, oh, this is so well done.
07:57I read a lot of pilots.
07:59I've been trying to, I had been trying to write my own at that time.
08:01I know it's really hard, like to have something so well written, funny.
08:05I could see it so clearly in my head.
08:08Every character was very well defined.
08:10And I said, I remember I told my agent, I said, even if I'm not involved, this show is going
08:14to go.
08:14So I want to try.
08:15And as far as it being successful, I had no concept of what that even means.
08:22You know, like, sure.
08:23Okay.
08:24So I get successful.
08:25I remember we did the first season and I just moved back to New York.
08:27I was like, that was cool.
08:29You know what I mean?
08:29I had no idea.
08:31Like, yeah.
08:32And I didn't think about season two or whatever.
08:35I was just like, whoa, I was on a TV show.
08:37It did well.
08:37And I went back to New York and then they're like season two, season three.
08:41So I had no concept of what all of this is and like, oh, we're at the Emmys.
08:45And I had no preconceived notions of what it felt like or what it is.
08:50I thought, oh, I made it onto the show.
08:53That was success to me.
08:54Wow.
08:55What was that like getting nominated for an Emmy?
08:57I will say that I've also been nominated for five Emmys.
09:01I used to write kid shows and I would get nominated every year and lose every year.
09:06It was still a thrill to see that nomination.
09:10You know?
09:11I think that's the win.
09:12You know what I mean?
09:13Truly.
09:14Because after you won, now you've just won.
09:16Nominate.
09:17You know what I mean?
09:17You've won and that's great.
09:19But nomination every year, being recognized every year.
09:21I think for me in particular, since I don't really do, I'm not really in the Hollywood,
09:26I'm pretty new to this side of the business.
09:29I don't really do the Hollywood machine and I keep getting recognized for this work every
09:35year when I'm, and I'm just doing the work.
09:38I think that's the win to me.
09:40I'm just doing my job.
09:41And people are like, yeah, we got to give, we got to shout her out.
09:44So that's so impressive.
09:46It's all fun, but I don't really believe in competition for the arts.
09:49Like who wants to say who did better than us?
09:51We're all doing well.
09:52So that's why I think the nomination is like kind of, it's so important.
09:56You know, it's just like, oh, let's recognize these five people out of these, all these amazing
10:01shows actually that are on.
10:03So many people don't even get nominated that are also doing excellent work.
10:08So yeah, the nomination is a win five out of what, how many shows are on right now?
10:13You know?
10:14So that's how I look at it.
10:15That's a good way to look at it too.
10:17You know?
10:17And it's such a, like I said, it's, it's such an interest.
10:20But everybody likes to win.
10:21Let me just say that.
10:22Oh, I know.
10:23You, when you came to our Critics' Choice show, you were genuinely full of joy winning
10:29that award.
10:30I could tell.
10:31How cool.
10:33Yeah.
10:34Just like success or the success official, nothing I had ever conceptualized.
10:38You know, like, oh, I'm winning a Critics' Choice award.
10:41That's amazing.
10:41Like, yeah.
10:42I hope I keep that forever.
10:44I never want to be like, of course.
10:46You know what I mean?
10:47Oh, another one.
10:48Yeah.
10:49Go pick it up for me.
10:51Exactly.
10:51Exactly.
10:52And then, like you said, you guys are smart.
10:54Like Critics' Choice was also like, oh, such a, to me, like prestigious award.
10:59Yeah, it is.
11:00Yeah.
11:01It's, I should say.
11:03But, yeah.
11:04It's definitely, critics are watching everything.
11:08Yeah.
11:08Everything.
11:09Yeah.
11:10So, that was, yeah.
11:11I was genuinely, yeah, joyous.
11:13Like you said.
11:13Yeah.
11:14That was cool.
11:15Yeah.
11:15Yeah.
11:16We showed a clip at the beginning of this segment where you are dealing with Shirley
11:22Ralph's character and putting down the rules here.
11:26No homework.
11:27I love that scene, you know.
11:29But I love her attitude, too.
11:32It's like you're running for office and the only ones voting are eight-year-olds.
11:38Yeah.
11:39And they, the, I like the, you know, a great thing that Quince and the writer does is like,
11:45flips all of these subjects on their head.
11:47Like, you would think that it would be the kids that are having a harder deal with it.
11:53But it's the teachers that are like, oh, we've been doing something this, in this way
11:58for this long.
11:59We can't just switch, you know.
12:00And then Ava doesn't know how to do her job well.
12:03It wasn't based on whether the kids are going to benefit or not.
12:06She's competing with her sorority sister.
12:08Right.
12:08So she just implements this thing without even any thought or background to it.
12:12So that scene with Cheryl, I think an ongoing thing in the show is that Ava's disrespectful
12:19to everyone but Barbara.
12:21So for her to like, be that disrespectful and then for them to have like-
12:26It's kind of shocking.
12:28It was kind of shocking.
12:28And Cheryl's reaction was interesting, too, that you do it.
12:33So the interesting thing about Ava is she's really been evolving.
12:36She's really been evolving from certainly the first couple of seasons to where she keeps going.
12:42Yeah.
12:43Where do you want to see her go?
12:45Ooh.
12:46Ah, you know, definitely keep evolving.
12:50But again, another thing I think that makes the show good, that makes the writing so well,
12:56that stood out from the beginning is that even when she's evolving, even when she's changing
13:00and learning, she's still the same person inside.
13:03And I think that's so true to life.
13:05Especially after a certain age, nobody truly changes.
13:07You still learn.
13:08You adjust.
13:09You learn when to be different in different situations, but your inner, you know, identity
13:17never really changes.
13:19And I like that.
13:21I like how they're showing her growth while keeping her personality the same.
13:27She's still snarky and confident.
13:28And when she got fired, she's a hustler.
13:31She had side things that people go, oh.
13:34I loved it.
13:35You know, yeah, that could have gone so many other like boring ways, you know, for her
13:39to essentially be like, all right, well, sucks to be you guys.
13:44I think I'm doing a great, I mean, and I, you know, we do have a lot of things in
13:50common
13:50in that I, you know, when I read the pilot, that's what I most, what's the word?
13:57Related to.
13:58Related to.
13:58Because I always felt like I'm a hustler as well.
14:01Like I always got something else going or I have so many skills and I know how to make
14:04money doing almost anything.
14:06And so even when Quinta told me I was being fired on the show, I was like, okay, that's
14:11cool.
14:12Like, can I, like for how long can I go?
14:14Yeah.
14:15Did you think you were being fired from the show?
14:17Well, I'm not fired from the show, but I thought I wouldn't be on, on a couple episodes
14:22at least.
14:23I was back the next, the next episode doing something else in the show, but I thought I
14:28was going to put completely disappear from the show for a couple episodes.
14:31I was like, oh, I could go do standup.
14:33I can go, you know, I was just like, oh, that's cool.
14:36And I, and I asked her, I said, well, do I still get paid if I'm not here?
14:40Like that's all I was really concerned about.
14:42It wasn't devastating.
14:44I wasn't like, oh, my screen time or anything like that.
14:46I was like, oh, that'd be cool.
14:49Like, and what a great surprise for the show.
14:52And, you know, a little cliffhanger.
14:53I was not concerned at all, just like April was.
14:58Yeah.
14:58So that's what we have been.
14:59Because a lot of actors would look at that script and go, ah.
15:03Yeah.
15:03I keep it moving.
15:05And I really respect Quinta and her choices.
15:07So I'm like, yeah, this is your show.
15:09If you think this is a storyline and I shouldn't be here.
15:11What a great, you know, thing.
15:13If and when I come back and I can do a, you know, a return.
15:17Like, yeah, let me know.
15:18But do I still get paid?
15:22That's what matters.
15:23That's what matters.
15:24Is it true that Quinta based Ava on her own sister?
15:29Is that true?
15:29That's what she says.
15:30Yeah.
15:31That's what she has.
15:32Have you met her sister?
15:33I have.
15:33I don't think.
15:34Yeah.
15:34I think she's sweet.
15:37And been Ava-like to me at all.
15:38But Quinta was no best.
15:40Yeah.
15:40Really?
15:41Okay.
15:41Yeah.
15:41That's what she says.
15:42Is her sister a teacher?
15:44I think it's personality she's really talking about.
15:47Oh, okay.
15:47But Quinta always tells me that, you know, Ava's her favorite character and that, you know,
15:51I'll say things to Quinta and she'll be like, my sister would say that.
15:54Wow.
15:55Yeah.
15:55So I guess it is.
15:56You know, Avid Elementary is that unique little animal out there that is holding the flag
16:02for traditional network television.
16:05You know, it's on ABC, next day on Hulu.
16:08I love watching it on Hulu because no commercials, but it's on ABC and network television rarely
16:13breaks into the Emmys that way.
16:16Yeah.
16:16And this is once again nominated for Best Comedy Series 7 Emmys overall again this season.
16:21You know, that's significant.
16:24Again, that goes back to the nomination conversation.
16:28Like for us to be the only sitcom to be continually nominated, the only, and not to be controversial,
16:35but the only like really like straight ahead comedy.
16:39Yeah.
16:39You know, we're not a half hour having to adjust to what you just said, commercial breaks and
16:47network rules and 22 episodes of excellence.
16:53Yeah.
16:54So to be nominated with all of these like very high production comedies who can curse and,
17:02you know, I remember one year I was nominated for comedy in, I forget what awards, maybe Gotham
17:08with all these other comedies.
17:10Yeah.
17:11And they showed our clips and three out of the five, the actors were crying.
17:16You know what I mean?
17:17And then it gets to me and I'm like, brr, brr, brr, brr, brr, you know what I mean?
17:21So...
17:22Well, that's an interesting point too, because you have the bear, you have a widow's bay this
17:29year.
17:30These are not...
17:30They're doing horror and comedy.
17:32Yeah.
17:33And some of them run 40 minutes and, you know, it's a...
17:36And very tragic monologues and comedy.
17:38And so we, we also have our serious moments, but I don't, again, because we're on a network,
17:42we don't get to like go there.
17:44And that's not also not our genre.
17:46We're a sitcom, you know?
17:47So again, for us to be going up against these, those type of shows is like the nomination
17:53is the awards.
17:54It's so, it's really amazing too.
17:56And I'll tell you something too, as you go into your sixth season, you are now going
18:02to be the longest running show in television history about teachers.
18:07Oh, wow.
18:08Yeah.
18:09Welcome back, Cotter.
18:10All of them hanging with Mr. Cooper, our Miss Brooks.
18:13You want to go on?
18:14Steve?
18:14No, no.
18:15I didn't.
18:16No, you are now going to be the one, the long distance runner in this, in this genre,
18:21if you want to call it a genre, which I think is so important for people out there to have
18:27a show like this, you know?
18:29Yeah.
18:29Because it's fun, it's funny, but it's also telling things about people's lives and kids
18:35and education.
18:36Yeah.
18:36I mean, of course, our biggest fan base is teachers.
18:39Also very smart of Quinta to do something in this space.
18:43I mean, it's from her own background of her mom being a teacher, but also like very relatable
18:47in that most of us, almost all of us have gone to school.
18:51And yes.
18:52And then telling the real stories.
18:54But I always say, again, we're a comedy and this is the same with stand up always.
18:57It kind of makes me sad because it's like, sometimes people are like, I had no idea that
19:02things were so, and it's, it sucks that people have to find out about issues, you know, through
19:08a sitcom, but that is what comedy is.
19:10It's just like easing some, some sugar into like mostly bad news, you know?
19:17Well, you've done that with your, I've seen your stand up specials and things.
19:20Yeah.
19:20You've done that in your stand up.
19:22Yeah, that's a lot of them.
19:23I mean, it seems like you have a theme a lot of times and are not afraid to go into
19:29darker
19:30topics.
19:30Yeah.
19:31Yeah.
19:31I mean, that's what keeps me excited about doing stand up.
19:35Like how can I tackle this topic and still make people laugh and still make people relate
19:39to it or a trick, which I think is what comedy is anyway.
19:43You're kind of like tricking people's brains to think that I'm talking about this one subject,
19:47but, oh, guess what?
19:49It's over here and it's a joke.
19:50Or how can I bring this?
19:52How can I talk about this very serious, maybe sad thing?
19:55And then bring the room back up, you know, in the next, in the next minute.
19:59And I think Abbott does that really well as well.
20:04Yeah.
20:04You know, we're doing our, we're talking about these kids who are underserved and it's sad
20:08and there's no money and da, da, da, but you're like, ha, ha, ha.
20:11And hopefully the other things we're talking about sticks around and makes you, uh, concerned
20:17and, uh, involved.
20:18And being on the show too, has, uh, made your stock risen too, in terms of, I think you're,
20:24you're selling money and you can discuss that with me right now.
20:29If you, uh, no, I mean, you know, you're playing Vegas.
20:32Yeah.
20:33You're naming lights.
20:34I am.
20:34I'm playing Vegas.
20:35Yes.
20:36Yeah.
20:36Never did.
20:37Um, not on my own.
20:38I've never headlined Vegas on my own before I've opened for other comedians.
20:42So that's, yeah, that is, that is exciting.
20:43I'm doing the MGM in Vegas.
20:45Yeah.
20:45That's pretty wild.
20:47Yeah.
20:47Go down and see your name.
20:48I'm selling out the MGM in Vegas.
20:52Yeah.
20:52Let me, let me correct that.
20:54But yes, that's amazing.
20:55Um, like you said, I've been doing standup for 15, 15 years.
20:59So I used to do, you know, the chuckle hut in, you know, Boise, Idaho, whatever, you
21:04know.
21:04Were you always funny?
21:06Were you?
21:06Ooh, yeah.
21:07So you knew, you knew you could get, I think standup is very frightening kind of thing.
21:13I used to go to the comedy store all the time.
21:15I worked for Arsenio Hall.
21:17I was a producer on his show.
21:18I love him.
21:19I just met him just recently for the first time.
21:20He's the nicest guy.
21:21Best boss I ever had in my life.
21:23Oh, good to hear.
21:23But he would go with him and go to the comedy store and watch all these comics go up and
21:28things.
21:28And I think, oh my God, I could never do this.
21:31Well, I mean, I like, even if I said, yeah, I've always been funny.
21:35I never knew.
21:36I never knew or thought to like translate that into a standup career.
21:40I had no idea what stand, how standups start or how that comes about.
21:46It was just like acting was never like a goal of mine.
21:50It really happened by chance.
21:51And so, and I hate to encourage the, oh, if you're funny, you should be a standup.
21:58Because like I said up top, it is an act.
22:01It is, you know, it's, you're not just getting up there and talk about your weekend or the,
22:06the, what do they call water cooler, lawnmower story that you think is hilarious.
22:12Exactly.
22:12I take it very seriously, obviously, because I've, you know, stayed in it so long, but
22:17I always think about people like spending money, getting dressed up, getting the babysitter,
22:23coming, I'm doing a show, you know what I mean?
22:25And that takes writing skill and acting skill and remembering that my job is to make people
22:31laugh.
22:31It's a powerful feeling.
22:33That's what I enjoy most.
22:35Like, oh, I am basically manipulating people's emotions in real time.
22:39Yeah.
22:40Yeah.
22:40So if you're scared, think about that.
22:42Think about doing that.
22:43Yeah.
22:44There's a lot of power in that, being on television every week and doing that.
22:48Yeah.
22:48Are you going to ever write an episode?
22:51Because you're a writer.
22:52I know that.
22:52Yes, I am.
22:53I don't know.
22:54I don't think we're allowed actually to write on this particular show, but I, yeah,
22:59I do want to like, and have been writing other shows and God forbid when this show
23:04is, you know, culminate 2045, I'll, yeah, go back to the writer's room.
23:09I mean, that's what's so great about comedy.
23:12Like I can pivot into so many ways, so many different sections of the, of the business
23:16and yeah, happen to be good at all of them.
23:20It's well, you're going to do all of them.
23:21It is so fun talking to you and I can't wait to see where you go in this career and
23:27maybe dramatic actors too.
23:29I think I have a theory that the comedians make the best dramatic actors.
23:34There's something about it when you see some of these actors out there.
23:37I mean, it's not only a theory, it's been proven that Jim Carrey, you know, his pivot
23:44and Robin Williams, Marlon Wayans.
23:47Like, yeah, so many people have pivoted into drama again.
23:53Like we're in, in a lot of ways we're making sad subjects funny.
24:00And I think the best comedians, just like the best songwriters or rappers are like really
24:06smart, inquisitive, curious people who know a lot about things.
24:09And in the, in the process of finding out all these things, you come out, you come across
24:14so much dark stuff.
24:15And so it's all in a, we're all carrying it around or a lot of people come into comedy
24:23after a traumatic event, you know, like, and it's not like planned.
24:27It's just what it, it just so happens that that's how it is.
24:30So I think it draws a certain type of person.
24:32It's right there.
24:33I always, you know, when Ava does her serious moments, I'm like, yeah, this is, this is a cakewalk.
24:39I mean, this is so much easier than comedy because the tears are right, right underneath
24:45all of that.
24:46And then her character is the same.
24:48She's so snarky and, and funny because she's carrying a lot of pain, you know?
24:55So I empathize with that and, and, and comedians empathize with that.
24:58And I think that's what makes us good.
25:00Yeah.
25:00We're like observers of humanity.
25:02That's how I think about it again.
25:03Cause I take it so seriously, but.
25:05Well, it's definitely a gift.
25:07There's no question about it.
25:09Abbott Elementary starring Janelle James and a lot of other people.
25:15It's on ABC.
25:16Like this guy.
25:19And nominated for a ton of Emmys.
25:21Best of luck going there.
25:22We'll see you at the Emmys.
25:24And thank you for joining us.
25:25Thank you so much.
25:26I appreciate it.
25:28Bye.
25:30Bye.
25:34Bye.
25:37Bye.
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