Comedian Janelle James, who plays principal Ava Coleman on ABC's Abbott Elementary, talks about her similarities to the beloved sarcastic administrator. In this "Salon Talks" interview, James shares how bad jobs helped her bring Ava to life and how the show has changed her life in real ways, from her stand-up routine to being recognized. James says public school teachers and parents talk to her about the realness of Ava all the time. "Through the writing of Quinta and other writers and what I'm hopefully bringing to the performance, I'm trying to make her a real person," James said. "This is a person that exists in the world and in school settings. It's not made up so no matter how people might try to say that she is."