Why 'Abbott Elementary' Star Janelle James Will Not Disclose Her Age

The Peabody Awards revealed their 2023 winners in entertainment and for a number of programs it’s a welcome boost for their Emmy nomination prospects. Apple TV+ had three programs honored: “Bad Sisters,” “Pachinko” and “Severance.” HBO landed two winners in “We’re Here,” a rare non-fiction selection, and “Los Espookys,” a program the network disappointingly canceled in December.

EXCLUSIVE: Abbott Elementary finished out its sophomore season with gold stars all around.

Writers Strike has officially begun, which will result in writers stopping all work to picket the studios. This halt means that many scripted projects will inevitably go dark, resulting in a Hollywood shutdown not seen since COVID, and not felt since the last WGA strike took place 15 years ago. Variety will keep readers updated with a rolling list of everything that has been on hold as a result of the strike, which went into effect Tuesday. For more information about the strike, check out Variety’s FAQ primer on what it means in the industry. LATE-NIGHT SHOWS GO DARK. ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” CBS’ “The Late Show,” and NBC’s “Tonight” and “Late Night” are all going on hiatus and repeats will be shown. HBO will also cease live production of “Real Time with Bill Maher” and “This Week Tonight” with John Oliver. Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” (which was currently being hosted by a rotating cast of comedians) is also on hiatus.

Ready for her school picture! Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson brought her A-game to the 2023 Met Gala.

William Earl Variety will return in-person with its TV FYC Fest on June 7 in L.A., featuring HBO/Max Chief Casey Bloys, Kerry Washington, Elle Fanning, Janelle James, Gina Rodriguez and Weird Al Yankovic. Fanning (“The Great”), James (“Abbott Elementary”), Rodriguez (“Not Dead Yet”) and Washington (“UnPrisoned”) will participate in a roundtable celebrating Disney’s TV female comedy standouts. Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content will offer his vision for TV storytelling with Cynthia Littleton, co-editor-in-chief of Variety, in what will be his first interview following the series finale episode of “Succession.”

Janelle Brown is facing her fears. The 53-year-old star took to Instagram to post an inspirational message to her followers.Sharing a video montage of herself on the show followed by footage of herself lifting heavy weights and attempting a Pilates split, Janelle wrote, «I learned a long time ago, and have been reminded in these last few years — In our world, you have to be your own hero! It's completely up to you to be your hero!»Janelle admitted in her caption that she was afraid to share the complete video at first.«I made this Reel and then chickened out from posting it,» the mother of six admitted.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Harrison Ford confirmed to Total Film magazine that the upcoming “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” will mark his final outing as the globetrotting archeologist, so don’t expect to see Ford pop up in the “Indiana Jones” television series that’s currently in early development at Disney+. “This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I’ll play the character,” Ford said about his decades-long run as Indiana Jones coming to a definitive end. “I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film.” Ford added that he is aware of the potential “Indiana Jones” television series but stressed he “will not be involved in that, if it does come to fruition.”

Selome Hailu SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers for “Franklin Institute,” the Season 2 finale of “Abbott Elementary.” Will they? Won’t they? They won’t, at least for now. Though Janine (series creator Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) finally had their first kiss at a teacher conference in Episode 16 of “Abbott Elementary’s” second season, they chalk it up to a “whoops,” bury their feelings and continue forward as friends and colleagues. There’s a hitch of course: Janine is dating Gregory’s friend, Maurice (Vince Staples). So in Episode 17, the blushing pair head to Bone Town — Maurice’s favorite barbecue spot — to confess their mistake to Maurice and basically break up with him together.

's second season has been building up to what felt like the inevitable: the romantic reveal when Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) finally admit their feelings for one another. But when the moment comes in the season 2 finale titled «Franklin Institute,» it's not at all how one would imagine.On Wednesday's episode, the teachers of Abbott Elementary are preparing for a field trip to the Franklin Institute where they and their students will spend the night.

Janelle James is getting real.

 fans, you're in for an emotional ride tonight! Series star Tyler James Williams issues a warning for viewers while on Wednesday's episode of . «A lot of things happen,» Williams tells host Jennifer Hudson about the season 2 finale airing on Wednesday, April 19. «It's going to be good, it's a good one.

Janelle James, the first thing that comes up is that she got her big break from Chris Rock. Wrong! Rock did hire her as a comedian on his 2017 “Total Blackout Tour,” but James says that’s as far as it goes. “He’s done a lot,” she says, carefully choosing words to describe someone who is credited too frequently for her rise. “He’s done enough for me. He didn’t make my career or anything.” She adds, “I was never close with Chris Rock. We went on tour together, and then I didn’t speak to him after that.” And of course, she followed what happened to him at the Oscars, but hasn’t watched his Netflix special. She doesn’t want to be cornered into talking about him or the slap in interviews like this one. “I want to truthfully be like, ‘I ain’t seen it. No opinion!’ I don’t want to be involved.”

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Lainey Wilson’s “Smell Like Smoke” song from Paramount+’s “Yellowstone” will be submitted for Emmys consideration in the outstanding music and lyrics category. Wilson made her acting debut in the Season 5 premiere of “Yellowstone” as a musician named Abby, and “Smell Like Smoke” appeared in the third episode of the season. Speaking with Variety, Wilson said the song “centers around four pillars that make ‘Yellowstone’ what it is — cowboys, heartbreak, self-assurance and faith.” The song was co-written with songwriters Monty Criswell, Derek George and Lynn Hutton. “Derek came up with the signature guitar lick at the beginning of the song and tracked the original demo, while Monty and I fiddled around with lyrics and Lynn steered the melodies,” Wilson said.

Abbott Elementary predicted a walk-off home run from a baseball player less than 24 hours before it happened.During episode Mom which aired in the US on Wednesday (April 12), Baltimore Orioles fan Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) is seen talking with lunch lady Shanae about the score of that day’s Orioles game.“Adley Rutschman hit an opposite-field walk-off homer and Cedric Mullins was a single shy of the cycle,” Gregory remarks (via IndieWire).During the team’s match against the Oakland Athletics on the following day (April 13), Rutschman won the game with a walk-off home run. Gregory, however, was slightly off on the details, as it wasn’t opposite-field, while the overall score also wasn’t the same.Whatta rutschMAN pic.twitter.com/19JkUnUSeS— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 13, 2023Speaking in a post-match interview, Rutschman revealed this was the first time in his life he’s ever hit a walk-off home run.

Since its debut, Abbott Elementary, which follows the lives of a group of teachers at an underfunded school in Philadelphia, has shone a light on the struggles of teachers across America who aren’t receiving the support they need to help students thrive.

From one sister wife to another! Janelle Brown sent her best wishes to Christine Brown after she announced her engagement to David Woolley.

Christine Brown's former sister wife and co-star, Janelle Brown, is happy for her amid her engagement news! After the 50-year-old star announced that she and her boyfriend of four months, David Woolley, are engaged, Janelle reposted the announcement to her Instagram Stories with a dancing «HAPPY» GIF.There has been much speculation about the friends and former sister wives in recent months following Christine going public with her relationship with David on Valentine's Day.Janelle has not publicly spoken about the relationship despite tabloid rumors that she didn't approve of the whirlwind romance. Coincidentally, after fans noticed that Christine and Janelle hadn't been posting photos or videos together on social media recently, they shared a promotional video for the chance to meet them in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday.Earlier this month, Christine's daughter, Gwendlyn Brown, shared that Janelle had not yet met Christine's new boyfriend.«They haven't even met yet, actually,» Gwendlyn said of Janelle and David during an Instagram Live session.«They just haven't had the chance to meet David,» she revealed, explaining that her mom has been filming for the upcoming season of Sister Wives.

Taraji P. Henson has officially made her  debut, and it was an emotional ride! The award-winning actress was the highly anticipated guest star of the season's penultimate episode, aptly titled «Mom.» Henson starred as Vanetta, Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson)'s estranged mother who shows up unexpectedly right before the schoolteacher plans to vacation in Ocean City — Maryland, not Jersey — over the Memorial Day weekend.On Wednesday's episode, Vanetta visits Janine during the school day, telling her that she «grew worried» when Janine didn't answer her call, so she came to check up on her.

, in which our favorite group of teachers share their plans for the upcoming three-day weekend. Jacob (Chris Perfetti) will be helping his boyfriend, Zack, clean out his shoe closet since they are «drowning in swooshes,» while Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) shares that she is going with her husband, Gerald, to a soft jazz cafe for some musical appreciation.

Paramore’s Hayley Williams has shared a note written to her teenage self today (April 9).Taking to Instagram Stories, Williams shared that she had written the note for her friend’s newsletter.“My friend Elise has a newsletter and she sends out shorthand text newsletters that constantly encourage and inspire me,” she began.“For her birthday, she asked friends and creatives to contribute by writing notes to their teenage selves.”In the note, Williams wrote: “I would tell her to learn now that life is both/and.”The note Williams shared can be seen in full below and read here.“Good and also Evil Kind and also Careful Hurt and also Healing Empathy and also Not My Problem Bad Men and also Lovely Ones Vulnerable and also Fuck Off Vengeance and also Forgiveness Stay Home and also See The World Big Smile and also Depression Distance and also Closer Than Ever Intimacy and also No One Will Ever Truly Know Me Straight and also Spectrum Newborn and also Ancient Wisdom Neons and also Neutrals Hope and also Dystopia Acceptance and also Rage God and also Nothing Everywhere and also Right Here True Love and also Loneliness Believing and also Seeing Dreams Of The Future and also Painstakingly Present Getting Better and also Enough“I would tell her to learn now that life is both/and.”Earlier this week, Paramore shared a message to their fans, reflecting on the decade that’s passed since they released their pivotal self-titled album.Their fourth full-length effort, ‘Paramore’ was released on April 5, 2013 via Fueled By Ramen.Looking back in a new statement shared on social media, Williams emphasised that making ‘Paramore’ took “a lot of guts and self-determination”.