Janelle James
Janelle James is an American comedian, writer, and actress. Her writing credits include The Rundown with Robin Thede and Black Monday, and she acted on the programs Crashing, Corporate, and Central Park. Her debut comedy album Black & Mild was released in 2017. She was named one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch (2020).[1]
Janelle James | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Comedian, writer, actress |
Years active | 2009-present |
Notable work | Black & Mild, Strong Black Laughs |
Career
James began her career in 2009 at an open mic she attended while living in Champaign, Illinois.[2][3]
She described her style of comedy as "just talking shit"[2] and her stand-up includes a range of topics such as Trump, motherhood, being a woman over 35, and dating.[4] James named Bill Burr, Hadiyah Robinson, John Early, and Kareem Green as favorite comedians.[5]
In 2016, James' work was recognized by Just for Laughs and Brooklyn.[5] She gained wider prominence as the opening act for Chris Rock's 2017 Total Blackout tour.[2] That year, she released her debut comedy album Black & Mild.[2] The show was recorded at Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis.[3]
She performed on Netflix's 2018 comedy series The Comedy Lineup.[2] She was also slated to perform at the network's inaugural Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival based in Los Angeles in 2020.[6]
James was a staff writer for the sole season of The Rundown with Robin Thede in 2017.[2] She also writes on the Showtime comedy Black Monday, and also acts in a recurring role on the show.[7] Her other acting credits include Crashing and Corporate. [4][8]
Other work
She hosted Strong Black Laughs, an interview podcast featuring legendary Black comedians.[9] Among the guests were Luenell and Sherri Shepherd.[9]
References
- "Interview: Laughing Along with 'Black and Mild' Comedian Janelle James". Rebellious Magazine. 2018-01-29. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- Kai, Maiysha (2018-08-31). "Pretty, Funny: Comedian Janelle James Ain't No Joke". The Root. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- Kozell, Isaac (2017-10-02). "Janelle James on Her Debut Album 'Black and Mild' and Comedy's Point of No Return". Vulture. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- "Janelle James on Netflix's 'The Comedy Lineup' and making 'white man power moves'". The Daily Dot. 2018-09-01. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- Chafin, Chris (2016-06-02). "Brooklyn's 50 Funniest People: Janelle James". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- Turchiano, Danielle (2020-03-02). "Netflix Is A Joke Fest Brings Weeklong Standup and Improv Events to Los Angeles". Variety. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- "Here Are Variety's 10 Comics To Watch For 2020 | The Comic's Comic". Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- Nelson, Jenny (2017-01-06). "Janelle James (@janellejcomic) on Inanimate Objects and Hot Dudes". Vulture. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- Editors, Vulture (2019-11-21). "This Week in Comedy Podcasts: Janelle James Takes Over Strong Black Lead". Vulture. Retrieved 2020-09-11.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)