Janelle James on ‘Ava's season' of ‘Abbott'; Aaron Pierre breaks down the action of ‘Rebel Ridge'
In the latest episode of 'The Envelope' video podcast, Janelle James discusses her character's arc on 'Abbott Elementary,' and Aaron Pierre details the training required to master the 'seamless' action of 'Rebel Ridge.'
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‘He feels like he's the smartest guy there': ‘Abbott Elementary's' William Stanford Davis on Mr. Johnson's ‘veneer' of ‘mystery'
William Stanford Davis is "just surprised at how far they'll go sometimes" as you are when it comes to the unexpected details of his Abbott Elementary character Mr. Johnson's life that the writers feature in every script. In Season 4, for example, Mr. Johnson showed up to school dressed as "Emo Jimmy Butler" for Halloween and busted out singing the Oscar-winning "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" at faculty karaoke night. "What I really love about him is his mystery. You don't know what he's going to do next, and you don't know what his experiences are," Davis tells Gold Derby. More from GoldDerby Roy Wood Jr. on how 'Lonely Flowers' became his most personal special to date 'The Shining' at 45: How Stanley Kubrick's Stephen King adaptation became the Razzies biggest regret 'The Bear' star Abby Elliott used her own birth experience to inform the standout Season 3 episode 'Ice Chips' Four season into Abbott Elementary, Davis has plenty of thoughts as to why Mr. Johnson continues to love his job as the reliable — and reliably unpredictable — janitor. "He keeps the school spick and span. I went to a school that was like that, and I saw how these guys worked hard to make sure that we had a place that we could be proud of and a place that was comfortable," the actor says. "That's what I try to base this man on, that he loves his job, he cares for the kids, and he loves needling the teachers and the principal. He loves giving them a hard time because he feels like he's the smartest guy there. He's been all over the world. He's had more experiences than them." In Season 4, Davis shared the screen with three big guest stars. In 'Volunteers,' the crossover of Abbott and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mr. Johnson and Danny DeVito's Frank spar over how to handle rodents terrorizing Gregory's (Tyler James Williams) garden. The actor recalls of working with the screen legend, 'To have Danny DeVito on the show, that's an icon. That's like having royalty on the show, and he was just so cool. He was so easy to work with and he gave a lot of advice. … There's one scene where he's in a cage, he was there before we even got on set, he was in the cage in the mud.' SEE Janelle James on Ava's challenging year on 'Abbott Elementary': 'They kind of threw everything at me this season' A subsequent installment, 'Testing,' introduced Eric André as Cedric, a janitor in training sent to Abbott Elementary by the district to potentially replace Mr. Johnson, though the novice quickly comes to realize he could never do so. While the scenes of Mr. Johnson displaying his unparalleled expertise are hilarious, the episode also has a moment of sincerity between Mr. Johnson and the depressed science teacher, Mr. Morton, played by Jerry Minor. Davis appreciates the moments where he gets to showcase his character's depth. "I love those moments. I'd love to see them more, but Mr. Johnson still has to have that veneer, so they'll give me one in each season, but I love those. I love that you get to see that he's not a caricature or a cartoon, he is a 360-degree, three-dimensional human being like we all are." One of the final episodes of the season features actress and musician Jill Scott, playing herself as the entertainer at this year's school fundraiser. When Gold Derby recently interviewed director Randall Einhorn, he shared that the entire sequence of Scott's performance, which features Davis, had to be reconfigured due to torrential rain that shifted the concert from outside to the narrow halls of the elementary school. "Randall's a genius, man. He is such an amazing director,' Davis says of how the director adapted the scene on the fly. He says he and Williams decided to "keep the rhythm and support" Scott during her performance, adding, "She came out strong, but it was important that we not only kept up with her, but made her feel like we're a group, we're in this together." Disney/Gilles Mingasson The episode, titled 'Ava Fest: Tokyo Drift,' ends with Mr. Johnson admitting to Scott that he is a super-fan, frightening the musician because of how many concerts he has attended and the personal items of hers that he has swiped. Davis initially felt trepidatious about the scene. "I didn't want to stalk her,' he confesses, before asking himself, "How do I make this honest?" His answer: "I just became this over-enthused fan, someone that was just so in love with what she does, and that's who I am in real life. I love Jill Scott. I think I have every one of her recordings." SEE 'Abbott Elementary' bosses on subverting finale expectations, 'the season of Ava,' and their dream crossover Perched behind Davis during our interview is his SAG Award trophy from 2023, when Abbott Elementary took home the honor for comedy ensemble. Reflecting on that victory and Quinta Brunson's acceptance speech, the actor shares, "I think it was the most incredible moment I've had since I've been on the show. To win with them and to be recognized by our peers, by other actors, it just meant so much to everyone." He also comments on how it speaks to the series' legacy: "I think the show's going to go down in history as one of the best shows in television. I like the fact that it shines a light on what we need in our school system. I think that teachers are just as important as doctors, and Abbott in a very comedic way shines a light on how important it is, and I think that overall, that's what I love about the show more than anything." Abbott Elementary begins production on Season 5 shortly. Davis shares that he would most like to see a glimpse of Mr. Johnson's personal life in the next batch of episodes. "We've seen Janine (Brunson) in her home, we've seen Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) and Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) in their homes, and we've seen most of the personal lives of the other characters, and I think Mr. Johnson is due for that." He suggests that perhaps Mr. Johnson's mother could still be alive, riffing, "Maybe she's the only person that he bows to, and he's a little kid around her." Davis' dream suggestion for who could play his mother? Five-time Emmy nominee Marla Gibbs. "I've even spoken to her about that when I've seen her at the events," shares the actor with a smile. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Inside 'The Daily Show': The team behind the satirical news series on politics, puppies, punchlines — and staying sane Dakota Fanning said 'yes' to 'The Perfect Couple' the moment she heard Nicole Kidman was involved, without knowing anything else about the show 'Slow Horses' star Rosalind Eleazar gets real about her MI5 outcast Louisa Guy: 'She's really not OK' Click here to read the full article.
Los Angeles Times
10 hours ago
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Aaron Pierre demonstrates his training at the ‘Rebel Ridge' ‘boot camp'
Aaron Pierre talks about the process to understand his character, taking weapons training to fully portray a soldier in 'Rebel Ridge.'
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14 hours ago
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An off-putting season of ‘Hacks' just opened the door in the Emmy race
'Hacks' won the comedy series Emmy last year on the strength of a campaign that proclaimed: Vote for us! We're actually a comedy (unlike, you know, 'The Bear'). So what happens this year when the show stopped being funny? I'm Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope newsletter. There's not much to laugh about these days, so let's pick our spots and consider the TV series vying for television's top award. Let me just say at the outset that I enjoy 'Hacks.' And like everyone else on the planet, I adore Jean Smart and appreciate that Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky created a role worthy of her talents. Comparing notes with Smart on the best sad sing-along songs is a memory I'll always treasure, and even inspired me for a time to dip back into listening to 'love songs on the Coast.' At its essence, 'Hacks' is a love story between Smart's stand-up legend Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), the young writer who helped Deborah reinvent her career. They come from different generations and possess distinct comic sensibilities. They fight, hurt each other, separate and ultimately reunite after realizing that they're better together. They get each other. Or at least, Ava gets Deborah. And that's enough because Deborah is the star and she doesn't really need to bother understanding Ava's Gen Z peculiarities. She can just roll her eyes. Their mutual dependence is believable enough. They both live for work. So much so that at the end of 'Hacks'' third season, Ava has blackmailed Deborah, an act that lands her the head writer job that Deborah had promised to give her on her late-night talk show. Ava was but the learner, now she's the master. Well played, Dark Lady of the Sith. It was, as our old friend Jeff Probst would say, an epic blindside, and you can understand why this current season would begin with bitter acrimony between the two women, a situation so toxic that the network brought in a human resources rep to keep them from harming each other. The animosity wasn't fun to watch. The tone was shrill and off-putting. Was there a joke that landed in the season's first half? I don't remember one, but maybe that's because I was curled up in a fetal position watching the plot unfold. At least amid the drama of 'The Bear,' I could get some some inspiration for a good set of kitchen knives. Of course, Deborah and Ava got back together, which was a relief because that HR lady was annoying. The season's penultimate episode was ridiculous, but in all the best ways, surprising and emotionally satisfying. Helen Hunt finally scored a big moment. And Julianne Nicholson showed some moves as Dance Mom that I never imagined her possessing. Get that character to rehab and into Season 5. Yes, 'Hacks' can still entertain. Even the anticlimactic final episode gave Smart the opportunity to play boozy and bored, showcasing her depth as a dramatic actor. One would think that after what transpired, Deborah would have more opportunities, even with a noncompete clause, to parlay her ethical stance into something more meaningful than a sad casino gig in Singapore. But the finale set up one final comeback — final because 'Hacks' was pitched with a five-season arc. And we're on the doorstep. At least they won't have to contrive to separate Ava and Deborah again. So, by all means, nominate 'Hacks' for comedy series again. I'd rather rewatch it than nod off during the tepid 'Four Seasons.' And maybe since the show's creators have known (since 2015) what the final scene will be, we'll have a persuasive fifth season possessing the energy of a great Deborah Vance comeback. In the meantime, keep last year's mandate going and give the Emmy to a show that was consistently funny. Give the Emmy to 'The Studio.'
