Ava Coleman Is The Shining Star Of "Abbott Elementary" And These 14 Moments Prove It

Principal Ava Coleman is a hot mess and she's kind of perfect that way.

Every successful sitcom has a standout star. Abbott Elementary has such a dynamite cast that it's hard to say who truly steals the show.

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Then again, if you're really paying attention, you know exactly who steals the show: Principal Ava Coleman.

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Janelle James has expertly crafted a character who is bad without being a bad guy. It's tough to make a character have disagreeable or unlikable qualities without alienating an audience, but the writers help James make Coleman just that.

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Ava Coleman is unapologetically self-centered, but still shows a low-key caring side when it comes to the plights of her teachers. And while she may not be the one to outwardly extend herself, she does manage to make things happen with a pointed comment or behind-the-scenes move.

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Should you have any doubts, check out this list of some of Ava's greatest moments on Abbott Elementary so far:

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1. Ava knew it was "every tasty-ass woman for herself" in a zombie apocalypse.

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"....let me back my tasty ass up." LOL! #AbbottElementary

02:43 AM - 05 Jan 2022

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2. Ava loves to remind folks that she has LIVED while still leaving an air of mystery, like when she casually mentioned having dated Allen Iverson.

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"Now, you know I used to date Allen Iverson. He might’ve been The Answer, but he was not The One."

3. Or the time she just showed up with Andre Iguodala and delivered the iconic line, "Well, he's been dating me for five years, but I've only been dating him for two."

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4. She doesn't offer apologies for her influencer hustle — she expects praise.

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“This is my art. I write, I edit, I direct, I do the music, I lip-sync. Because of me, when people say that their favorite director is that Ava lady, somebody else gotta be like, which one?”

5. When Ava popped Janine's work family bubble and let her know, "Girl, this isn't a sorority."

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6. Ava may be fabulous, but algorithms still frustrate her.

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"I'm doing everything to make my phone think I'm 22. I haven't used capital letters in years!"  

7. Ava's never afraid to own up to her mistakes and makes no excuses.

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"My bad, y’all. She was supposed to skip second grade, but they told me during Essence Fest. I missed a lot of paperwork during that month."

8. She genuinely shows she cares about the kids, even when handling things her way.

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9. Ava let us know she's that girl when she told us about her summer plans.

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"My summer was great, thanks for asking. I got a hookah flavor named after me: Ava-lade. Hints of malt liquor and marmalade.”

10. She's never afraid to coin a new term, like when she called Jacob's nightmare scenario "Ava-a-vu."

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Another day, another Ava Coleman side hustle. 😂 Watch #AbbottElementary now – Stream on Hulu!

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11. Seeing how Gregory genuinely doesn't know how to process all that Ava is, from her job to her endless flirtations is always entertaining.

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"Why you bein all weird? I like you better when you're stoic. Keep the mystery, boo!"

12. Ava was even gracious when Janine finally realized there's ~something~ between her and Gregory when she could have given her a hard time.

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"Just don't do anything nasty on school grounds, because if I can't y'all can't," she wisely suggested.

13. When Ava said, "I am one minor inconvenience from putting this whole day in rice," I truly felt that.

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14. And lastly, I wouldn't be doing an ode to Ava justice if I didn't mention how her legendary one-liners can shut something down QUICK.

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What's your favorite Ava moment? Dish in the comments!

And be sure to watch Abbott Elementary every Wednesday at 9 p.m. on ABC, or Thursdays on Hulu.