Allison Janney
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- November 19, 1959 (age 66)
- Birthplace
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Biography
Allison Brooks Janney (born November 19, 1959) is an American actress. In a career spanning three decades, she is known for her performances across multiple genres of screen and stage. Janney has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and seven Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for two Tony Awards. Born in Boston and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Janney received a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art following her graduation from Kenyon College. After years of minor and uncredited film and television appearances, Janney's breakthrough came with the role of C. J. Cregg in the NBC political drama The West Wing (1999–2006), for which she received four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2014, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Margaret Scully on the Showtime period drama Masters of Sex. For her portrayal of Bonnie Plunkett, a cynical recovering addict on the CBS sitcom Mom (2013–2021), Janney received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won twice for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Janney made her professional stage debut with the Off-Broadway production Ladies (1989), and followed with numerous bit parts in various similar productions, before making her Broadway debut with the 1996 revival of Present Laughter. She won two Drama Desk Awards and has been nominated for two Tony Awards: for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in the Broadway revival of A View from the Bridge (1997), and for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the original Broadway production of the musical 9 to 5 (2009). Her film roles include Private Parts (1997), Primary Colors (1998), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), American Beauty (1999), Nurse Betty (2000), The Hours (2002), Hairspray (2007), Juno (2007), The Help (2011), The Way, Way Back (2013), Tammy (2014), The Rewrite (2014), Spy (2015), Tallulah (2016), The Girl on the Train (2016), Bad Education (2019) and Bombshell (2019). She voiced roles in Finding Nemo (2003), Over the Hedge (2006), Minions (2015), and The Addams Family (2019). For her performance in the black comedy I, Tonya (2017), Janney won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award, all for Best Supporting Actress.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Heart
Movie
Fonda
Movie
Not Alone
Movie · as (voice)
Miss You, Love You
Movie · as Diane Patterson
Minions & Monsters
Movie · as Olivia (voice)
The Dog Stars
Movie · as Darlene
Everything's Going to Be Great
Movie · as Macy Smart
Another Simple Favor
Movie · as Aunt Linda McLanden
The Roses
Movie · as Eleanor
Palm Royale
TV · as Evelyn Rollins · 20 eps
The Creator
Movie · as Colonel Howell
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
Movie · as Self - Guest
True Love: Making The Creator
Movie · as Self
The Diplomat
TV · as Grace Penn · 14 eps
Minions & More Volume 2
Movie · as Madge Nelson (voice)
Lou
Movie · as Lou
The People We Hate at the Wedding
Movie · as Donna
To Leslie
Movie · as Nancy
Still Working 9 to 5
Movie · as Self
Be My Guest with Ina Garten
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Breaking News in Yuba County
Movie · as Sue Buttons
Lazy Susan
Movie · as Velvet
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
Movie · as C.J. Cregg
Celebrity IOU
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Addams Family
Movie · as Margaux Needler (voice)
Troop Zero
Movie · as Miss Massey
Bad Education
Movie · as Pam Gluckin
Bombshell
Movie · as Susan Estrich
Ma
Movie · as Doctor Brooks
Expedition Amelia
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Human Discoveries
TV · as The Mighty Karen (voice) · 2 eps
The Night Is Young
Movie · as Wanda
Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The Kominsky Method
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Sun Dogs
Movie · as Rose Chipley
A Happening of Monumental Proportions
Movie · as Principal Nichols
I, Tonya
Movie · as LaVona
DuckTales
TV · as Goldie O'Gilt (voice) · 5 eps
Nobodies
TV · as Allison Janney · 2 eps
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Movie · as Dr. Golan
Tallulah
Movie · as Margo
The Girl on the Train
Movie · as Detective Riley
Finding Dory
Movie · as Peach (voice)
Chelsea
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Spy
Movie · as Elaine Crocker
The DUFF
Movie · as Dottie Piper
Minions
Movie · as Madge Nelson (voice)
Binky Nelson Unpacified
Movie · as Madge Nelson (voice)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
TV · as Self, Self - Guest · 1 ep
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV · as Self · 2 eps
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TV · as Self, Self - Guest · 2 eps
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Movie · as Ms. Grunion (voice)
Bad Words
Movie · as Dr. Bernice Deagan
Tammy
Movie · as Deb
Days and Nights
Movie · as Elizabeth
The Rewrite
Movie · as Professor Weldon
Get On Up
Movie · as Kathy
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Struck by Lightning
Movie · as Sheryl Phillips
Touchy Feely
Movie · as Bronwyn
The Way Way Back
Movie · as Betty Thompson
Trust Me
Movie · as Meg
Brightest Star
Movie · as The Astronomer
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
Movie · as Self - Narrator (voice)
Mom
TV · as Bonnie Plunkett · 170 eps
Hollywood Game Night
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Masters of Sex
TV · as Margaret Scully · 9 eps
The Arsenio Hall Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
A Thousand Words
Movie · as Samantha Davis
Liberal Arts
Movie · as Professor Judith Fairfield
Celia
Movie · as Celia
Comedy Bang! Bang!
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Veep
TV · as Janet Ryland · 1 ep
Margaret
Movie · as Monica Patterson
The Help
Movie · as Charlotte Phelan
The Oranges
Movie · as Carol Ostroff
Mr. Sunshine
TV · as Crystal Cohen · 9 eps
Web Therapy
TV · as Judith Frick · 2 eps
Life During Wartime
Movie · as Trish Maplewood
Love and Distrust
Movie · as Grechen (segment "Auto Motives")
Who Do You Think You Are?
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Away We Go
Movie · as Lily
It's Still Me!
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
9 to 5: The Musical
Movie · as Violet Newstead
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV · as Self - Guest · 4 eps
Prop 8: The Musical
Movie · as Prop 8 Leader's #1 Wife
Pretty Ugly People
Movie · as Suzanna
The Bonnie Hunt Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Web Therapy
TV · as Judith Frick · 3 eps
In Plain Sight
TV · as Allison Pearson · 2 eps
Hairspray
Movie · as Prudy Pringleton
Juno
Movie · as Bren MacGuff
You Can’t Stop the Beat: The Long Journey of "Hairspray"
Movie · as Self
The EcoZone Project
TV · 1 ep
Phineas and Ferb
TV · as Charlene Doofenshmirtz (voice) · 2 eps
The Graham Norton Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Over the Hedge
Movie · as Gladys (voice)
Strangers with Candy
Movie · as Alice
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Megan Mullally Show
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
The Chumscrubber
Movie · as Allie Stiffle
Our Very Own
Movie · as Joan Whitfield
Weeds
TV · as Ms. Greenstein · 1 ep
American Dad!
TV · as Aunt Jesse (voice) · 1 ep
Winter Solstice
Movie · as Molly Ripkin
Piccadilly Jim
Movie · as Eugenia Crocker
Lost
TV · as Mother · 1 ep
The Soup
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Finding Nemo
Movie · as Peach (voice)
How to Deal
Movie · as Lydia Martin
Chicken Party
Movie · as Barbara Strasser
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV · as Self · 8 eps
Two and a Half Men
TV · as Beverly · 1 ep
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV · as Self, Self - Guest · 2 eps
Celebrity Poker Showdown
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Hours
Movie · as Sally Lester
Rooftop Kisses
Movie · as Melissa
A Girl Thing
TV · as Kathy McCormack · 4 eps
Nurse Betty
Movie · as Lyla
Auto Motives
Movie · as Grechen
Curb Your Enthusiasm
TV · as Cynthia · 1 ep
American Beauty
Movie · as Barbara Fitts
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Movie · as Loretta
10 Things I Hate About You
Movie · as Ms. Perky
The Debtors
Movie
Family Guy
TV · as Teen People Editor (voice), Crystal Quagmire (voice), Mistress Vita (voice) · 1 ep
The West Wing
TV · as C.J. Cregg · 154 eps
Six Days Seven Nights
Movie · as Marjorie
Primary Colors
Movie · as Miss Walsh
Celebrity
Movie · as Evelyn Isaacs
The Object of My Affection
Movie · as Constance Miller
The Impostors
Movie · as Maxine (Max)
David and Lisa
Movie · as Alix
LateLine
TV · 1 ep
...First Do No Harm
Movie · as Dr. Melanie Abbasac
Julian Po
Movie · as Lilah Leech
Anita Liberty
Movie · as Gynecologist
Private Parts
Movie · as Dee Dee
The Ice Storm
Movie · as Dot Halford
Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing
Movie · as Assistant D.A.
King of the Hill
TV · as Laura (voice) · 1 ep
The View
TV · as Self · 2 eps
The Associate
Movie · as Sandy
Walking and Talking
Movie · as Gum Puller
Big Night
Movie · as Ann
Faithful
Movie · as Saleslady
Flux
Movie · as Heather
Rescuing Desire
Movie · as Betsy
The Daily Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Aliens in the Family
TV · 1 ep
Heading Home
Movie · as Mary Polanski
The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Wolf
Movie · as Party Guest
Dead Funny
Movie · as Jennifer
The Cowboy Way
Movie · as NYPD Computer Operator
Miracle on 34th Street
Movie · as Woman in Christmas Shop
New York Undercover
TV · as Vivian · 1 ep
Blind Spot
Movie · as Doreen
Frasier
TV · as Susanna, Phyllis (voice) · 1 ep
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps
Intimate Portrait
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Law & Order
TV · as Nora, Ann Madsen · 1 ep
Who Shot Pat?
Movie · as Miss Penny
The Simpsons
TV · as Julia (voice) · 1 ep
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
People's Choice Awards
TV · as Self - Host, Self - Presenter · 1 ep
Saturday Night Live
TV · as Self (uncredited) · 1 ep
Tony Awards
TV · as Self - Nominee, Self - Presenter, Self - Nominee / Performer · 1 ep
The Oscars
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Golden Globe Awards
TV · as Self - Nominee · 3 eps