Allison Janney Biography

Allison Brooks Janney (born November 19, 1959) is an American actress. She played White House Press Secretary (later Chief of Staff) C.J. Cregg on the television series The West Wing (1999"2006), a role for which she won four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Satellite Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards and was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, an AFI Award and a further two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Satellite Award and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her films include Big Night (1996), Primary Colors (1998), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), American Beauty (1999), The Hours (2003), Finding Nemo (2003), Hairspray (2007), Juno (2007) and The Help (2011).

Personal life

Janney was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in Dayton, Ohio. She is the daughter of Macy Brooks (née Putnam), a former actress and homemaker, and Jervis Spencer Janney, Jr., a real estate developer and jazz musician. She has an older brother, Jay, and a younger brother, Hal. She attended The Miami Valley School in Dayton, where she was named a distinguished alumna in 2004, and the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. She then attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. At Kenyon, Janney studied under another Kenyon alum, actor Paul Newman. Newman directed Janney in a play as the inaugural event of the school's newly dedicated Bolton Theater. Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward encouraged Janney to continue acting. She then went on to study drama at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She attended The Neighborhood Playhouse the same years as actor Dylan McDermott.

Career

Janney's first roles on television were as comedic foils on soap operas: she first played Vi Kaminski for a short time on As the World Turns, following up with a two-year stint as one of the Spaulding maids, Ginger on Guiding Light. In the spring of 1994, she appeared in the season finale of Law & Order, as a reluctant witness against a member of the Russian mob. Janney has appeared in a number of films with roles of various sizes, including the 1990s films American Beauty, The Object of My Affection, Big Night, The Impostors, Drop Dead Gorgeous, The Ice Storm, Primary Colors, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Private Parts, and the 2000s films Nurse Betty, The Hours, The Chumscrubber, How to Deal, Winter Solstice and a considerable role in the animated movie, Finding Nemo, voicing Peach, the starfish. In 2006, Janney carried notable roles in the movies Margaret and Over the Hedge, an animated comedy.

In 1999, she was cast in the role of presidential press secretary C.J. Cregg on the television drama The West Wing, for which she eventually won four Emmy Awards. Two of the Emmys were for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama Series in 2000 and 2001, and two were for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series in the years 2002 and 2004. She was also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in the 2003 and 2006 Primetime Emmys. Janney also won two Screen Actor's Guild awards for Best Actress in a dramatic series, in 2001 and 2002, for her portrayal of C.J Cregg. The cast of The West Wing won the Screen Actor's Guild award for Best Ensemble in a dramatic series the same two years. Additional accolades for Janney's work in The West Wing include four Golden Globe award nominations, and a nomination in 2002 for American Film Institute's Actor of the Year. Weekend trips to Washington, D.C. were frequently a part of Janney's schedule, as many outdoor scenes on The West Wing were filmed in the nation's capital. Janney also met several times with former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers who served in the Clinton Administration from 1993"1994. Janney met with Myers in New York City to help portray her character more authentically.

The West Wing concluded in January 2006, and the last episode aired in May of that year. Even though the latter seasons were plagued by declining ratings, the overall rating of Janney remained a relatively positive one, touted by Entertainment Weekly as "one to watch", "uncommonly beautiful and infinitely expressive". In January 2006, West Wing's cast was also nominated by the Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast. Janney, Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, Janel Moloney, and other members of the cast appeared at the SAG Awards to honor their late castmate and friend, John Spencer.

In 2006, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in the film Our Very Own. Many of Janney's long time friends were involved with Our Very Own, including its producer Shannon McMahon Lichte and cast member Allison Mackie. All three were in the same class at the Neighborhood Playhouse. The writer/director Cameron Watson, also a longtime friend, wrote the role of Joan for her. In 2007, Janney appeared in the Academy-Award-nominated film, Juno, playing the part of Bren MacGuff, the title character's stepmother, for which she won Best Supporting Actress in the Austin Film Critics Association Awards 2007. In the same year, Janney appeared in the Golden-Globe-nominated film, Hairspray, as Prudy Pingleton, Penny's (Amanda Bynes) strict and religious mother. Janney appeared in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, also created by Aaron Sorkin. She made a guest appearance as herself in "The Disaster Show", as the guest host of the week's episode of Studio 60. Many of the characters made references to her part in The West Wing, even those played by fellow West Wing actors.

Janney has remained active in theater. In 1998, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge. Her first Broadway role was in Present Laughter opposite Frank Langella. In 2007, she participated in a workshop for a new musical of the film 9 to 5. In late 2008, Janney joined Broadway stars Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty and Marc Kudisch in the new musical, 9 to 5. Based on the film of the same name, Janney is starring as Violet Newstead, the super efficient office manager played by Lily Tomlin in the original film. Janney has signed on for a one-year contract with the 9 to 5 production. She was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her work in 9 to 5. In May 2009, she won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for the role of Violet Newstead. She also appeared alongside Jack Black and John C. Reilly in Prop 8 (The Musical), a satirical musical protesting the passing of California Proposition 8.

In 2004, Janney began lending her voice to television and radio spots created by Kaiser Permanente in the health maintenance organization's broad "Thrive" media campaign, and in a radio campaign for the American Institute of Architects. In 2010, she appeared as Allison Pearson in In Plain Sight. In May 2010, Janney appeared in the antepenultimate episode of the ABC television series Lost as the adoptive mother of the show's two mythological opponents, Jacob and the Man in Black.

Janney starred in the ABC network comedy Mr. Sunshine. The series, which was created by Matthew Perry, was a midseason replacement for the 2010"11 television season. In September 2010, it was announced that Janney would be the voice of the Aly San San spokesdroid in the Disney attraction, Star Tours: The Adventure Continues. The attraction later opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. Janney played the protagonist's mother in the 2011 film The Help. Janney also appeared in the 2012 Films "Struck By Lightning" and "Liberal Arts".

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989	Who Shot Patakango?	Miss Penny
1994	Dead Funny	Jennifer
	'	NYPD computer operator
	Wolf	Party guest
	Miracle on 34th Street	Christmas shop woman
1995	Heading Home	Unknown role
1996	Flux	Heather
	Rescuing Desire	Betsy
	Walking and Talking	Gum Puller
	Big Night	Ann	Nominated "? Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress
	Faithful	Saleswoman
	'	Sandy
1997	Anita Liberty	Gynecologist
	Private Parts	Dee Dee
	'	Dot Halford
	Julian Po	Lilah Leech
1998	Primary Colors	Miss Walsh
	'	Constance Miller
	'	Maxine
	Six Days Seven Nights	Marjorie, Robin's boss
	Celebrity	Evelyn Isaacs
1999	10 Things I Hate About You	Ms. Perky
	Drop Dead Gorgeous	Loretta
	American Beauty	Barbara Fitts	Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
	'
2000	Leaving Drew	Paula
	Auto Motives	Gretchen
	Nurse Betty	Lyla Branch
	Rooftop Kisses	Melissa
2002	'	Sally Lester	Nominated "? Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Nominated "? Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2003	Finding Nemo	Peach	Voice
	How to Deal	Lydia Martin
	Chicken Party	Barbara Strasser
2004	Piccadilly Jim	Eugenia Crocker
	Winter Solstice	Molly Ripkin
2005	Strangers with Candy	Alice
	'	Allie Stiffle
	Our Very Own	Joan Whitfield	Nominated "? Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
2006	Over the Hedge	Gladys Sharp	Voice
2007	Hairspray	Prudy Pingleton	Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Hollywood Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Cast Nominated "? Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
	Juno	Brenda 'Bren' MacGuff	Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated "? Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Nominated "? Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress
2008	Pretty Ugly People	Suzanna
	Prop 8: The Musical	Prop 8 leader's wife
2009	Away We Go	Lily
2009	Life During Wartime	Trish	Mar del Plata Film Festival Award for Best Actress Nominated "? Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated "? Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
2011	Margaret	Wounded woman / Monica Patterson
	'	Samantha Davis
	'	Charlotte Phelan	Black Film Critics Circle for Best Ensemble Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Hollywood Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble National Board of Review Award for Best Cast Satellite Award for Best Cast " Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Women Film Critics Circle for Best Ensemble Nominated "? Detroit Film Critics Society for Best Ensemble Nominated "? MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo Nominated "? National Board of Review of Motion Pictures for Best Acting by an Ensemble Nominated "? San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble Nominated "? Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
2012	'	Cathy Ostroff
	Struck By Lightning	Sheryl Phillips
	Liberal Arts	Prof. Judith Fairfield
2013	'	Betty
2013	Days and Nights		Post-production
2013	Bad Words
TBD	Untitled Marc Lawrence film		Filming
2014	Tammy		Filming
	Mr. Peabody & Sherman	Mrs. Grunion

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1991	Morton & Hayes	Beatrice Caldicott	Episode: "Society Saps" Episode: "Homes Buddies"
1993	Blind Spot	Doreen	Television film
1993"95	Guiding Light	Ginger	Recurring role
1992"94	Law & Order	Ann Madsen/Nora	Episode: "Star Struck" Episode: "Old Friends"
1995	'		Episode: "Sins of the Father"
	New York Undercover	Vivian	Episode: "Digital Underground"
1996	Aliens in the Family	Principal Sherman	Episode: "A Very Brody Tweeznax"
	Cosby	Podiatric Nurse	Episode: "Happily Ever Hilton"
1997	...First Do No Harm	Dr. Melanie Abbasac	Television film
	Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing	Assistant District Attorney	Television film
1998	David and Lisa	Alix	Television film
1999	LateLine	Helen Marschant	Episode: "The Minister of Television"
2000	'	Kathy McCormack	Television film
2001"02	Frasier	Phyllis/Susanna	Episode: "The Two Hundredth Episode: Three Blind Dates"
2003	King of the Hill	Laura	Episode: "Full Metal Dust Jacket"
2005	Weeds	Ms. Greenstein " Attorney	Episode: "Lude Awakening"
1999"2006	'	C.J. Cregg	154 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Satellite Award for Best Actress " Television Series Drama Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (2001"02) Nominated " AFI Award for Actor of the Year " Female " Series Nominated " Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress " Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated " Golden Globe Award for Best Actress " Television Series Drama Nominated " Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Nominated " Satellite Award for Best Actress " Television Series Drama Nominated " Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated " Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
2007	Two and a Half Men	Beverly	Episode: "My Damn Stalker"
	Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip	Herself	Episode: "The Disaster Show"
2008"present	Phineas and Ferb	Charlene Doofenshmirtz	Recurring role
2009	63rd Tony Awards	Violet from 9 to 5/Herself
2010	Shameless (U.S. TV series)	Sheila	Episode: "Pilot"
	Family Guy	Teen People Editor	Episode: "Dial Meg for Murder"
	Lost	"Mother"	Episode: "Across the Sea"
	In Plain Sight	Allison Pearson	Episode: "When Mary Met Marshall" Episode: "Coma Chameleon"
2011	Mr. Sunshine	Crystal Cohen	9 Episodes Main cast
2013	Veep (TV series)	Janet Ryland	Episode: "First Response"
	Mom	Bonnie