Janel Moloney Biography

Janel Wallace Moloney (born October 3, 1969) is an American actress. She played Donnatella "Donna" Moss on the television series The West Wing, a role for which she received Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series nominations in 2002 and 2004.

Personal life

Born in Woodland Hills, California, Moloney is the niece of actress Christine Ebersole, and attended the acting conservatory at SUNY Purchase. During the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaign, Moloney was an active supporter of John Kerry's presidential campaign and made public appearances on its behalf. On February 14, 2010, in New York, Moloney became the mother of a boy, Julian Francis Zarvos, whose father is composer Marcelo Zarvos.

Career

Television

Her early work included television guest roles on ER, Sports Night, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and Murder, She Wrote. In 1999, Moloney became a recurring guest star on The West Wing as Donna Moss, assistant and love interest to Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford). Moloney was originally credited only as a guest star, but she appeared in every episode of the first season. From the second season onward, Moloney was listed in the main credits. Moloney has received two Emmy Award nominations, one in 2002 and one in 2004, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama.

Moloney appeared in the television film Bang Bang You're Dead with Thomas Cavanagh and Randy Harrison, which was first broadcast on October 13, 2002 on Showtime. She played the part of Amber Frey in the made-for-TV movie Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution, broadcast May 25, 2005 on CBS. In 2007, Moloney played Dana Chase, who has a relationship with Tommy Caffee (Jason Clarke) in six episodes of the 2nd season of Brotherhood.

In 2008, Moloney appeared in one episode ("It's a Wonderful Lie") of House M.D.. In 2008, she guest-starred in an episode of 30 Rock. Moloney appeared in the 3rd installment of the Lstudio.com Web Series Puppy Love.

In 2009, she appeared in the US series Life on Mars as Professor Pat Olsen in the episode "Revenge of the Broken Jaw". She also appeared in the episode "Faithfully" of Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Allison Wyler.

Theatre

In 2007, Moloney made her Off-Broadway stage debut as Theresa in the Playwrights Horizons production 100 Saints You Should Know, written by Kate Fodor and directed by Ethan McSweeny. She appeared in the Off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore in September through October 2, 2011.

Movies

Moloney starred in the 2010 feature film Armless, as Anna. She made a brief appearance as Earlene in the 1995 Walter Hill directed western Wild Bill, and appears in the 2013 film Concussion.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1991	To Save a Child	Janelle Lowry	TV movie
1991	...And Then She Was Gone	Mary	TV movie
1992	Double Edge	Jen	TV movie
1993	Dream Lover	Alice Keller
1995	Safe	Hairdresser
1995	Wild Bill	Earlene
1997	''Til There Was You	Beebee, Age 25
1998	Desperate Measures	Sarah Davis
1998	The Souler Opposite	Thea Douglas
2002	Bang Bang You're Dead	Ellie Milford
2005	Just Pray	Cheryl Lawson
2005	Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution	Amber Frey	TV movie
2010	Armless	Anna
2013	Concussion	Pru
2013	Half the Perfect World	Gina
2013	Stay Then Go	Marion Baird

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	Roomies	Punk Co-Ed	Episode: "The One That Got Away"
1993	The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.	Mary Sims	Episode: "Pirates!"
1993	Bakersfield P.D.	Sarah	Episode: "Lucky 13"
1995	ER	Mrs. Nancy Larson	Episode: "The Birthday Party"
1995	Murder, She Wrote	Maria Corbin	Episode: "Unwilling Witness"
1996	High Incident	Bridesmaid McManus	Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part"
1998	Sports Night	Monica Brazelton	Episode: "The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee"
1999-2006	The West Wing	Donna Moss	149 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2001, 2002) Nominated " Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2002, 2004) Nominated " Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2003-2006)
2007	Brotherhood	Dana Chase	5 episodes
2008	House	Maggie	Episode: "It's a Wonderful Lie"
2008	30 Rock	Jessica Speyer	Episode: "Reunion"
2009	Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas	Marion Malloy	TV Pilot
2009	Life on Mars	Pat Olsen	Episode: "Revenge of Broken Jaw"
2009	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Allison Wyler	Episode: "Faithfully"