Allison Janney

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Allison Janney
Janney at The Heart Truth in 2008
Born
Allison Brooks Janney[1]

(1959-11-19) November 19, 1959 (age 64)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationKenyon College (BA)
OccupationActress
Years active1984–present
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
AwardsFull list

Allison Brooks Janney (born November 19, 1959)[3] is an American actress. A prolific character actress, Janney is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and seven Primetime Emmy Awards.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Dayton, Ohio Janney won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the summer of 1984, 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. The character was widely popular during the airing of the series and was later recognized as one of the greatest female characters on American television. 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. Since 2013, she has starred as a cynical recovering addict in the CBS sitcom Mom. Her performance on the show has gained her five consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won her two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Janney made her professional stage debut with the Off-Broadway production Ladies and followed with numerous bit parts in various similar productions, before making her Broadway debut in the 1996 revival of Present Laughter. She won Drama Desk Awards and received Tony Award nominations for her performances in the 1997 Broadway revival of A View from the Bridge, and the 2009 original Broadway production of the musical 9 to 5.

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), Finding Nemo (2003), Over the Hedge (2006), Hairspray (2007), Juno (2007), The Help (2011), The Way, Way Back (2013), Tammy (2014), Minions (2015), Spy (2015), Tallulah (2016), and The Girl on the Train (2016), Bad Education (2019), The Addams Family (2019), and Bombshell (2019). In 2017, for her portrayal of LaVona Golden in the black comedy film I, Tonya, Janney won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Early life and education

Janney was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Dayton, Ohio.[4] She is the daughter of Macy Brooks Janney (née Putnam), a former actress, and Jervis Spencer Janney, Jr., a real estate developer and jazz musician.[5][6][7] She has two brothers,[4] Hal and Jay.[8] Janney attended the Miami Valley School in Dayton, where she was named a distinguished alumna in 2005,[9] and the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, where she was named Alumna of the Year in 2016.[9] She then attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.[8] She was directed in a play as the inaugural event of the school's newly dedicated Bolton Theater. Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward, encouraged Janney to continue acting. She then went on to train at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York and did summer programs at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[10] She attended The Neighborhood Playhouse the same years as actor Dylan McDermott. She completed two years at the Neighborhood Playhouse along with Steven Rogers.[9]

Career

Television

Janney at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2011

Janney's first role on television was in the short-lived black-and-white faux-1940s comedy Morton & Hayes; she appeared in two episodes of the 1991 CBS series as Eddie Hayes' wife. She then moved on to soap operas; she first played Vi Kaminski for a short time on As the World Turns, following up with a two-year role as Ginger, one of the Spaulding maids, on Guiding Light. In the spring of 1994, she appeared in the season-four finale of Law & Order, entitled "Old Friends", as a reluctant witness against a member of the Russian mob. She was also a cast member on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion.

In 1999, she was cast in the role of presidential press secretary C. J. Cregg on the political drama The West Wing, for which she went on to win four Primetime Emmy Awards.[11] Two of them were for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2000 and 2001, and the other two were for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2002 and 2004.[9] She received two more nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2003 and 2006.[9] Janney also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in 2001 and 2002,[9] while the cast of The West Wing won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series the same two years.[9] Additional nominations for Janney's work in The West Wing include four Golden Globe Award nominations (2001–2004) and the AFI Award for Actor of the Year – Female – TV Series (2001). In 2001, she won the Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama. She also guest starred on the hit television show Frasier in a 2002 episode Three Blind Dates.

Janney appeared in the short-lived Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip in a guest appearance as herself in the episode "The Disaster Show". In late 2009, she was chosen to play the role of Sheila Jackson in the pilot episode of Shameless, but when Showtime picked up the series, she was replaced after the pilot by Joan Cusack. In 2010, Janney appeared as Allison Pearson in In Plain Sight. In May 2010, she 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. She starred in the ABC network comedy Mr. Sunshine. The series, which was created by Matthew Perry, was a mid-season replacement for the 2010–11 television season.[12][13]

For her role in the sitcom Mom, opposite Anna Faris, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014 and 2015. She was nominated for the Emmy Award, Supporting Actress for Mom in 2016 to 2018.[11] In 2014, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her recurring role in the period drama Masters of Sex.[11]

On the Disney Channel animated show Phineas and Ferb, Janney voiced Charlene.

Janney appears as herself, playing an Oscar-winning actress, in an episode of the second season of the Netflix series The Kominsky Method.[14][15]

Film

Janney at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

Janney has appeared in numerous films, 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 early 2000s films Nurse Betty, The Hours, The Chumscrubber, How to Deal, Winter Solstice, and a considerable voice role in the animated movie Finding Nemo, voicing Peach, the starfish.

In 2006, she had roles in the feature films Margaret and Over the Hedge. That same year, Janney was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance in the film Our Very Own. In 2007, she appeared in Juno, playing the part of Bren MacGuff, the title character's stepmother, for which she won the Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress. In the same year, Janney appeared in the Golden Globe Award-nominated film Hairspray as Prudy Pingleton, Penny's (Amanda Bynes) strict and religious mother. She appeared in such films as The Help (2011), Struck by Lightning (2012), and Liberal Arts (2012). Janney appeared in the 2015 films Spy and The DUFF. She then co-starred in the fantasy film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children,[16] and portrayed a homicide detective in the mystery thriller The Girl on the Train.[17]

In 2017, Janney starred in the biographical black comedy I, Tonya, portraying LaVona Golden, volatile mother of the titular Tonya Harding.[18] Her performance received wide critical acclaim, with various critics and publications citing her performance as the film's highlight and one of the best of her career. Janney received various accolades for her performance including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress, Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female, and BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Following the success of I, Tonya, Janney was cast in Troop Zero, Ma, Bad Education, The Addams Family, and Bombshell, all of which premiered in 2019.[19][20][21][22] Additionally, Janney will film lead roles in Breaking News in Yuba County, as well as in Lou.[23][24]

Theater

Janney has remained active in theater. Her first Broadway role was in the 1996 revival of Present Laughter, opposite Frank Langella. In 1998, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge.[25] In 2007, she participated in a workshop for a new musical of the film 9 to 5.[26] In late 2008, Janney joined Broadway stars Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty, and Marc Kudisch in 9 to 5. Based on the film of the same name, Janney starred as Violet Newstead, the super-efficient office manager, played by Lily Tomlin in the original film. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical[27] and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for the role.[28] In 2017, Janney returned to Broadway to play the leading role of Ouisa Kittredge in John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation.[29]

Other interests

Janney in October 2014

In 2004, she 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.[30] 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 Adventures Continue.[31] The attraction later opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. In October 2016, Janney became the first woman to receive the Alumni Award of The Hotchkiss School[32] and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work in the television industry, located at 6100 Hollywood Boulevard.[33][34]

Personal life

In interviews related to her role on Mom, Janney discussed her brother, Hal, who fought AIDS for years before committing suicide.[35] On March 4, 2018, Janney dedicated her Academy Award win to him during her acceptance speech.[36]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Who Shot Patakango? Miss Penny
1994 Dead Funny Jennifer
1994 The Cowboy Way NYPD computer operator
1994 Wolf Party Guest
1994 Miracle on 34th Street Woman in Christmas Shop
1995 Heading Home Mary Polanski
1996 Flux Heather
1996 Rescuing Desire Betsy
1996 Walking and Talking Gum Puller
1996 Big Night Ann
1996 Faithful Saleswoman
1996 The Associate Sandy
1997 Anita Liberty Gynecologist Short film
1997 Private Parts Dee Dee
1997 The Ice Storm Dot Halford
1997 Julian Po Lilah Leech
1998 Primary Colors Miss Walsh
1998 The Object of My Affection Constance Miller
1998 The Impostors Maxine
1998 Six Days, Seven Nights Marjorie, Robin's boss
1998 Celebrity Evelyn Isaacs
1999 10 Things I Hate About You Ms. Perky
1999 Drop Dead Gorgeous Loretta
1999 American Beauty Barbara Fitts
1999 The Debtors
2000 Leaving Drew Paula Short film
2000 Auto Motives Gretchen Short film
2000 Nurse Betty Lyla Branch
2000 Rooftop Kisses Melissa Short film
2002 The Hours Sally Lester
2003 Finding Nemo Peach (voice)
2003 How to Deal Lydia Martin
2003 Chicken Party Barbara Strasser Short film
2004 Piccadilly Jim Eugenia Crocker
2004 Winter Solstice Molly Ripkin
2005 Strangers with Candy Alice
2005 The Chumscrubber Allie Stifle
2005 Our Very Own Joan Whitfield
2006 Over the Hedge Gladys Sharp (voice)
2007 Hairspray Prudy Pingleton
2007 Juno Brenda "Bren" MacGuff
2008 Pretty Ugly People Suzanna
2008 Prop 8: The Musical Prop 8 leader's wife
2009 Away We Go Lily
2009 Life During Wartime Trish Maplewood
2011 Margaret Wounded woman / Monica Patterson
2011 A Thousand Words Samantha Davis
2011 The Help Charlotte Phelan
2012 The Oranges Cathy Ostroff
2012 Struck by Lightning Sheryl Phillips
2012 Liberal Arts Prof. Judith Fairfield
2013 The Way, Way Back Betty Thompson
2013 Days and Nights Elizabeth
2013 Bad Words Dr. Bernice Deagan
2013 Trust Me Meg
2013 Brightest Star The Astronomer
2014 Tammy Deb
2014 Mr. Peabody & Sherman Mrs. Grunion (voice)
2014 The Rewrite Prof. Mary Weldon
2014 Get on Up Kathy
2015 The DUFF Dottie Piper
2015 Spy Elaine Crocker
2015 Minions Madge Nelson (voice)
2016 Tallulah Margaret "Margo" Mooney
2016 Finding Dory Peach (voice) Cameo
2016 Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Dr. Nancy Golan / Mr. Barron
2016 The Girl on the Train Detective Riley
2017 A Happening of Monumental Proportions Principal Nichols
2017 Sun Dogs Rose Chipley
2017 I, Tonya LaVona Golden
2019 Troop Zero Miss Massey
2019 Ma Dr. Brooks
2019 Bad Education Pamela "Pam" Gluckin
2019 The Addams Family Margaux Needler (voice)
2019 Bombshell Susan Estrich
2020 Lazy Susan Velvet Swensen
TBA Breaking News in Yuba County Sue Bottoms Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1991 Morton & Hayes Beatrice Caldicott-Hayes 2 episodes
1992 Law & Order Nora Episode: "Star Struck"
1993 Blind Spot Doreen Television film
1993–95 Guiding Light Ginger 2 episodes
1994 Law & Order Ann Madsen Episode: "Old Friends"
1995 The Wright Verdicts Alice Klein Episode: "Sins of the Father"
1995 New York Undercover Vivian Episode: "Digital Underground"
1996 Aliens in the Family Principal Sherman Episode: "A Very Brody Tweeznax"
1996 Cosby Podiatric Nurse Episode: "Happily Ever Hilton"
1997 ...First Do No Harm Dr. Melanie Abbasac Television film
1997 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"
1999–2006 The West Wing C. J. Cregg Main cast; 145 episodes
2000 A Girl Thing Kathy McCormack Television film
2001–02 Frasier Phyllis (voice) / Susanna 2 episodes
2003 King of the Hill Laura Episode: "Full Metal Dust Jacket"
2005 Weeds Ms. Greenstein Episode: "Lude Awakening"
2007 Two and a Half Men Beverly Episode: "My Damn Stalker"
2007 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Herself Episode: "The Disaster Show"
2008–13 Phineas and Ferb Charlene Doofenshmirtz (voice) 9 episodes
2010–15 Family Guy Various (voice) 3 episodes
2010 Lost "Mother" Episode: "Across the Sea"
2010 In Plain Sight Allison Pearson 2 episodes
2011 Glenn Martin, DDS Marcia Episode: "GlennHog Day"
2011 Mr. Sunshine Crystal Cohen Main cast; 13 episodes
2012 The Big C Rita Strauss Episode: "Life Rights"
2012 Robot Chicken Grammi Gummi / Woman (voice) Episode: "In Bed Surrounded by Loved Ones"
2013 Veep Janet Ryland Episode: "First Response"
2013–15 Masters of Sex Margaret Scully 9 episodes
2013–present Mom Bonnie Plunkett Main role; 132 episodes
2014 Web Therapy Judith Frick 2 episodes
2016 The Simpsons Julia (voice) Episode: "Friends and Family"
2016 Comedy Bang! Bang! Herself Episode: "Allison Janney Wears a Chambray Western Shirt and Suede Fringe Boots"
2017 F Is for Family Henrietta Van Horne (voice) 3 episodes[37]
2017 Nobodies Herself 2 episodes
2017 American Dad! Jessie (voice) Episode: "Family Plan"
2018–present DuckTales Goldie O'Gilt (voice) 3 episodes
2019 The Kominsky Method Herself Episode: "Chapter 16. A Thetan Arrives"

Music video

Year Title Role Notes
2016 Let Me Be Your Girl[38] Clown Artist: Rachael Yamagata; Director: Josh Radnor

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Allison Janney

See also

References

  1. ^ https://www.hotchkiss.org/post-page/~board/alumni-news/post/hotchkiss-honors-award-winning-actress-allison-brooks-janney-77-with-the-2016-alumni-award
  2. ^ "Allison Janney On Sex, Sorkin And Being The Tallest Woman In The Room : NPR". NPR. August 4, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  3. ^ "Allison Janney Biography (1959–)". Biography.com. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Janney in "A Life in Pictures: Allison Janney". BAFTA. December 14, 2017. Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019. I was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, with two brothers and a lot of animals. Note: Sources including Biography.com, TVGuide.com, and The Broadway League's Internet Broadway Database list birthplace as Dayton, Ohio.
  5. ^ Allison Janney profile at filmreference.com; accessed February 25, 2014.
  6. ^ "Macy B. Putnam Engaged to Wed; Bennett Alumna Is Fiancee of Jervis S. Janney Jr., a Graduate of Princeton". The New York Times. December 15, 1956. Photo caption: "Miss Macy Brooks Putnam". (subscription required)
  7. ^ https://www.dayton.com/lifestyles/what-macy-janney-has-say-about-her-famous-daughter-big-oscar-night/AMVeklpAdoJTFZplLn5Y7K/
  8. ^ a b "Allison Janney Biography". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2019. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; July 30, 2016 suggested (help)
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "The Miami Valley School - Awards & Honors - Distinguished Alumni Award". The Miami Valley School. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  10. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ a b c "Allison Janney Emmy" emmys.com, retrieved May 9, 2019
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 12, 2010). "Matthew Perry project a go at ABC". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  13. ^ Hibberd, James (May 18, 2010). "ABC's new fall schedule". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 20, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  14. ^ https://www.tvmaze.com/episodes/1744736/the-kominsky-method-2x08-chapter-16-a-thetan-arrives
  15. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10021218/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_2
  16. ^ "Allison Janney Heads to Therapy in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children". Dread Central.
  17. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 28, 2015). "Allison Janney Boards 'Girl on the Train' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  18. ^ Kroll, Justin (December 15, 2016). "Allison Janney to Play Tonya Harding's Mother in 'I, Tonya' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  19. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (April 24, 2018). "Allison Janney & Jim Gaffigan To Co-Star In Amazon's 'Troupe Zero'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  20. ^ 'Addams Family' Movie Scares Up Charlize Theron, Bette Midler, Allison Janney & More For Voice Cast
  21. ^ McNary, Dave (June 15, 2018). "Film News Roundup: Allison Janney Joins Hugh Jackman in 'Bad Education'". Variety. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  22. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (September 20, 2018). "Allison Janney To Play Attorney Susan Estrich In Annapurna's Movie About The Roger Ailes Fox News Harassment Scandal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  23. ^ Allison Janney, Laura Dern to Star in Dark Comedy Directed by Tate Taylor
  24. ^ Allison Janney to Star in Bad Robot Thriller 'Lou' (Exclusive)
  25. ^ "Allison Janney: Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  26. ^ Jones, Kenneth (August 29, 2007). "Dolly Parton Says 9 to 5 Will Play Broadway in 2009". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 25, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2008.
  27. ^ Doug George. "Theater Loop - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune.
  28. ^ Billy Elliot Leads Winners of 2009 Drama Desk Awards, theatermania.com; accessed November 18, 2014.
  29. ^ "Allison Janney and John Benjamin Hickey Return to Broadway as Six Degrees of Separation Begins".
  30. ^ "A Breath of Fresh Air for Health Care", opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com; December 13, 2009.
  31. ^ "Allison Janney Joining New Star Tours plus AC-38 Droid to Pilot Starspeeder 1000 in 2011". September 24, 2010. Archived from the original on September 28, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  32. ^ "Alumni Award". The Hotchkiss School. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  33. ^ "Allison Janney | Hollywood Walk of Fame". www.walkoffame.com. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  34. ^ "'Mom' actress Allison Janney receives star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  35. ^ Fussman, Calt (January 4, 2012). "Alison Janney: What I've Learned". Esquire. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  36. ^ McBride, Jessica (March 4, 2018). "Allison Janney's Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com.
  37. ^ Perkins, Dennis (June 11, 2017). "F Is For Family knows that all family debts come due sometime". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  38. ^ Nicole Evatt (October 10, 2016). "Allison Janney clowns around in Rachael Yamagata's new video". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved October 12, 2016.

External links

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