
Allison Janney
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1959-11-19 (65 years old)
Place of Birth
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Allison Janney
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
Acting
(2025)
Another Simple Favor
as Aunt Linda McLanden
(2025)
(2025)
(2023)
The Creator
as Colonel Howell
(2023)
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
as Self - Guest
(2023)
(2022)
Minions & More Volume 2
as Madge Nelson (voice)
(2022)
Lou
as Lou
(2022)
(2022)
Still Working 9 to 5
as Self
(2022)
To Leslie
as Nancy
(2021)
Breaking News in Yuba County
as Sue Buttons
(2020)
Lazy Susan
as Velvet
(2020)
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
as C.J. Cregg
(2019)
The Addams Family
as Margaux Needler (voice)
(2019)
Ma
as Doctor Brooks
(2019)
Bombshell
as Susan Estrich
(2019)
Bad Education
as Pam Gluckin
(2019)
Troop Zero
as Miss Massey
(2019)
Expedition Amelia
as Narrator (voice)
(2018)
Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal
as Self (archive footage)
(2018)
The Night Is Young
as Wanda
(2017)
I, Tonya
as LaVona
(2017)
Sun Dogs
as Rose Chipley
(2017)
A Happening of Monumental Proportions
as Principal Nichols
(2016)
The Girl on the Train
as Detective Sgt. Riley
(2016)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
as Dr. Golan
(2016)
Finding Dory
as Peach (voice)
(2016)
Tallulah
as Margo
(2015)
Spy
as Elaine Crocker
(2015)
Minions
as Madge Nelson (voice)
(2015)
The DUFF
as Dottie Piper
(2015)
Binky Nelson Unpacified
as Madge Nelson (voice)
(2014)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
as Ms. Grunion (voice)
(2014)
Get on Up
as Kathy
(2014)
Tammy
as Deb
(2014)
The Rewrite
as Mary Weldon
(2014)
Days and Nights
as Elizabeth
(2013)
The Way Way Back
as Betty Thompson
(2013)
Bad Words
as Dr. Bernice Deagan
(2013)
Struck by Lightning
as Sheryl Phillips
(2013)
Trust Me
as Meg
(2013)
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
as Narrator (voice)
(2013)
Touchy Feely
as Bronwyn
(2013)
Brightest Star
as The Astronomer
(2012)
A Thousand Words
as Samantha Davis
(2012)
Liberal Arts
as Professor Judith Fairfield
(2012)
Celia
as Celia
(2011)
The Help
as Charlotte Phelan
(2011)
Margaret
as Monica Patterson
(2011)
The Oranges
as Carol Ostroff
(2010)
Life During Wartime
as Trish Maplewood
(2010)
Love and Distrust
as Grechen (segment "Auto Motives")
(2010)
Backwash
as Self
(2009)
Away We Go
as Lily
(2009)
It's Still Me!
as Narrator (voice)
(2008)
Pretty Ugly People
as Suzanna
(2008)
Prop 8: The Musical
as Prop 8 Leader's #1 Wife
(2007)
Juno
as Bren MacGuff
(2007)
Hairspray
as Prudy Pringleton
(2006)
Over the Hedge
as Gladys (voice)
(2006)
Strangers with Candy
as Alice
(2005)
The Chumscrubber
as Allie Stiffle
(2005)
Our Very Own
as Joan Whitfield
(2004)
Piccadilly Jim
as Eugenia Crocker
(2004)
Winter Solstice
as Molly Ripkin
(2003)
Finding Nemo
as Peach (voice)
(2003)
How to Deal
as Lydia Martin
(2003)
Chicken Party
as Barbara Strasser
(2002)
The Hours
as Sally Lester
(2002)
Rooftop Kisses
as Melissa
(2001)
A Girl Thing
as Kathy McCormack
(2000)
Nurse Betty
as Lyla
(1999)
10 Things I Hate About You
as Ms. Perky
(1999)
American Beauty
as Barbara Fitts
(1999)
Drop Dead Gorgeous
as Loretta
(1998)
Six Days Seven Nights
as Marjorie
(1998)
Celebrity
as Evelyn Isaacs
(1998)
Primary Colors
as Miss Walsh
(1998)
The Object of My Affection
as Constance Miller
(1998)
The Impostors
as Maxine (Max)
(1998)
David and Lisa
as Alix
(1997)
The Ice Storm
as Dot Halford
(1997)
Private Parts
as Dee Dee
(1997)
Julian Po
as Lilah Leech
(1997)
...First Do No Harm
as Dr. Melanie Abbasac
(1997)
Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing
as Assistant D.A.
(1997)
Anita Liberty
as Gynecologist
(1996)
Big Night
as Ann
(1996)
The Associate
as Sandy
(1996)
Faithful
as Saleslady
(1996)
Walking and Talking
as Gum Puller
(1996)
Rescuing Desire
as Betsy
(1996)
Flux
as Heather
(1995)
Heading Home
as Mary Polanski
(1994)
Wolf
as Party Guest
(1994)
Miracle on 34th Street
as Woman in Christmas Shop
(1994)
The Cowboy Way
as NYPD Computer Operator
(1994)
Dead Funny
as Jennifer
(1993)
Blind Spot
as Doreen
(1989)
Who Shot Pat?
as Miss Penny
Crew
(2022)
Lou
Executive Producer
(2021)
Breaking News in Yuba County
Executive Producer