Allison Janney
Acting • Born 1959-11-19
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.
Filmography
170 credits
Finding Nemo
Movie • 2003
Peach (voice)
American Beauty
Movie • 1999
Barbara Fitts
The Hours
Movie • 2002
Sally Lester
Prop 8: The Musical
Movie • 2008
Prop 8 Leader's #1 Wife
Wolf
Movie • 1994
Party Guest
Hairspray
Movie • 2007
Prudy Pringleton
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Movie • 1999
Loretta
10 Things I Hate About You
Movie • 1999
Ms. Perky
The Associate
Movie • 1996
Sandy
Juno
Movie • 2007
Bren MacGuff
Six Days Seven Nights
Movie • 1998
Marjorie
Over the Hedge
Movie • 2006
Gladys (voice)
Pretty Ugly People
Movie • 2008
Suzanna
Primary Colors
Movie • 1998
Miss Walsh
Celebrity
Movie • 1998
Evelyn Isaacs
...First Do No Harm
Movie • 1997
Dr. Melanie Abbasac
Strangers with Candy
Movie • 2006
Alice
The Chumscrubber
Movie • 2005
Allie Stiffle
Margaret
Movie • 2011
Monica Patterson
How to Deal
Movie • 2003
Lydia Martin
Walking and Talking
Movie • 1996
Gum Puller
The Object of My Affection
Movie • 1998
Constance Miller
Life During Wartime
Movie • 2010
Trish Maplewood
Everything's Going to Be Great
Movie • 2025
Macy Smart
The Creator
Movie • 2023
Colonel Howell
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
Movie • 2023
Self - Guest
Big Night
Movie • 1996
Ann
The Help
Movie • 2011
Charlotte Phelan
Away We Go
Movie • 2009
Lily
Winter Solstice
Movie • 2004
Molly Ripkin
A Thousand Words
Movie • 2012
Samantha Davis
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Movie • 2014
Ms. Grunion (voice)
Our Very Own
Movie • 2005
Joan Whitfield
Liberal Arts
Movie • 2012
Professor Judith Fairfield
Struck by Lightning
Movie • 2013
Sheryl Phillips
Julian Po
Movie • 1997
Lilah Leech
The Oranges
Movie • 2011
Carol Ostroff
Touchy Feely
Movie • 2013
Bronwyn
The Way Way Back
Movie • 2013
Betty Thompson
Trust Me
Movie • 2013
Meg
Bad Words
Movie • 2013
Dr. Bernice Deagan
Anita Liberty
Movie • 1997
Gynecologist
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
Movie • 2013
Self - Narrator (voice)
Tammy
Movie • 2014
Deb
Brightest Star
Movie • 2013
The Astronomer
Days and Nights
Movie • 2014
Elizabeth
Spy
Movie • 2015
Elaine Crocker
True Love: Making The Creator
Movie • 2023
Self
The Rewrite
Movie • 2014
Mary Weldon
Faithful
Movie • 1996
Saleslady
Flux
Movie • 1996
Heather
Dead Funny
Movie • 1994
Jennifer
The DUFF
Movie • 2015
Dottie Piper
Miss You, Love You
Movie
Get On Up
Movie • 2014
Kathy
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Movie • 2016
Dr. Golan
Minions & More 2
Movie • 2022
Madge Nelson (voice)
Celia
Movie • 2012
Celia
Minions
Movie • 2015
Madge Nelson (voice)
Tallulah
Movie • 2016
Margo
Another Simple Favor
Movie • 2025
Aunt Linda McLanden
Binky Nelson Unpacified
Movie • 2015
Madge Nelson (voice)
The Impostors
Movie • 1998
Maxine (Max)
David and Lisa
Movie • 1998
Alix
The Girl on the Train
Movie • 2016
Detective Sgt. Riley
The Cowboy Way
Movie • 1994
NYPD Computer Operator
Finding Dory
Movie • 2016
Peach (voice)
Sun Dogs
Movie • 2017
Rose Chipley
Nurse Betty
Movie • 2000
Lyla
Rooftop Kisses
Movie • 2002
Melissa
A Happening of Monumental Proportions
Movie • 2017
Principal Nichols
The Night Is Young
Movie • 2018
Wanda
I, Tonya
Movie • 2017
LaVona
Private Parts
Movie • 1997
Dee Dee
Who Shot Pat?
Movie • 1989
Miss Penny
Piccadilly Jim
Movie • 2004
Eugenia Crocker
The Addams Family
Movie • 2019
Margaux Needler (voice)
Troop Zero
Movie • 2019
Miss Massey
Bad Education
Movie • 2019
Pam Gluckin
The Ice Storm
Movie • 1997
Dot Halford
Bombshell
Movie • 2019
Susan Estrich
Breaking News in Yuba County
Movie • 2021
Sue Buttons
Miracle on 34th Street
Movie • 1994
Woman in Christmas Shop
Heading Home
Movie • 1995
Mary Polanski
Ma
Movie • 2019
Doctor Brooks
Expedition Amelia
Movie • 2019
Narrator (voice)
The Heart
Movie
Blind Spot
Movie • 1993
Doreen
Rescuing Desire
Movie • 1996
Betsy
Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing
Movie • 1997
Assistant D.A.
Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal
Movie • 2018
Self (archive footage)
Lazy Susan
Movie • 2020
Velvet
Lou
Movie • 2022
Lou
Chicken Party
Movie • 2003
Barbara Strasser
Love and Distrust
Movie • 2010
Grechen (segment "Auto Motives")
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
Movie • 2020
C.J. Cregg
The People We Hate at the Wedding
Movie • 2022
Donna
It's Still Me!
Movie • 2009
Narrator (voice)
To Leslie
Movie • 2022
Nancy
Still Working 9 to 5
Movie • 2022
Self
The Roses
Movie • 2025
Eleanor
Auto Motives
Movie • 2000
Grechen
Fonda
Movie
Weeds
TV • 2005
Ms. Greenstein
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Nora
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
Family Guy
TV • 1999
Teen People Editor (voice)
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
TV • 2006
Self
King of the Hill
TV • 1997
Laura (voice)
The View
TV • 1997
Self
Two and a Half Men
TV • 2003
Beverly
Human Discoveries
TV • 2019
The Mighty Karen (voice)
LateLine
TV • 1998
Frasier
TV • 1993
Susanna
New York Undercover
TV • 1994
Vivian
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
TV • 2015
Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
Aliens in the Family
TV • 1996
The EcoZone Project
TV • 2007
Mr. Sunshine
TV • 2011
Crystal Cohen
Mom
TV • 2013
Bonnie Plunkett
The Bonnie Hunt Show
TV • 2008
Self
The West Wing
TV • 1999
C.J. Cregg
Family Guy
TV • 1999
Crystal Quagmire (voice)
Family Guy
TV • 1999
Mistress Vita (voice)
Comedy Bang! Bang!
TV • 2012
Self
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV • 2014
Self
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV • 2015
Self
Chelsea
TV • 2016
Self
Intimate Portrait
TV • 1993
Self
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TV • 2015
Self
Frasier
TV • 1993
Phyllis (voice)
The Late Late Show with James Corden
TV • 2015
Self - Guest
Phineas and Ferb
TV • 2007
Charlene Doofenshmirtz (voice)
Palm Royale
TV • 2024
Evelyn Rollins
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
Law & Order
TV • 1990
Ann Madsen
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self
Hollywood Game Night
TV • 2013
Self
Celebrity Poker Showdown
TV • 2003
Self
DuckTales
TV • 2017
Goldie O'Gilt (voice)
Web Therapy
TV • 2008
Judith Frick
Masters of Sex
TV • 2013
Margaret Scully
Who Do You Think You Are?
TV • 2010
Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
The Arsenio Hall Show
TV • 2013
Self
Veep
TV • 2012
Janet Ryland
Curb Your Enthusiasm
TV • 2000
Cynthia
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Cameo (uncredited)
The Kominsky Method
TV • 2018
Self
The Simpsons
TV • 1989
Julia (voice)
American Dad!
TV • 2005
Aunt Jesse (voice)
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
Lost
TV • 2004
Mother
Celebrity IOU
TV • 2020
Self
The Megan Mullally Show
TV • 2006
Self - Guest
Golden Globe Awards
TV • 1944
Self - Nominee
The Diplomat
TV • 2023
Vice President Grace Penn
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
TV • 2014
Self
Web Therapy
TV • 2011
Judith Frick
In Plain Sight
TV • 2008
Allison Pearson
The Diplomat
TV • 2023
President Grace Penn
A Girl Thing
TV • 2001
Kathy McCormack
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self - Guest
The Soup
TV • 2004
Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest
People's Choice Awards
TV • 1975
Self - Host
People's Choice Awards
TV • 1975
Self - Presenter
The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA
TV • 1995
Self