Allison Janney
Encyclopedia
Allison Brooks Janney is an American actress, best known for her role as C.J. Cregg on the television series The West Wing.
, 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
. At Kenyon, Janney studied under another Kenyon alum, Paul Newman
. She 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
.
, 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 Award
s. 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 Wings 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
.
Personal life
Janney was born in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, 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
The Miami Valley School
The Miami Valley School is Dayton, Ohio's only independent college-preparatory school for grades Pre-K through 12. A 9:1 student to teacher ratio and an experiential learning curriculum have created a unique learning environment. Approximately 190 students comprise grades 9 through 12...
in Dayton, where she was named a distinguished alumna in 2004, and the Hotchkiss School
Hotchkiss School
The Hotchkiss School is an independent, coeducational American college preparatory boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Founded in 1891, the school enrolls students in grades 9 through 12 and a small number of postgraduates...
in Connecticut. She then attended Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
. At Kenyon, Janney studied under another Kenyon alum, Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
. She went on to study drama at the Neighborhood Playhouse
Neighborhood Playhouse
The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is an actor training school at 340 East 54th Street in New York City, generally associated with the Meisner technique of Sanford Meisner.-History:...
in New York and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
in London. She attended The Neighborhood Playhouse the same years as actor Dylan McDermott
Dylan McDermott
Mark Anthony McDermott , better known by his professional name of Dylan McDermott, is an American actor, known for his role as lawyer and law firm head Bobby Donnell on the television legal drama The Practice and his role in the series Dark Blue as Lt. Carter Shaw. McDermott currently stars in FX...
.
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 TurnsAs the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, following up with a two-year stint as one of the Spaulding maids, Ginger on Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
. In the spring of 1994, she appeared in the season finale of Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, 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
The Object of My Affection
The Object of My Affection is a 1998 romantic comedy film, adapted from the book of the same title by Stephen McCauley, and starring Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd. The story concerns a pregnant New York social worker who develops romantic feelings for her gay best friend, and the complications...
, Big Night
Big Night
Scott and Tucci won the New York Film Critics Circle Award and the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best New Director. Tucci and Tropiano won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay...
, The Impostors
The Impostors
The Impostors is a 1998 farce motion picture written and directed by Stanley Tucci, starring Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina, Tony Shalhoub, Steve Buscemi, and Billy Connolly....
, Drop Dead Gorgeous, The Ice Storm
The Ice Storm (film)
The Ice Storm is a 1997 drama film directed by Ang Lee, based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Rick Moody.The film features an ensemble cast of Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, and Sigourney Weaver...
, Primary Colors, 10 Things I Hate About You
10 Things I Hate about You
10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film. It is directed by Gil Junger and stars Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, and Larry Miller...
, and Private Parts
Private Parts (1997 film)
Private Parts is a 1997 American biographical comedy film produced by Ivan Reitman and released by Paramount Pictures. Written by Len Blum and Michael Kalesniko, the film is an adaptation of the 1993 best-selling book of the same name by radio personality Howard Stern, who stars as himself. It...
, and the 2000s films Nurse Betty
Nurse Betty
Nurse Betty is a 2000 American comedy film directed by Neil LaBute starring Renée Zellweger as a sweet Kansas waitress who undergoes a nervous breakdown after witnessing her husband's murder, and starts obsessively pursuing her favorite soap actor....
, The Hours
The Hours (film)
The Hours is a 2002 drama film directed by Stephen Daldry, and starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Ed Harris. The screenplay by David Hare is based on the 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Michael Cunningham....
, The Chumscrubber
The Chumscrubber
The Chumscrubber is a 2005 dark comedy film directed by Arie Posin and written by Posin and Zac Stanford, starring an ensemble cast. The film focuses on the lack of communication between teenagers and their parents, and the prevalence of prescription drugs in American society...
, How to Deal
How to Deal
How to Deal is a 2003 film directed by Clare Kilner and starring Mandy Moore, Allison Janney and Trent Ford. It is based on two novels by Sarah Dessen, That Summer and Someone Like You.-Plot:...
, Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice (film)
Winter Solstice is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Josh Sternfeld. The screenplay focuses on the efforts of a man to interact with and relate to his sons in the years following the accidental death of his wife.-Plot:...
and a considerable role in the animated movie, Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son 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 Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s. Two of the Emmys were for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama Series
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series-Superlatives:-1960s:*1960: no award*1961: no award*1962: Pamela Brown – Victoria Regina*1963: Glenda Farrell – Ben Casey...
in 2000 and 2001, and two were for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – a Drama Series.-Superlatives:-1950s:*1952: Helen Hayes*1953: no award*1954: Loretta Young – The Loretta Young Show*1955: no award...
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
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
'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
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
Dee Dee Myers
Dee Dee Myers
Dee Dee Myers served as White House Press Secretary for the first two years of the Clinton administration, from January 20, 1993 to December 22, 1994.-Early life and education:...
who served in the Clinton Administration
Presidency of Bill Clinton
The United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001. Clinton was the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full term...
from 1993–1994. Janney met with Myers in New York City to help portray her character more authentically.
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
as "one to watch", "uncommonly beautiful and infinitely expressive". In January 2006, West Wings cast was also nominated by the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast. Janney, Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
, Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...
, Janel Moloney
Janel Moloney
Janel Moloney is an American actress, best known for her role as Donnatella "Donna" Moss on the television series The West Wing.-Personal life:...
, and other members of the cast appeared at the SAG Awards to honor their late castmate and friend, John Spencer
John Spencer (actor)
John Spencer was an American film and television actor. He was most widely known for playing White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry on the NBC political drama series The West Wing, which earned him an Emmy Award in 2002.-Early life:Spencer was born as John Speshock, Jr. in New York City, and...
.
In 2006, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in the film Our Very Own
Our Very Own
Our Very Own is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Cameron Watson. The screenplay focuses on five small town teenagers whose dreams of a better life have been inspired by the Hollywood success of one-time local girl Sondra Locke....
. 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
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
, 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
Austin Film Critics Association Awards 2007
The 3rd Austin Film Critics Association Awards honored the best filmmaking of 2007.-Top 10 Films:# There Will Be Blood# No Country for Old Men# Juno# Into the Wild# 3:10 to Yuma# Knocked Up# Before the Devil Knows You're Dead...
. In the same year, Janney appeared in the Golden-Globe-nominated film, Hairspray
Hairspray (2007 film)
Hairspray is a 2007 musical film produced by Kolaja Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2007. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John...
, as Prudy Pingleton, Penny's (Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
) strict and religious mother.
Janney appeared in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was an American dramedy television series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It ran for 22 episodes.The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to that of NBC's...
, 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
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for her role in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge
A View from the Bridge
A View from the Bridge is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller that was first staged on September 29, 1955 as a one-act verse drama with A Memory of Two Mondays at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The play was unsuccessful and Miller subsequently revised the play to contain two acts; this...
. Her first Broadway role was in Present Laughter opposite Frank Langella
Frank Langella
-Early life:Langella, an Italian American, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, the son of Angelina and Frank A. Langella Sr., a business executive who was the president of the Bayonne Barrel and Drum Company. Langella attended Washington Elementary School and Bayonne High School in Bayonne...
. In 2007, she participated in a workshop for a new musical
9 to 5 (musical)
9 to 5: The Musical is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and a book by Patricia Resnick, based on the 1980 movie Nine to Five...
of the film 9 to 5. In late 2008, Janney joined Broadway stars Stephanie J. Block
Stephanie J. Block
Stephanie J. Block is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her work on the Broadway stage. She has additionally been nominated for a Drama Desk Award and a Drama League Award. She released her debut solo album through PS Classics in June 2009...
, Megan Hilty
Megan Hilty
Megan Kathleen Hilty is an American stage and television actress.- Early years :Hilty was born in Bellevue, Washington and is the daughter of Jack and Donna Hilty. She attended Sammamish High School in Bellevue and the Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory High School in Redmond,...
and Marc Kudisch
Marc Kudisch
Marc Kudisch is an American stage actor, who is best known for his musical theatre roles on Broadway.-Early life and education:...
in the new musical, 9 to 5
9 to 5 (musical)
9 to 5: The Musical is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and a book by Patricia Resnick, based on the 1980 movie Nine to Five...
. Based on the film of the same name, Janney is starring as Violet Newstead, the super efficient office manager played by Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
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
Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical is the Tony Awards award given to the actress who was voted as the best leading actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival...
for her work in 9 to 5. In May 2009, she won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since...
for the role of Violet Newstead. She also appeared alongside Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
and John C. Reilly
John C. Reilly
John Christopher Reilly, Jr. is an American film and theater actor, singer, and comedian. Debuting in Casualties of War in 1989, he is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than fifty films, including three separate films in 2002...
in Prop 8 (The Musical), a satirical musical protesting the passing of California Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
.
In 2004, Janney began lending her voice to television and radio spots created by Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield...
in the health maintenance organization
Health maintenance organization
A health maintenance organization is an organization that provides managed care for health insurance contracts in the United States as a liaison with health care providers...
's broad "Thrive" media campaign, and in a radio campaign for the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
.
In 2010, she appeared as Allison Pearson in In Plain Sight
In Plain Sight
In Plain Sight is an American dramatic television series on USA Network. The series revolves around Mary Shannon , a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico office of the Federal Witness Security Program , more commonly known as the Federal Witness Protection Program...
.
In May 2010, Janney appeared in the antepenultimate episode of the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
as the adoptive mother of the show's two mythological opponents, Jacob and the Man in Black
Man in Black (Lost)
The entity referred to most frequently as the Man in Black is a fictional character on the American ABC television series Lost, and is the main antagonist of the...
.
Janney starred in the ABC network comedy Mr. Sunshine. The series, which was created by Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
, was a midseason replacement
Midseason replacement
In American and Canadian television, a midseason replacement is a television series that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between January and May...
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
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
and Disneyland.
Janney played the protagonist's mother in the 2011 film The Help
The Help (film)
The Help is a 2011 comedy-drama film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name. The film is about a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids during Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s...
.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1989 | Who Shot Patakango? Who Shot Patakango? Who Shot Patakango?, a.k.a. Who Shot Pat? is a 1989 movie starring Sandra Bullock.-Plot:The film is set in Brooklyn, New York and focuses on the coming of age of a group of high school teens in the late 1950s... |
Miss Penny | |
| 1994 | Dead Funny | Jennifer | |
| The Cowboy Way | NYPD computer operator | ||
| Wolf Wolf (film) Wolf is a 1994 American horror film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Jim Harrison, Wesley Strick, and an uncredited Elaine May, with music by Ennio Morricone and cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno.... |
Party guest | ||
| Miracle on 34th Street Miracle on 34th Street (1994 film) Miracle on 34th Street is a 1994 American fantasy film directed by Les Mayfield. It is the fourth remake of the original 1947 film. Like the original, this film was released by 20th Century Fox... |
Christmas shop woman | ||
| 1995 | Heading Home Heading Home Heading Home is a 1920 American silent film directed by Lawrence C. Windom. It attempts to create a mythology surrounding the life of baseball player Babe Ruth.... |
Unknown role | |
| 1996 | Flux Flux In the various subfields of physics, there exist two common usages of the term flux, both with rigorous mathematical frameworks.* In the study of transport phenomena , flux is defined as flow per unit area, where flow is the movement of some quantity per time... |
Heather | |
| Rescuing Desire | Betsy | ||
| Walking and Talking Walking and Talking Walking and Talking is a 1996 independent film starring Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Todd Field, Liev Schreiber and Kevin Corrigan.Walking and Talking is a story about two women best friends and how they deal with their changing relationship as one prepares to get married and the other struggles... |
Gum Puller | ||
| Big Night Big Night Scott and Tucci won the New York Film Critics Circle Award and the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best New Director. Tucci and Tropiano won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay... |
Ann | Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress The Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the actress or actresses whose winning performance is voted by participating members... |
|
| Faithful Faithful (film) Faithful is a comedy film released in 1996 about a wife, her husband and a hit man. It was directed by Paul Mazursky and produced by Robert De Niro and written by Chazz Palminteri.... |
Saleswoman | ||
| The Associate The Associate The Associate is a 1996 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Dianne Wiest, Eli Wallach, Timothy Daly, Bebe Neuwirth, Austin Pendleton and Lainie Kazan... |
Sandy | ||
| 1997 | Anita Liberty | Gynecologist | |
| Private Parts Private Parts (1997 film) Private Parts is a 1997 American biographical comedy film produced by Ivan Reitman and released by Paramount Pictures. Written by Len Blum and Michael Kalesniko, the film is an adaptation of the 1993 best-selling book of the same name by radio personality Howard Stern, who stars as himself. It... |
Dee Dee | ||
| The Ice Storm The Ice Storm (film) The Ice Storm is a 1997 drama film directed by Ang Lee, based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Rick Moody.The film features an ensemble cast of Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, and Sigourney Weaver... |
Dot Halford | ||
| Julian Pro | Lilah Leech | ||
| 1998 | Primary Colors | Miss Walsh | |
| The Object of My Affection The Object of My Affection The Object of My Affection is a 1998 romantic comedy film, adapted from the book of the same title by Stephen McCauley, and starring Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd. The story concerns a pregnant New York social worker who develops romantic feelings for her gay best friend, and the complications... |
Constance Miller | ||
| The Impostors The Impostors The Impostors is a 1998 farce motion picture written and directed by Stanley Tucci, starring Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina, Tony Shalhoub, Steve Buscemi, and Billy Connolly.... |
Maxine | ||
| Six Days Seven Nights Six Days Seven Nights Six Days Seven Nights is a 1998 adventure film. The screenplay was written by Michael Browning. The movie, filmed on location in Kauai, is directed by Ivan Reitman. It stars Harrison Ford, Anne Heche, David Schwimmer, Jacqueline Obradors, and Temuera Morrison... |
Marjorie, Robin's boss | ||
| Celebrity | Evelyn Isaacs | ||
| 1999 | 10 Things I Hate About You 10 Things I Hate about You 10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film. It is directed by Gil Junger and stars Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, and Larry Miller... |
Ms. Perky | |
| Drop Dead Gorgeous | Loretta | ||
| American Beauty American Beauty (film) American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a middle-aged magazine writer who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela... |
Barbara Fitts | Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
|
| The Debtors | |||
| 2000 | Leaving Drew | Paula | |
| Auto Motives | Gretchen | ||
| Nurse Betty Nurse Betty Nurse Betty is a 2000 American comedy film directed by Neil LaBute starring Renée Zellweger as a sweet Kansas waitress who undergoes a nervous breakdown after witnessing her husband's murder, and starts obsessively pursuing her favorite soap actor.... |
Lyla Branch | ||
| 2002 | Rooftop Kisses | Melissa | |
| The Hours The Hours (film) The Hours is a 2002 drama film directed by Stephen Daldry, and starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Ed Harris. The screenplay by David Hare is based on the 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Michael Cunningham.... |
Sally Lester | Nominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast The Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast is an annual award given by the Phoenix Film Critics Society.-2000s:*2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring... Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
|
| 2003 | Finding Nemo Finding Nemo Finding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo... |
Peach | Voice |
| How to Deal How to Deal How to Deal is a 2003 film directed by Clare Kilner and starring Mandy Moore, Allison Janney and Trent Ford. It is based on two novels by Sarah Dessen, That Summer and Someone Like You.-Plot:... |
Lydia Martin | ||
| Chicken Party | Barbara Strasser | ||
| 2004 | Piccadilly Jim Piccadilly Jim Piccadilly Jim is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on February 24, 1917 by Dodd, Mead and Company, New York, and in the United Kingdom in May 1918 by Herbert Jenkins, London... |
Eugenia Crocker | |
| Winter Solstice Winter Solstice (film) Winter Solstice is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Josh Sternfeld. The screenplay focuses on the efforts of a man to interact with and relate to his sons in the years following the accidental death of his wife.-Plot:... |
Molly Ripkin | ||
| 2005 | Strangers with Candy Strangers with Candy Strangers with Candy is a television series produced by Comedy Central. It first aired on April 7, 1999, and concluded its third and final season on October 2, 2000. Its timeslot was Sundays at 10 p.m.... |
Alice | |
| The Chumscrubber The Chumscrubber The Chumscrubber is a 2005 dark comedy film directed by Arie Posin and written by Posin and Zac Stanford, starring an ensemble cast. The film focuses on the lack of communication between teenagers and their parents, and the prevalence of prescription drugs in American society... |
Allie Stiffle | ||
| Our Very Own Our Very Own Our Very Own is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Cameron Watson. The screenplay focuses on five small town teenagers whose dreams of a better life have been inspired by the Hollywood success of one-time local girl Sondra Locke.... |
Joan Whitfield | Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female | |
| 2006 | Over the Hedge Over the Hedge (film) Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated family action comedy film based on the characters from United Media comic strip of the same name. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, and produced by Bonnie Arnold, it was released in the United States on May 19, 2006.The film was produced by... |
Gladys | Voice |
| 2007 | Hairspray Hairspray (2007 film) Hairspray is a 2007 musical film produced by Kolaja Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2007. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John... |
Prudy Pingleton | Hollywood Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Hollywood Film Festival The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington.... Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Cast Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January... Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| Juno Juno (film) Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K.... |
Brenda 'Bren' MacGuff | Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Austin Film Critics Association Awards 2007 The 3rd Austin Film Critics Association Awards honored the best filmmaking of 2007.-Top 10 Films:# There Will Be Blood# No Country for Old Men# Juno# Into the Wild# 3:10 to Yuma# Knocked Up# Before the Devil Knows You're Dead... Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress The Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the actress or actresses whose winning performance is voted by participating members... |
|
| 2008 | Pretty Ugly People | Suzanna | |
| Prop 8: The Musical | Prop 8 leader's wife | ||
| 2009 | Away We Go | Lily | |
| Life During Wartime Life During Wartime (film) Life During Wartime is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Todd Solondz, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 2009. It is a direct, but loose sequel to his 1998 film Happiness, with new actors playing the same characters, and imperfect continuity... |
Trish | Nominated – Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast Gotham Awards The Gotham Awards is an annual ceremony of awards presented to the makers of independent films which takes place in New York City... Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female |
|
| 2011 | Margaret | Wounded woman | |
| A Thousand Words A Thousand Words (film) A Thousand Words is a 2012 comedy-drama film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Meet Dave director Brian Robbins.- Plot :A fast-talking Hollywood agent is cursed by a spiritual guru after lying to him and only has a thousand words to speak before he dies.- Cast :* Eddie Murphy as Jack McCall*... |
Unknown role | ||
| The Oranges The Oranges (film) The Oranges is an American romantic comedy by Likely Story and Olympus Pictures. At the moment, the film is in post production. The film had its world Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, 2011... |
Carol Ostroff | ||
| The Help The Help (film) The Help is a 2011 comedy-drama film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name. The film is about a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids during Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s... |
Charlotte Phelan | ||
| 2012 | Struck By Lightning Struck by Lightning (2012 film) Struck by Lightning is an upcoming coming-of-age comedy written by and starring Chris Colfer and directed by Brian Dannelly . After being struck by lightning and killed, a young man recounts the way he blackmailed his fellow classmates into contributing to his literary magazine... |
Sheryl Phillips | |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Morton & Hayes Morton & Hayes Morton & Hayes was a short-lived comedy television series, shown Wednesday nights at 8:30 on CBS. Only six episodes were shown, from July 24 to August 28, 1991.This series was centered around the "rediscovered" work of a fictitious comedy duo.-Format:... |
Beatrice Caldicott | Episode: "Society Saps" Episode: "Homes Buddies" |
| 1993 | Blind Spot | Doreen | TV movie |
| 1993–1995 | The Guiding Light | Ginger | Recurring role |
| 1992–1994 | Law & Order Law & Order Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,... |
Ann Madsen/Nora | Episode: "Star Truck" Episode: "Old Friends" |
| 1995 | The Wright Verdicts | Episode: "Sins of the Father" | |
| New York Undercover New York Undercover New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to... |
Vivian | Episode: "Digital Underground" | |
| 1996 | Aliens in the Family Aliens in the Family Aliens in the Family is an American sci-fi/fantasy sitcom that aired on ABC, conceived as part of its TGIF lineup.-Premise:The show was about single dad Doug Brody , who is abducted by single alien mom Cookie . The two fall in love, get married, and try to live a normal life on Earth as a mixed... |
Principal Sherman | Episode: "A Very Brody Tweeznax" |
| Cosby Cosby Cosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād... |
Podiatric Nurse | Episode: "Happily Ever Hilton" | |
| 1997 | ...First Do No Harm ...First Do No Harm ...First Do No Harm is a 1997 television film, directed by Jim Abrahams, about a boy whose severe epilepsy, unresponsive to medications with terrible side effects, is controlled by the ketogenic diet. Aspects of the story mirror Abrahams' own experience with his son Charlie.-Plot:The film tells a... |
Dr. Melanie Abbasac | TV movie |
| Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing | Assistant District Attorney | TV movie | |
| 1998 | David and Lisa David and Lisa David and Lisa is a small independent film directed by Frank Perry, often cited as one of his best works. Based on the novel by Theodore Isaac Rubin, the screenplay, written by Frank Perry's wife Eleanor, tells the story of a bright young man suffering from a severe case of obsessive-compulsive... |
Alix | TV movie |
| 1999 | LateLine LateLine LateLine is an American TV sitcom that ran on NBC from March 17, 1998, through March 16, 1999. Due to an abrupt cancellation, there were seven unaired episodes .Created by John Markus and Al Franken , LateLine depicted the... |
Helen Marschant | Episode: "The Minister of Television" |
| 2000 | A Girl Thing | Kathy McCormack | TV movie |
| 2001–2002 | Frasier Frasier Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars... |
Phyllis | Episode: "The Two Hundredth Episode: Three Blind Dates" |
| 2003 | King of the Hill King of the Hill King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas... |
Laura | Episode: Full Metal Dust Jacket |
| 2005 | Weeds Weeds (TV series) Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a... |
Ms. Greenstein – Attorney | Episode: "Lude Awakening" |
| 1999–2006 | The West Wing | Claudia Jean "C.J." Cregg | 154 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2000,2001) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2002,2004) Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (2001) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2001–2002) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (2001–2002) Nominated – AFI Award for Actor of the Year – Female – Series AFI Awards AFI Awards may refer to:* The American Film Institute Awards* The Australian Film Institute Awards... Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2001–2002) Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (2003–2004) Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2003,2006) Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (2003) Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2003–2006) Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (2003–2005) |
| 2007 | Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake... |
Beverly | Episode: "My Damn Stalker" |
| Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was an American dramedy television series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It ran for 22 episodes.The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to that of NBC's... |
Herself | Episode: "The Disaster Show" | |
| 2008–2009 | Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which... |
Charlene Doofenshmirtz | Episodes: "I Scream, You Scream", "Hail Doofania!", "Thaddeus and Thor" and "Finding Mary McGuffin" |
| 2009 | 63rd Tony Awards 63rd Tony Awards The 63rd Annual Tony Awards, which recognized Broadway productions of the 2008-2009 season, were presented on June 7, 2009 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The ceremony was broadcast by CBS, with Neil Patrick Harris as host.... |
Violet from 9 to 5 9 to 5 (musical) 9 to 5: The Musical is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and a book by Patricia Resnick, based on the 1980 movie Nine to Five... /Herself |
|
| 2010 | Shameless (U.S. TV series) | Sheila | Episode: "Pilot" |
| Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian... |
Teen People Editor | Episode: "Dial Meg for Murder" | |
| Lost Lost (TV series) Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island... |
"Mother" | Episode: "Across the Sea" | |
| In Plain Sight In Plain Sight In Plain Sight is an American dramatic television series on USA Network. The series revolves around Mary Shannon , a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico office of the Federal Witness Security Program , more commonly known as the Federal Witness Protection Program... |
Allison Pearson | Episode: "When Mary Met Marshall" Episode: "Coma Chameleon" |
|
| 2011 | Mr. Sunshine | Crystal Cohen | 9 Episodes Main cast |