Allison Janney
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Nov 19, 1959 (age 66)
- Place of birth
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Credits
- 170
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
Finding Nemo
2003Movie
Peach (voice)
American Beauty
1999Movie
Barbara Fitts
Finding Dory
2016Movie
Peach (voice)
Minions
2015Movie
Madge Nelson (voice)
The Simpsons
1989TV
Julia (voice)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
2016Movie
Dr. Golan
Filmography
Not Alone
2027Movie
(voice)
The Dog Stars
2026Movie
Darlene
Minions & Monsters
2026Movie
Olivia (voice)
Miss You, Love You
2026Movie
Diane Patterson
The Roses
2025Movie
Eleanor
Everything's Going to Be Great
2025Movie
Macy Smart
Another Simple Favor
2025Movie
Aunt Linda McLanden
Palm Royale
2024TV
Evelyn Rollins
True Love: Making The Creator
2023Movie
Self
The Creator
2023Movie
Colonel Howell
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
2023Movie
Self - Guest
The Diplomat
2023TV
Vice President Grace Penn, President Grace Penn
The People We Hate at the Wedding
2022Movie
Donna
Minions & More 2
2022Movie
Madge Nelson (voice)
To Leslie
2022Movie
Nancy
Lou
2022Movie
Lou
Be My Guest with Ina Garten
2022TV
Self - Guest
Still Working 9 to 5
2022Movie
Self
Breaking News in Yuba County
2021Movie
Sue Buttons
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
2020Movie
C.J. Cregg
Celebrity IOU
2020TV
Self
Lazy Susan
2020Movie
Velvet
Bombshell
2019Movie
Susan Estrich
Expedition Amelia
2019Movie
Narrator (voice)
The Addams Family
2019Movie
Margaux Needler (voice)
Bad Education
2019Movie
Pam Gluckin
Human Discoveries
2019TV
The Mighty Karen (voice)
Ma
2019Movie
Doctor Brooks
Troop Zero
2019Movie
Miss Massey
The Kominsky Method
2018TV
Self
Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal
2018Movie
Self (archive footage)
The Night Is Young
2018Movie
Wanda
I, Tonya
2017Movie
LaVona
DuckTales
2017TV
Goldie O'Gilt (voice)
Sun Dogs
2017Movie
Rose Chipley
A Happening of Monumental Proportions
2017Movie
Principal Nichols
The Girl on the Train
2016Movie
Detective Sgt. Riley
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
2016Movie
Dr. Golan
Finding Dory
2016Movie
Peach (voice)
Tallulah
2016Movie
Margo
Chelsea
2016TV
Self
Binky Nelson Unpacified
2015Movie
Madge Nelson (voice)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015TV
Self, Self - Guest
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
2015TV
Self
Minions
2015Movie
Madge Nelson (voice)
Spy
2015Movie
Elaine Crocker
The Late Late Show with James Corden
2015TV
Self, Self - Guest
The DUFF
2015Movie
Dottie Piper
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
2014TV
Self
Days and Nights
2014Movie
Elizabeth
Get On Up
2014Movie
Kathy
Tammy
2014Movie
Deb
The Rewrite
2014Movie
Professor Weldon
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014TV
Self
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
2014Movie
Ms. Grunion (voice)
Brightest Star
2013Movie
The Astronomer
Masters of Sex
2013TV
Margaret Scully
Mom
2013TV
Bonnie Plunkett
The Arsenio Hall Show
2013TV
Self
Touchy Feely
2013Movie
Bronwyn
Bad Words
2013Movie
Dr. Bernice Deagan
Hollywood Game Night
2013TV
Self
Struck by Lightning
2013Movie
Sheryl Phillips
Letters to Jackie: Remembering President Kennedy
2013Movie
Self - Narrator (voice)
The Way Way Back
2013Movie
Betty Thompson
Trust Me
2013Movie
Meg
Celia
2012Movie
Celia
Liberal Arts
2012Movie
Professor Judith Fairfield
Comedy Bang! Bang!
2012TV
Self
Veep
2012TV
Janet Ryland
A Thousand Words
2012Movie
Samantha Davis
Margaret
2011Movie
Monica Patterson
The Oranges
2011Movie
Carol Ostroff
The Help
2011Movie
Charlotte Phelan
Web Therapy
2011TV
Judith Frick
Mr. Sunshine
2011TV
Crystal Cohen
Love and Distrust
2010Movie
Grechen (segment "Auto Motives")
Life During Wartime
2010Movie
Trish Maplewood
Who Do You Think You Are?
2010TV
Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009TV
Self - Guest
Away We Go
2009Movie
Lily
9 to 5: The Musical
2009Movie
Violet Newstead
It's Still Me!
2009Movie
Narrator (voice)
Prop 8: The Musical
2008Movie
Prop 8 Leader's #1 Wife
Pretty Ugly People
2008Movie
Suzanna
Web Therapy
2008TV
Judith Frick
The Bonnie Hunt Show
2008TV
Self
In Plain Sight
2008TV
Allison Pearson
Juno
2007Movie
Bren MacGuff
You Can’t Stop the Beat: The Long Journey of "Hairspray"
2007Movie
Self
Phineas and Ferb
2007TV
Charlene Doofenshmirtz (voice)
Hairspray
2007Movie
Prudy Pringleton
The EcoZone Project
2007TV
The Graham Norton Show
2007TV
Self
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
2006TV
Self
The Megan Mullally Show
2006TV
Self - Guest
Strangers with Candy
2006Movie
Alice
Over the Hedge
2006Movie
Gladys (voice)
Weeds
2005TV
Ms. Greenstein
Our Very Own
2005Movie
Joan Whitfield
The Chumscrubber
2005Movie
Allie Stiffle
American Dad!
2005TV
Aunt Jesse (voice)
Piccadilly Jim
2004Movie
Eugenia Crocker
Lost
2004TV
Mother
The Soup
2004TV
Self
Winter Solstice
2004Movie
Molly Ripkin
Celebrity Poker Showdown
2003TV
Self
Chicken Party
2003Movie
Barbara Strasser
Two and a Half Men
2003TV
Beverly
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003TV
Self
How to Deal
2003Movie
Lydia Martin
Finding Nemo
2003Movie
Peach (voice)
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003TV
Self, Self - Guest
The Hours
2002Movie
Sally Lester
Rooftop Kisses
2002Movie
Melissa
A Girl Thing
2001TV
Kathy McCormack
Curb Your Enthusiasm
2000TV
Cynthia
Nurse Betty
2000Movie
Lyla
Auto Motives
2000Movie
Grechen
The West Wing
1999TV
C.J. Cregg
American Beauty
1999Movie
Barbara Fitts
The Debtors
1999Movie
Drop Dead Gorgeous
1999Movie
Loretta
10 Things I Hate About You
1999Movie
Ms. Perky
Family Guy
1999TV
Teen People Editor (voice), Mistress Vita (voice), Crystal Quagmire (voice)
David and Lisa
1998Movie
Alix
The Impostors
1998Movie
Maxine (Max)
Celebrity
1998Movie
Evelyn Isaacs
Six Days Seven Nights
1998Movie
Marjorie
The Object of My Affection
1998Movie
Constance Miller
Primary Colors
1998Movie
Miss Walsh
LateLine
1998TV
The Ice Storm
1997Movie
Dot Halford
Julian Po
1997Movie
Lilah Leech
The View
1997TV
Self
Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing
1997Movie
Assistant D.A.
Private Parts
1997Movie
Dee Dee
...First Do No Harm
1997Movie
Dr. Melanie Abbasac
Anita Liberty
1997Movie
Gynecologist
King of the Hill
1997TV
Laura (voice)
The Associate
1996Movie
Sandy
Big Night
1996Movie
Ann
The Daily Show
1996TV
Self
Walking and Talking
1996Movie
Gum Puller
Rescuing Desire
1996Movie
Betsy
Faithful
1996Movie
Saleslady
Aliens in the Family
1996TV
Flux
1996Movie
Heather
Heading Home
1995Movie
Mary Polanski
The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA
1995TV
Self
Miracle on 34th Street
1994Movie
Woman in Christmas Shop
New York Undercover
1994TV
Vivian
Wolf
1994Movie
Party Guest
The Cowboy Way
1994Movie
NYPD Computer Operator
Dead Funny
1994Movie
Jennifer
Intimate Portrait
1993TV
Self
Frasier
1993TV
Susanna, Phyllis (voice)
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993TV
Self - Guest
Blind Spot
1993Movie
Doreen
Law & Order
1990TV
Nora, Ann Madsen
The Simpsons
1989TV
Julia (voice)
Who Shot Pat?
1989Movie
Miss Penny
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988TV
Self - Guest
Saturday Night Live
1975TV
Self (uncredited)
People's Choice Awards
1975TV
Self - Host, Self - Presenter
Tony Awards
1956TV
Self - Nominee, Self - Presenter, Self - Nominee / Performer
The Oscars
1953TV
Self
Golden Globe Awards
1944TV
Self - Nominee
Fonda
Movie
The Heart
Movie