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