Overview (3)

Mini Bio (1)

Trade Mark (2)

Towering height



Frequently portrays the mother of the main character



Trivia (35)

Her father is a jazz musician, and she has two brothers who are also both musicians. She had dreams of becoming an Olympic skater before a freak accident derailed that -- she ran blindly through a glass door and was severely injured. She was educated at Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio; Neighborhood Playhouse, New York and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London, England.





She won an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for "Present Laughter" in 1997. She shared the award with Deborah Findlay and Celia Weston

Formerly resided with Dennis Gagomiros, a computer programmer, in a Manhattan loft (2001). They first met at the New York City Playhouse in 1982.



While struggling to succeed as an actress, she told people who inquired about what she did for a living that she was a photographer for "National Geographic".





Was discovered by Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward while acting in a play, directed by Newman, at Kenyon College, Ohio. They encouraged her to head to New York City after graduation in order to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse.



Announced live on WCBM Radio's "Tom Marr Show" that she had accepted actor Richard Jenik 's proposal and was engaged to be married around Christmas, 2004. The couple broke off their engagement in November 2006.



Nominated for Broadway's 1998 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for a revival of Arthur Miller 's "A View From the Bridge".

Her great-uncle, Stuart Janney, owned many racehorses, including Ruffian.



Most admires Susan B. Anthony.





In an article praising the most exceptional women of the year ("Those we loved in 2005," The Guardian, 16 December 2005), Laura Barton gave "a big thank you" to Allison Janney, "aka C.J. from The West Wing: Im Zentrum der Macht (1999) -- her mere existence is reason enough to give thanks".

Is one of 105 people invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 2008.



Nominated for Broadway's 2009 Tony Award for Best Performance for a Leading Actress in a Musical for "9 to 5: The Musical".





In 2009, she won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance as Violet Newstead in "9 to 5", the musical version of the film Warum eigentlich... bringen wir den Chef nicht um? (1980). She was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, but lost to Alice Ripley for her performance in "Next to Normal".



Called Mariska Hargitay up on the stage with her after Janney won the Emmy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama, after noticing that they were both wearing similar green dresses. After Hargitay went up on stage with her, she called up the other nominees, who all declined.

Allison provides the voice for the Star Tours Hostess Aly San San. The updated version of the Walt Disney World/Disneyland Attraction opened May/June 2011.



Daughter of Jervis Spencer Jr. and Macy Brooks Janney.



Attended and graduated from Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut.



Attended and graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio (1982).



She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6100 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 17, 2016.





Is a lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party. Janney endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Election.

She has English, and smaller amounts of German and Scottish, ancestry. Her lineage in the U.S. goes back to the 1600s, rooted in Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts.





Allison's mother Macy once roomed with actress Eileen Brennan



Her very close friend Steven Rogers wrote the biopic Tonya (2017) character LaVona Golden expressly for her, which brought her a degree of mixed amusement.



Counts Die Jungs von Spinal Tap (1984) as one of her all-time favorite films.

Is a big fan of rap music.



Is one of 15 actresses to win the Critic's Choice Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and Oscar in the film I, Tonya (2017). The others to achieve this are Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich (2000), Renée Zellweger for Cold Mountain (2003), Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line (2005), Helen Mirren for The Queen (2006), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006), Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008), Mo'Nique for Precious (2009), Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010), Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011), Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables (2012), Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine (2013), Patricia Arquette for Boyhood (2014), Julianne Moore for Still Alice (2014) and Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).



Won her only Oscar the same year as a former colleague won his only Oscar. They both won in 2018. Allison Janney for "I, Tonya" (2016, and Sam Rockwell for "3 Billboards Outside Ebbing County" (2017), they both co-starred in "The Way Way Back" (2013).





She was born on November 19th, 1959 which was when Rocky und Bullwinkle (1959) debuted on TV, and then she would go on to star in Die Abenteuer von Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) which is based on the original segments from that old show.

Personal Quotes (13)

[on her towering height] Years ago, one casting agent told me that the only roles I could play were lesbians and aliens.



[on staying sane and happy] Dogs tether you to the earth in some really good way. And exercise, of course. And martinis. And sexy high heels. That's it. Good work, a nice pair of heels, a martini, a dog and a man - not necessarily in that order. [Living Fit magazine]



Listen, I'm an actor. I can make anyone believe anything. I don't have to know what the hell I'm talking about.



I hate auditioning so much. I like people who go, "You know what? Allison can do this.".





[2011, on making Mr. Sunshine (2011)] Oh my God. I mean, it was just a candy store for me. I had so much fun playing her, and I wish I could've gone on playing her, because she was really fun. I love to play those absurd women. And I got to sing with James Taylor ! If nothing else, I got to do that. And Matthew Perry is pretty great to work with, too. I had a great time. I'm sorry and sad it didn't go, but, geez, I'm glad I got to do that.



[2011, on Big Night - Nacht der Genüsse (1996)] Oh, well, Stanley Tucci , love of my life. I did a play with him and got to know him, and he was talking about this movie he was doing, that he was getting together. And I just loved him so much that I wanted to be around him, so I said, "Stanley, let me be part of this movie. I will be craft services. I will be your script girl. Just let me be part of this in some way". And he called me up in my New York City apartment one day and said, "Allison, I want you to play the part of "Ann", the flower lady in Big Night". He just called and offered that to me. And that was one of the happiest movie sets I've ever been on. The most fun. Such difficult hours, but I was hanging out with Marc Anthony ! He had a wordless part in that movie, and he and I became friends. We were so silly, hanging out together. And I loved Campbell Scott . I was just so happy to be there that I could've worked 24-hour days and not complained a bit. I was having such a great time. Really one of my favorite movies I got to do.



[2011, on Lost (2004)] Most difficult acting job I've ever had to do in my life. Didn't enjoy acting outdoors, in streams and in the elements. It was very hard. I had to loop most of my performance for that. That's what I want to say about that: I had to loop for 10 hours. That was not fun. I don't like looping. And it was a weird decision, I think, in my career to do that, 'cause I... I don't know, I thought it'd be fun to be part of such a pop-culture thing. But it was quite difficult to do, and I felt a little lost myself during Lost (2004).



[2011, on The West Wing: Im Zentrum der Macht (1999)] The most impactful role I've ever played. Life-changing. A life-changing role, in terms of my notoriety, if you want to call it that, opening doors to meeting the kinds of people I never would've met in a million years. Going to Washington and being invited to the White House, going to the Foreign Correspondents' Dinner. It just opened a million doors and broadened my life so much, and brought so much to me. I was so proud of being a part of a groundbreaking show like that. It was life-changing, and I'll be forever grateful for it.



[2011, "Ginger" on Springfield Story (1952)] That was my first professional job as an actress in New York City, and I felt like I had made it! I was thrilled. It afforded me... Well, I could pay my rent on what I made! It was the first time I kind of started making a living. I could pay for my rent and for other things. I started being able to take my friends out to dinner. It was my first real salary as an actress. So that was pretty big.



[2011, on Gnadenlos schön (1999)] I think I get more people coming up to me saying how much they love that movie than any other thing I've done. Even more than The West Wing: Im Zentrum der Macht (1999), I have to say. That movie is a cult classic, and that was a great part. I did a lot of improv in that part, and... It was a long time shooting up there for me. I hung out a lot at the Mall Of America to get that accent down, 'cause that was a hard accent to do right. And I think I got it pretty right. But Ellen Barkin was a dream to work with. Hysterical.



[2011, on 10 Dinge, die ich an Dir hasse (1999)] My first big movie where I got money. Where I got real money that I put in the bank. That was very important to me... And to my father. I remember having dinner with him, telling him, "Dad, I just got cast in this part, and they're paying me blank amount of money", and it was enough to put in the bank and save. And he was very proud of me. [Director] Gil Junger , he was very fun to work with, and he encouraged me to be very silly. And Heath Ledger , that was one of his first movies over here, and he was such a sweet guy and very handsome. And genuinely kind. That's what I remember about him. It was before his career took off, but I just thought, "There's a guy who's going to do well", and I was impressed by the fact that he was so kind and nice. And he remembered my name. I thought that was sweet.

I get cast as either the smartest woman in the room or the drunkest woman in the room, and a lot of stuff in between.



Always go to bed with clean feet. That's from my grandma.



Salary (2)