Allison Janney

Born:November 19, 1959

Place of Birth:Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Known For:Acting

Biography

Allison Janney, born on November 19, 1959, is a versatile American actress whose illustrious career has spanned over three decades. Hailing from Boston and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Janney's journey to stardom began with a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art after graduating from Kenyon College. While she initially had minor roles in film and television, her breakthrough came with her iconic portrayal of C. J. Cregg in the acclaimed NBC series, The West Wing, where she garnered four Primetime Emmy Awards.

In addition to her television success, Janney has made a significant impact on the stage, with her professional debut in the Off-Broadway production Ladies in 1989. Her Broadway debut in the 1996 revival of Present Laughter marked the beginning of a remarkable stage career, earning her two Drama Desk Awards and Tony Award nominations for her outstanding performances in various productions.

Janney's filmography is as diverse as it is impressive, with notable roles in a wide range of movies such as American Beauty, Juno, The Help, and I, Tonya, for which she clinched an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. Her ability to seamlessly transition between comedy and drama has solidified her status as one of Hollywood's most talented actresses.

Beyond her on-screen achievements, Janney's talent extends to voice acting, with memorable roles in animated films like Finding Nemo, Minions, and The Addams Family. Her captivating voice brings characters to life in a way that resonates with audiences of all ages.

Janney's portrayal of complex and multifaceted characters, such as the cynical recovering addict Bonnie Plunkett in the sitcom Mom, showcases her exceptional range as an actress. Her ability to infuse depth and nuance into each role she takes on has earned her widespread acclaim and numerous accolades throughout her career.

With a filmography that includes a mix of critically acclaimed dramas, comedies, and animated films, Allison Janney continues to captivate audiences with her exceptional talent and versatility. Her dedication to her craft and her ability to embody a diverse array of characters have firmly established her as a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.

Whether she's delivering a poignant dramatic performance or eliciting laughter with her impeccable comedic timing, Allison Janney's on-screen presence is nothing short of mesmerizing. Her impressive body of work serves as a testament to her immense talent and enduring impact on the world of film and television.

As she continues to take on challenging and compelling roles, Allison Janney remains a beloved and respected figure in Hollywood, with a career that has left an indelible mark on the entertainment landscape. Her legacy as an actress of unparalleled skill and versatility is sure to endure for years to come.

Images

Filmography

Acting

Another Simple Favor

Aunt Linda McLanden

2025

Stephanie and Emily reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy for Emily's extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.

The Creator

Colonel Howell

2023

Amid a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife, is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war—and mankind itself.

Finding Nemo

Peach (voice)

2003

Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to his worrisome father Marlin and a friendly but forgetful fish Dory to bring Nemo home -- meeting vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more along the way.

10 Things I Hate About You

Ms. Perky

1999

On the first day at his new school, Cameron instantly falls for Bianca, the gorgeous girl of his dreams. The only problem is that Bianca is forbidden to date until her ill-tempered, completely un-dateable older sister Kat goes out, too. In an attempt to solve his problem, Cameron singles out the only guy who could possibly be a match for Kat: a mysterious bad boy with a nasty reputation of his own.

The Help

Charlotte Phelan

2011

Aibileen Clark is a middle-aged African-American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has recently lost her only son; Minny Jackson is an African-American maid who has often offended her employers despite her family's struggles with money and her desperate need for jobs; and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is a young white woman who has recently moved back home after graduating college to find out her childhood maid has mysteriously disappeared. These three stories intertwine to explain how life in Jackson, Mississippi revolves around "the help"; yet they are always kept at a certain distance because of racial lines.

Spy

Elaine Crocker

2015

A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Dr. Golan

2016

A teenager finds himself transported to an island where he must help protect a group of orphans with special powers from creatures intent on destroying them.

Ma

Doctor Brooks

2019

Sue Ann is a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie, a new teenager in town, to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her own.

Minions

Madge Nelson (voice)

2015

Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.

Over the Hedge

Gladys (voice)

2006

A scheming raccoon fools a mismatched family of forest creatures into helping him repay a debt of food, by invading the new suburban sprawl that popped up while they were hibernating – and learns a lesson about family himself.

American Beauty

Barbara Fitts

1999

Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.

Finding Dory

Peach (voice)

2016

Dory is reunited with her friends Nemo and Marlin in the search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?

The Girl on the Train

Detective Sgt. Riley

2016

Rachel Watson, devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.

Juno

Bren MacGuff

2007

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, sixteen year old high-schooler, Juno MacGuff, makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.

The Addams Family

Margaux Needler (voice)

2019

The Addams family's lives begin to unravel when they face-off against a treacherous, greedy crafty reality-TV host while also preparing for their extended family to arrive for a major celebration.

Hairspray

Prudy Pringleton

2007

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad auditions to be on Baltimore's most popular dance show - The Corny Collins Show - and lands a prime spot. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to help her friends and end the racial segregation that has been a staple of the show.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Ms. Grunion (voice)

2014

A young boy and his dog, who happens to have a genius-level IQ, spring into action when their time-machine is stolen and moments in history begin to be changed.

Bombshell

Susan Estrich

2019

Bombshell is a revealing look inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time; and the explosive story of the women who brought down the infamous man who created it.

I, Tonya

LaVona

2017

Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.

The Hours

Sally Lester

2002

The story of three women searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.

Lou

2022

A young girl is kidnapped during a powerful storm. Her mother joins forces with her mysterious neighbour to set off in pursuit of the kidnapper. Their journey will test their limits and expose the dark secrets of their past.

Six Days Seven Nights

Marjorie

1998

In the South Pacific island of Makatea, career-driven magazine editor Robin Monroe is on a week-long vacation getaway with her boyfriend, Frank Martin. An emergency work assignment in neighboring Tahiti requires Robin to hire the cantankerous pilot Quinn Harris who had flown them to Makatea on a small transport plane. While flying, a powerful storm forces Quinn to make an emergency landing on a nearby deserted island. The dissimilar pair avoid each other at first, until they're forced to team up to escape from the island -- and some pirates who want their heads.

The DUFF

Dottie Piper

2015

Bianca's universe turns upside down when she learns that her high school refers to her as a ‘DUFF' (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). Hoping to erase that label, she enlists the help of a charming jock and her favorite teacher. Together they'll face the school's mean girl and remind everyone that we are all someone's DUFF… and that's totally fine.

A Thousand Words

Samantha Davis

2012

Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack’s life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard. With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. Words have never failed Jack McCall, but now he’s got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he’s a goner.

Tammy

Deb

2014

For Tammy, a burger-joint employee, a bad day keeps getting worse. She wrecks her car, loses her job, and finds that her husband has been unfaithful. It's time for Tammy to hit the road, but without money or transportation, her options are limited. Her only choice is a road trip with her hard-drinking grandmother, Pearl, who has a car, cash, and an itch to see Niagara Falls. It's not the escape Tammy had in mind, but it may be what she needs.

Drop Dead Gorgeous

Loretta

1999

In a small Minnesota town, the annual beauty pageant is being covered by a TV crew. Former winner Gladys Leeman wants to make sure her daughter follows in her footsteps; explosions, falling lights, and trailer fires prove that. As the Leemans are the richest family in town, the police are pretty relaxed about it all. Despite everything, main rival (but sweet) Amber Atkins won't give up without a fight.

The Ice Storm

Dot Halford

1997

In the weekend after thanksgiving 1973 the Hood family is skidding out of control. Then an ice storm hits, the worst in a century.

The Way Way Back

Betty Thompson

2013

Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.

Bad Education

Pam Gluckin

2019

A superintendent of a school district works for the betterment of the student’s education when an embezzlement scheme is discovered, threatening to destroy everything.

Troop Zero

Miss Massey

2019

In rural 1977 Georgia, a misfit girl dreams of life in outer space. When a national competition offers her a chance at her dream, to be recorded on NASA’s Golden Record, she recruits a makeshift troupe of Birdie Scouts, forging friendships that last a lifetime and beyond.

Private Parts

Dee Dee

1997

The life and career of shock-jock superstar Howard Stern is recounted from his humble beginnings to his view from the top. Possessing a desire to be an on-air personality since childhood, Stern meanders through the radio world, always with his supportive wife, Alison, by his side. Landing a gig in Washington, D.C., Stern meets Robin Quivers, who will become his long-time partner in crime. When the two move to New York, they face the wrath of NBC executives.

Primary Colors

Miss Walsh

1998

In this adaptation of the best-selling roman à clef about Bill Clinton's 1992 run for the White House, the young and gifted Henry Burton is tapped to oversee the presidential campaign of Governor Jack Stanton. Burton is pulled into the politician's colorful world and looks on as Stanton -- who has a wandering eye that could be his downfall -- contends with his ambitious wife, Susan, and an outspoken adviser, Richard Jemmons.

Miracle on 34th Street

Woman in Christmas Shop

1994

Six-year-old Susan Walker has doubts about childhood's most enduring miracle—Santa Claus. Her mother told her the secret about Santa a long time ago, but, after meeting a special department store Santa who's convinced he's the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all—something to believe in.

Liberal Arts

Professor Judith Fairfield

2012

Newly single, 35, and uninspired by his job, Jesse Fisher worries that his best days are behind him. But no matter how much he buries his head in a book, life keeps pulling Jesse back. When his favorite college professor invites him to campus to speak at his retirement dinner, Jesse jumps at the chance.

Margaret

Monica Patterson

2011

A young woman witnesses a bus accident, and is caught up in the aftermath, where the question of whether or not it was intentional affects many people's lives.

The People We Hate at the Wedding

Donna

2022

A dysfunctional family that can't seem to get along and get it together reluctantly reunites for a family wedding. As their many skeletons are wrenched from the closet, it turns out to be just what this singular family needs to reconnect.

To Leslie

Nancy

2022

A West Texas single mother wins the lottery and squanders it just as fast, leaving behind a world of heartbreak. Years later, with her charm running out and nowhere to go, she fights to rebuild her life and find redemption.

Away We Go

Lily

2009

Verona and Burt have moved to Colorado to be close to Burt's parents but, with Verona expecting their first child, Burt's parents inexplicably decide to move to Belgium, now leaving them in a place they hate and without a support structure in place. They set off on a whirlwind tour of of disparate locations where they have friends or relatives, sampling not only different cities and climates but also different families. Along the way they realize that the journey is less about discovering where they want to live and more about figuring out what type of parents they want to be.

The Rewrite

Mary Weldon

2014

An Oscar-winning writer in a slump leaves Hollywood to teach screenwriting at a college on the East Coast, where he falls for a single mom taking classes there.

...First Do No Harm

Dr. Melanie Abbasac

1997

When Lori Reimuller learns that her young son Robbie has epilepsy, she first trusts the judgment of the hospital staff in how best to bring it under control. As Robbie's health slides radically downhill, however, she becomes frustrated and desperate, and so does her own research into the existing literature on treatments. When she decides to try an alternative treatment called the Ketogenic Diet, devised long ago by a doctor from Johns Hopkins, she is met with narrow-minded resistance from Robbie's doctor, who is prepared to take legal action to prevent Lori from removing him from the hospital.

Production