Cast & creator
Allison Janney
Best known for Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
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.
Also known as: Allison Brooks Janney
110
film credits
72
television credits
180
1944–2027 · acting roles
6.5
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (182)
Showing 182 of 182 credits
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self
2015The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Guest
2015
The Simpsons
Julia (voice)
1989
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self
2014
Law & Order
Nora
1990Law & Order
Ann Madsen
1990
The Daily Show
Self
1996
Family Guy
Teen People Editor (voice)
1999Family Guy
Crystal Quagmire (voice)
1999Family Guy
Mistress Vita (voice)
1999
American Dad!
Aunt Jesse (voice)
2005
Saturday Night Live
Self (uncredited)
1975
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
The View
Self
1997
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self
2015The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self - Guest
2015
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
2003Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
Two and a Half Men
Beverly
2003
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
1988
The West Wing
C.J. Cregg
1999
Lost
Mother
2004
King of the Hill
Laura (voice)
1997
Frasier
Susanna
1993Frasier
Phyllis (voice)
1993
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
1993
Phineas and Ferb
Charlene Doofenshmirtz (voice)
2007
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Cynthia
2000
Minions & Monsters
Olivia (voice)
2026
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944
Tony Awards
Self - Nominee
1956Tony Awards
Self - Presenter
1956Tony Awards
Self - Nominee / Performer
1956
Mom
Bonnie Plunkett
2013
Weeds
Ms. Greenstein
2005
DuckTales
Goldie O'Gilt (voice)
2017
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self
2014
Intimate Portrait
Self
1993
The Dog Stars
Darlene
2026
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self
2015
The Soup
Self
2004
Veep
Janet Ryland
2012
Comedy Bang! Bang!
Self
2012
Masters of Sex
Margaret Scully
2013
In Plain Sight
Allison Pearson
2008
Finding Nemo
Peach (voice)
2003
Chelsea
Self
2016
The Diplomat
Vice President Grace Penn
2023The Diplomat
President Grace Penn
2023
The Bonnie Hunt Show
Self
2008
New York Undercover
Vivian
1994
The Megan Mullally Show
Self - Guest
2006
The Oscars
Self
1953
Web Therapy
Judith Frick
2008
Over the Hedge
Gladys (voice)
2006
Palm Royale
Evelyn Rollins
2024
People's Choice Awards
Self - Host
1975People's Choice Awards
Self - Presenter
1975
The Help
Charlotte Phelan
2011
American Beauty
Barbara Fitts
1999
10 Things I Hate About You
Ms. Perky
1999
Who Do You Think You Are?
Self
2010
The Creator
Colonel Howell
2023
The Arsenio Hall Show
Self
2013
Hollywood Game Night
Self
2013
Another Simple Favor
Aunt Linda McLanden
2025
Minions
Madge Nelson (voice)
2015
Finding Dory
Peach (voice)
2016
The Addams Family
Margaux Needler (voice)
2019
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Self
2006
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Dr. Golan
2016
The Kominsky Method
Self
2018
The Roses
Eleanor
2025
The Girl on the Train
Detective Sgt. Riley
2016
Celebrity IOU
Self
2020
Web Therapy
Judith Frick
2011
I, Tonya
LaVona
2017
The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA
Self
1995
Six Days Seven Nights
Marjorie
1998
Spy
Elaine Crocker
2015
Be My Guest with Ina Garten
Self - Guest
2022LateLine
1998
Bombshell
Susan Estrich
2019
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Ms. Grunion (voice)
2014
The Ice Storm
Dot Halford
1997
Juno
Bren MacGuff
2007
The Way Way Back
Betty Thompson
2013
Miracle on 34th Street
Woman in Christmas Shop
1994
Mr. Sunshine
Crystal Cohen
2011
The DUFF
Dottie Piper
2015
Hairspray
Prudy Pringleton
2007
Ma
Doctor Brooks
2019
Human Discoveries
The Mighty Karen (voice)
2019
Primary Colors
Miss Walsh
1998
Celebrity Poker Showdown
Self
2003
A Thousand Words
Samantha Davis
2012
Minions & More 2
Madge Nelson (voice)
2022
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Loretta
1999
The Hours
Sally Lester
2002
Aliens in the Family
1996
Wolf
Party Guest
1994
Nurse Betty
Lyla
2000
The Object of My Affection
Constance Miller
1998
Bad Education
Pam Gluckin
2019
The People We Hate at the Wedding
Donna
2022
The Rewrite
Professor Weldon
2014
Miss You, Love You
Diane Patterson
2026
Private Parts
Dee Dee
1997
Bad Words
Dr. Bernice Deagan
2013
Lou
Lou
2022Lou
Executive Producer
2022
Liberal Arts
Professor Judith Fairfield
2012
Breaking News in Yuba County
Sue Buttons
2021Breaking News in Yuba County
Executive Producer
2021
The Cowboy Way
NYPD Computer Operator
1994
To Leslie
Nancy
2022
Not Alone
(voice)
2027
Get On Up
Kathy
2014
A Girl Thing
Kathy McCormack
2001
Celebrity
Evelyn Isaacs
1998
Big Night
Ann
1996
Tammy
Deb
2014
The Associate
Sandy
1996
Troop Zero
Miss Massey
2019
The Oranges
Carol Ostroff
2011
The Chumscrubber
Allie Stiffle
2005
Away We Go
Lily
2009
...First Do No Harm
Dr. Melanie Abbasac
1997
Margaret
Monica Patterson
2011
Everything's Going to Be Great
Macy Smart
2025
How to Deal
Lydia Martin
2003
Life During Wartime
Trish Maplewood
2010
Strangers with Candy
Alice
2006
The Impostors
Maxine (Max)
1998
Expedition Amelia
Narrator (voice)
2019
9 to 5: The Musical
Violet Newstead
2009
Prop 8: The Musical
Prop 8 Leader's #1 Wife
2008
Fonda
A Happening of Monumental Proportions
Principal Nichols
2017
Still Working 9 to 5
Self
2022
The Night Is Young
Wanda
2018
Trust Me
Meg
2013
You Can’t Stop the Beat: The Long Journey of "Hairspray"
Self
2007
Pretty Ugly People
Suzanna
2008
Tallulah
Margo
2016
Love and Distrust
Grechen (segment "Auto Motives")
2010The Heart
Blind Spot
Doreen
1993
Struck by Lightning
Sheryl Phillips
2013
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
Self - Guest
2023
Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal
Self (archive footage)
2018
Our Very Own
Joan Whitfield
2005
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
C.J. Cregg
2020
Faithful
Saleslady
1996
Sun Dogs
Rose Chipley
2017
Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing
Assistant D.A.
1997
Rescuing Desire
Betsy
1996
Dead Funny
Jennifer
1994
Days and Nights
Elizabeth
2014
Binky Nelson Unpacified
Madge Nelson (voice)
2015
Touchy Feely
Bronwyn
2013
Lazy Susan
Velvet
2020
Rooftop Kisses
Melissa
2002The EcoZone Project
2007
David and Lisa
Alix
1998
Walking and Talking
Gum Puller
1996
Auto Motives
Grechen
2000
Piccadilly Jim
Eugenia Crocker
2004
Heading Home
Mary Polanski
1995
True Love: Making The Creator
Self
2023
Julian Po
Lilah Leech
1997
Brightest Star
The Astronomer
2013
It's Still Me!
Narrator (voice)
2009
The Debtors
1999
Winter Solstice
Molly Ripkin
2004
Chicken Party
Barbara Strasser
2003
Who Shot Pat?
Miss Penny
1989
Anita Liberty
Gynecologist
1997
Celia
Celia
2012Flux
Heather
1996