Allison Janney

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. 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 Radios "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.

Resides across the street from her "The West Wing" co-star Janel Moloney.

Nominated for Broadways 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.

Mostly admires Susan B. Anthony.

In the film The Object of My Affection , she played Alan Alda s wife. In the early 1990s, she attended Kenyon College with Aldas daughter, Elizabeth Alda. Alda co-starred on "The West Wing" from 2005-2006 with Janney, though they have not appeared together on camera.

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" -- her mere existence is reason enough to give thanks".

Her character on "The West Wing" , C.J. Cregg, also came from Dayton, Ohio.

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

Nominated for Broadways 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 Nine to Five . 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.

Stepcousin of Michael Weatherly.

Attended and graduated from Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Attended and graduated from Kenton College in Gambier, Ohio.

Has played Melissa McCarthys mother in Tammy and later Melissas boss in Spy .

As of 2016, has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: American Beauty , The Hours , Juno and The Help . Of those, American Beauty is a winner in the category.

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 has endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Election.

She has English and German ancestry.

Allisons mother Macy once roomed with actress Eileen Brennan.

Her very close friend Steven Rogers wrote the biopic I, Tonya expressly for her, which brought her a degree of mixed amusement considering her on-screen character.

[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.

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

[2011, "Ginger" on "The Guiding Light" (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.

Hysterical.

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.