Anecdotes

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.

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.

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".

As of 2016, has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: American Beauty (1999), The Hours (2002), Juno (2007) and La Couleur des sentiments (2011). Of those, American Beauty (1999) is a winner in the category.

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

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.

In the film L'objet de mon affection (1998), she played Alan Alda's wife. In the early 1990s, she attended Kenyon College with Alda's daughter, Elizabeth Alda. Alda co-starred on À la Maison Blanche (1999) from 2005-06 with Janney, though they have not appeared together on camera.

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.

Childhood celebrity crush was Davy Jones of The Monkees fame.

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 À la Maison Blanche (1999) -- her mere existence is reason enough to give thanks".

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 Comment se débarrasser de son patron (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".

Resides across the street from her À la Maison Blanche (1999) co-star Janel Moloney.

Though she is known for often playing mother characters through her career, she herself has never been married or had kids.

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

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

Is one of 15 actresses to win the Critic's Choice Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and Oscar in the film Moi, Tonya (2017). The others to achieve this are Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich, seule contre tous (2000), Renée Zellweger for Retour à 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 La Couleur des sentiments (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 3 Billboards : Les Panneaux de la vengeance (2017).

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

Her character on À la Maison Blanche (1999), C.J. Cregg, also came from Dayton, Ohio.

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

Stepcousin of Michael Weatherly.

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

Has played Melissa McCarthy's mother in Tammy (2014) and later Melissa's boss in Spy (2015).

Most admires women's rights activist Susan B. Anthony.

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

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

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

Attended and graduated from Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Allison's mother, Macy Brooks Janney, once roomed with actress Eileen Brennan.

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

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

Won her first Oscar the same year (2018) as a former colleague won his: Janney for Moi, Tonya (2017); Sam Rockwell for 3 Billboards : Les Panneaux de la vengeance (2017). They previously co-starred together in Cet été-là (2013).

Is a huge fan of rap music.

She was born on November 19, 1959 which was when Rocky and His Friends (1959) debuted on television, and then she would go on to star in M. Peabody et Sherman: Les voyages dans le temps (2014) which is based on the original segments from that old show.

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

Gaby Hoffmann and Melanie Lynskey are two of her favorite actresses.

Born at 12:44 PM (EST).