Allison Janney

Highest Rated: 99% Finding Nemo (2003)

Lowest Rated: Not Available

Birthday: Nov 19, 1959

Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio, USA

After spending almost two decades struggling in regional theater, actress Allison Janney at long last became a household name playing White House press secretary C.J. Gregg on the popular and acclaimed television drama, "The West Wing" (NBC, 1999-2006). Prior to this success, Janney was a New York-based performer looking for her first big break while taking whatever role she could get her hands on. Frustrated to the point of almost quitting for good, she had her first real breakthrough with a stunning Broadway debut in Neil Coward's "Present Laughter" (1996). More Broadway success came her way the following year when she earned a Tony Award nomination for her turn in Arthur Miller's "A View From the Bridge" (1997). During her high-profile run on "The West Wing" - during which she netted four Emmy Awards - she managed to also find time for several well-regarded supporting turns in independent films like "The Hours" (2002) and "Winter Solstice" (2005). But it was her memorable performance as the caring, but disappointed stepmother of a pregnant teenager in "Juno" (2007) that allowed audiences to see the depth and breadth of Janney's talent in both mediums. She followed this up with her critically-acclaimed role as the matriarch of a multi-generationally dysfunctional family in the Chuck Lorre sitcom "Mom" (CBS 2013- ), in which she starred opposite Anna Faris.