Boston native Allison Janney -- born Nov. 19, 1960 -- grew up dreaming of becoming an Olympic skater until an accident derailed her plans and steered her to acting.Janney's first career break came after landing a part in a play helmed by Paul Newman and receiving encouragement from Joanne Woodward. But Janney hit her stride in the 1990s with a breakout role in the 1996 film Big Night, followed by quirky parts in The Ice Storm (1997) and American Beauty (1999) -- all the while continuing to stretch herself on stage.
But it was her turn as press secretary C.J. Gregg on the hit political drama "The West Wing" that made Janney a household name and earned her multiple Emmys, along with other industry honors. Her later big-screen efforts of note include Nurse Betty (2000), The Hours (2002) and Finding Nemo (2003). She received an Independent Spirit Award nod in 2010 for her supporting performance in Life During Wartime.
How to DealWhat is love, anyway, but the fast lane to heartache? At least, that's what teenaged Halley thinks when learning "how to deal" with the complicated relationships in her life, which seem to point to a common conclusion: reality bites. Read More
Life During WartimeFilmmaker Todd Solondz revisits his Happiness characters in this tale about three sisters, Trish (Allison Janney) and Joy (Shirley Henderson), each married to degenerate men, and estranged Helen (Ally Sheedy), as they ponder the virtues of forgiving and forgetting. As Joy visits Trish to escape... Read More
Our Very OwnSet in 1978, writer-director Cameron Watson's valentine to small-town life and the age of innocence follows a group of teens hoping to catch up with movie star Sondra Locke, who's returned to her hometown for the premiere of her latest film. Shot entirely in Shelbyville, Tenn., this nostalgic... Read More
Heading HomeFirst-time director Maria Heritier helms this Vietnam War-era drama chronicling the emotional journey of two unlikely friends who form a bond en route to Washington, D.C. As he dutifully drives his bus to a war protest in the nation's capital, Horace Jones (Frankie Faison) can't help but wonder if... Read More
Liberal Arts (2012) | NR | |
The Help (2011) | PG-13 | |
Margaret (2011) | R | |
The Oranges (2011) | NR | |
Mr. Sunshine (2011) | TV-14 | |
A Thousand Words (2010) | NR | |
Love & Distrust (2010) | R | |
Pretty Ugly People (2009) | R | |
Away We Go (2009) | R | |
Jennifer's Body (2009) | UR | |
Life During Wartime (2009) | R | |
NR | ||
PG-13 | ||
Hairspray (2007) | PG | |
Piccadilly Jim (2006) | NR | |
Over the Hedge (2006) | PG | |
NR | ||
The Chumscrubber (2005) | R | |
Strangers with Candy (2005) | R | |
Our Very Own (2005) | NR | |
Winter Solstice (2004) | R | |
NR | ||
Finding Nemo (2003) | G | |
How to Deal (2003) | PG-13 | |
The Hours (2002) | PG-13 | |
A Girl Thing (2001) | UR | |
Nurse Betty (2000) | R | |
American Beauty (1999) | R | |
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) | PG-13 | |
The West Wing (1999) | TV-PG | |
PG-13 | ||
Primary Colors (1998) | R | |
PG-13 | ||
The Impostors (1998) | R | |
NR | ||
First Do No Harm (1997) | PG-13 | |
The Ice Storm (1997) | R | |
PG-13 | ||
Big Night (1996) | R | |
The Associate (1996) | PG-13 | |
Heading Home (1995) | NR | |
R | ||
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