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Allison Janney: Roles
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One of the most talented -- and often underappreciated -- character actresses of the late 1990s, Allison Janney first began courting critical attention with roles in such acclaimed films as Big Night (1996) and American Beauty (1998). Able to play characters ranging from a name-dropping Manhattan socialite to a withdrawn, abused wife, the 6'0 Janney infuses all of her portrayals with equal parts poignancy and unforced gusto. A product of Dayton, Ohio, where she was born November 19, 1959, Janney was raised as the daughter of a homemaker and the president of a real estate firm.
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One of the most talented -- and often underappreciated -- character actresses of the late 1990s, Allison Janney first began courting critical attention with roles in such acclaimed films as Big Night (1996) and American Beauty (1998). Able to play characters ranging from a name-dropping Manhattan...Read More
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Janney's voice is soft and throaty, and her attitude toward being a serious actor is accentuated by her surprise that people are interested in her life and career. There is no air of celebrity about Janney--nothing to let you know she's worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. While it's tempting to contemplate her recent success as placing her "on the brink of stardom," that's not a subject she'll approach. "I never trust this business at all," she says. "My feet are always on the ground. It's a roller-coaster ride.
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Even with so much happening for her on television, Janney finds the time to work on films as well. She has finished filming her starring role opposite Francis O'Connor in "Piccadilly Jim," a combined venture of Myriad Pictures and Mission Pictures, helmed by John McKay. She was down in the South last summer, shooting the independent film "Our Very Own" with director Cameron Watson and her fiance, actor Richard Jenik.
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Allison had a small role in the 2007 film musical Hairspray as Amanda Bynes' wacky mother. Film director Adam Shankman said that realistically, there was no way he could manage to give Allison's character a singing segment in the movie, but he regrets this because she allegedly has a beautiful voice. (edit)
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