The Young and the Restless

Allison Janney Facts: Celebrities Who Started on Soaps

Published by

Shado Saeyang

5 years ago

Allison Janney is an award-winning theater, film, and television actress who has won over audiences with her mesmerizing work on The West Wing, Masters of Sex, and Mom, just to name a few. She also appeared on soaps.

Along with her roles in television, Janney has also appeared in movies like 10 Things I Hate About You, I, Tonya, Hairspray, American Beauty, and The Help. From the iconic actor who discovered her to winning an Oscar, here are five fast facts about the star.

Who Is Allison Janney?

Janney was born on November 19 in Boston, Massachusetts but was raised in both Cincinnati, Ohio and Dayton, Ohio with her two brothers, Hal and Jay. She attended the Miami Valley School in Dayton and then went on to study at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and then decided to get her degree from Kenyon College.

Discovered By a Legend
While at college, she responded to a casting call for an on-campus play that was being directed by the school’s most famous alumnus, Paul Newman. During her audition, Janney made sure to talk about driving and how she was able to get home quickly because she knew of Newman’s love of race car driving. Not only did Janney get the part, but Newman encouraged her to continue acting and to move to New York.

Soap Beginnings
Following her first television role on a show called Morton & Hayes, Janney was cast as Vi Kaminski on As the World Turns. But it was her role as wacky Ginger the maid on Guiding Light for two years that endeared her to soap fans.

Big Winner

Janney won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for her work in I, Tonya, the movie about Tonya Harding’s life, as LaVona Golden. Not only has Janney won an Oscar, but she’s also won seven Primetime Emmys for her work on The West Wing, Masters of Sex, and Mom.

Getting Personal With Allison Janney
Janney has never been married and doesn’t have any children, but she was previously engaged to actor Richard Jenik from 2004 to 2006. Former Loving/The City star and current headliner of Bull, Michael Weatherly, is her stepcousin.