Allison Janney starred in 'Mom'!

'The West Wing': What Happened To "C.J. Cregg"?

Allison Janney had one of THE roles of her career as "C.J. Cregg" in The West Wing. But it's been over 15 years since the show went off the air, so it is high time to see what the actress is up to now!

Allison Janney is a famous actress
She starred in 'The West Wing'
Learn more about her life and career

Allison Janney, who was born in Boston and grew up in Dayton, Ohio, is known to most TV fans as her career-defining role "C.J. Cregg" in The West Wing - but that is not where she started out. After high school, Janney attended Kenyon College in Ohio and then decided to go to New York City to pursue acting.

Like many actors before her, Janney started out getting smaller parts in TV classics such as As the World Turns, Guiding Light and Law & Order. She also appeared in feature films such as Primary Colors and Six Days, Seven Nights with Harrison Ford.

Allison Janney starred as "C.J. Cregg" in 'The West Wing'.

Allison Janney: "C.J. Cregg" in The West Wing

In 1999, Janney got her big break when she was cast as "C.J. Cregg" in Aaron Sorkin's show The West Wing. On the show, she starred as the White House Press Secretary in the administration of President "Josiah Bartlet", played by Martin Sheen.

For six seasons, she played her role and received unanimous acclaim: She was awarded four Emmy Awards for playing "C.J.", two as Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and two more as Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Meanwhile, she also received four Golden Globe nominations for her role.

Allison Janney: This is what "C.J. Cregg" looks like today!

Allison Janney: Life after The West Wing

After her time on The West Wing, Janney was chosen to play the role of "Sheila" in the pilot episode of Shameless but was actually replaced by Joan Cusack after the show was picked up. She had a recurring role in the Showtime series Masters of Sex, for which she won her fifth Emmy Award in 2014, and appeared in the independent film Juno.

Her next big TV role came in 2013 when she was cast as "Bonnie Plunkett" in the co-lead role alongside Anna Faris in the CBS sitcom Mom. She actually won Emmys number six and seven for her role in Mom. The series was cancelled in 2021.

But Janney also excels in features and received two (well-deserved) accolades as Best Supporting Actress in the movie I, Tonya when she won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe in 2018 for her portrayal of Margot Robbie's mother "LaVona Golden".

Allison Janney's personal life

While Janney has never been married and has no children, she has (as far as we know) been in a relationship with production manager Philip Joncas since 2014, who is about 20 years younger than herself. Some of her recent and upcoming projects include the films To Leslie, The People We Hate at the Wedding, Lou, The Heart, Palm Royale, and Everything's Going To Be Great. We can't wait to see more of Allison Janney on our screens!