WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.299 Welcome to the Deep Dive. We're the place you 00:00:02.299 --> 00:00:05.179 come to get the real story, the essential insights 00:00:05.179 --> 00:00:08.160 from a whole bunch of sources, all boiled down 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:10.380 for you. Exactly. We do the digging so you get 00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:13.720 the core understanding. And today, we are really 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:15.919 getting into it with someone truly exceptional. 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:20.059 Allison Janney. An absolute powerhouse, wouldn't 00:00:20.059 --> 00:00:22.719 you say? Oh, absolutely. Her name just screams 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:27.079 versatility, quality. She's built this incredible 00:00:27.079 --> 00:00:30.260 career, and it wasn't overnight. No, definitely 00:00:30.260 --> 00:00:32.159 not. And that's kind of our mission here today. 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:34.320 We want to unpack how she did it, you know, piece 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:36.340 by piece. Yeah, map it out. From her start in 00:00:36.340 --> 00:00:39.920 theater, the grind of those early years. Right, 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:41.859 through the huge impact of the West Wing, obviously. 00:00:42.119 --> 00:00:44.439 Massive. And then culminating in that, well, 00:00:44.500 --> 00:00:46.700 that incredible Oscar win. It's about showing 00:00:46.700 --> 00:00:49.119 how she constructed this amazing resume, role 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:52.079 by role. And the awards. It's almost hard to 00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:53.880 keep track. It really is. The stats are pretty 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:56.710 wild. Our source and confirm. One Oscar, okay, 00:00:56.789 --> 00:00:59.689 one BAFTA, one Golden Globe. And seven primetime 00:00:59.689 --> 00:01:03.369 Emmys. Seven. Seven. Which adds up to, what, 00:01:03.469 --> 00:01:07.409 74 career wins and 116 nominations overall. It's 00:01:07.409 --> 00:01:09.870 just rare, that kind of recognition across film, 00:01:09.930 --> 00:01:12.150 TV. Yeah, she just commands attention, whatever 00:01:12.150 --> 00:01:13.890 the medium. I remember this description from 00:01:13.890 --> 00:01:15.689 Entertainment Weekly years ago, it really stuck, 00:01:15.829 --> 00:01:19.230 called her uncommonly beautiful and infinitely 00:01:19.230 --> 00:01:22.140 expressive. That captures it well, that presence. 00:01:22.459 --> 00:01:24.939 It really does. She has this authority on screen. 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:27.180 She does now, absolutely. But interestingly, 00:01:27.459 --> 00:01:29.980 that commanding presence, especially her height, 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:34.000 was something she actually had to overcome or 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:37.260 work around early on. Oh, okay. So her path wasn't 00:01:37.260 --> 00:01:38.959 exactly straightforward. Not at all. It started 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:41.280 somewhere completely different, actually. A dream 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:43.719 totally unrelated to acting. Okay, so let's go 00:01:43.719 --> 00:01:46.739 back. Alison Brooks Janey, born in Boston in 00:01:46.739 --> 00:01:50.700 1959, but mostly grew up in Ohio, right? Cincinnati? 00:01:50.819 --> 00:01:52.840 Dayton? That's right. And it sounds like the 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:54.400 arts were definitely around her from the beginning. 00:01:54.620 --> 00:01:57.340 Yeah. How so? Well, her mother, Macy Brooks Putnam, 00:01:57.459 --> 00:02:00.120 she was a former actress herself. And her father, 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:02.980 Jervis Spencer Janey Jr., he was in real estate, 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:06.159 but also a jazz musician. Ah, OK. So that creative 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:08.900 energy was in the house. Seems like it. You know, 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:11.300 a value placed on expression. And we found this 00:02:11.300 --> 00:02:14.840 fun little historical detail, too. On that show. 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:18.000 Who do you think you are? Oh, yeah. She found 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:20.060 out she's a direct descendant of Stephen Hopkins, 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:23.000 you know, from the Mayflower. Wow, no kidding. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:25.439 That's some deep history right there. Isn't it? 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:29.199 But, okay, before embodying historical figures 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:31.580 or, well, anyone on screen, she had a very different 00:02:31.580 --> 00:02:34.560 focus. Right. Figure skating. Competitive figure 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:37.460 skating was her first real passion. Intense stuff. 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:40.060 All that discipline. Totally. But that dream, 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.639 well, it came to a pretty sudden end. Yeah. Sources 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:45.560 mentioned a freak accident when she was a teenager. 00:02:45.860 --> 00:02:48.360 Exactly. That accident, combined with her height, 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:51.879 she's 6 feet tall, 1 .83 meters. Which is pretty 00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:53.759 statuesque, especially back then for skaters, 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:55.939 I imagine. Yeah. It essentially closed the door 00:02:55.939 --> 00:02:58.180 on competitive skating for her. Classic case 00:02:58.180 --> 00:03:00.219 of, you know, one door closes. And another one 00:03:00.219 --> 00:03:03.860 opens, maybe unexpectedly. Height detail. You 00:03:03.860 --> 00:03:06.419 said that was crucial later. Oh, hugely crucial. 00:03:06.659 --> 00:03:08.840 It became the sort of paradox in her early acting 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:11.719 career. Initially, a real hurdle. Casting directors 00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:14.120 were like, what do we do with her? Interesting. 00:03:14.340 --> 00:03:17.199 But before she hit that wall, there was college. 00:03:17.379 --> 00:03:20.659 Kenyon College in Ohio. Yes, Kenyon. And this 00:03:20.659 --> 00:03:22.300 is where things start to shift towards acting. 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:25.580 She majored in theater and crucially, she crossed 00:03:25.580 --> 00:03:28.860 paths with two absolute legends, Paul Newman 00:03:28.860 --> 00:03:31.789 and Joanne Woodward. Wow. Newman was an alum 00:03:31.789 --> 00:03:34.069 there, wasn't he? He was. And he was back on 00:03:34.069 --> 00:03:37.270 campus directing a play. Janie decided to audition. 00:03:37.849 --> 00:03:40.169 And the story of how she got the part is just 00:03:40.169 --> 00:03:42.430 fantastic. It really is. It shows her instincts 00:03:42.430 --> 00:03:44.770 weren't just theatrical. She knew Newman was 00:03:44.770 --> 00:03:47.710 obsessed with race car driving. Right. So in 00:03:47.710 --> 00:03:49.370 her audition, or maybe it was more like an interview, 00:03:49.530 --> 00:03:52.389 she didn't just talk acting. She bragged about 00:03:52.389 --> 00:03:55.590 speeding. No way. Yeah. She apparently boasted 00:03:55.590 --> 00:03:58.210 about shaving 30 minutes off the 130 -mile drive 00:03:58.210 --> 00:04:01.409 to Kenyon. She played to his passion. That is 00:04:01.409 --> 00:04:03.669 brilliant. Utterly brilliant. And she connected 00:04:03.669 --> 00:04:05.930 with him on a human level, not just as an aspiring 00:04:05.930 --> 00:04:08.610 actress. Exactly. And it worked. He cast her, 00:04:08.710 --> 00:04:11.710 directed her in that first campus play. Incredible. 00:04:11.849 --> 00:04:14.449 And that connection, it didn't just end there. 00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:17.480 No, it was the start of some serious mentorship. 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:21.199 Newman and Woodward really encouraged her, saw 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:23.579 her potential. They advised her to get proper 00:04:23.579 --> 00:04:26.339 training. So where did that lead? First, to New 00:04:26.339 --> 00:04:28.740 York. She studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse, 00:04:28.899 --> 00:04:31.100 which is famous for the Meisner technique. Okay, 00:04:31.139 --> 00:04:33.980 very respected. Very. And then she got a scholarship 00:04:33.980 --> 00:04:36.540 to study over in Lunder at the Royal Academy 00:04:36.540 --> 00:04:40.980 of Dramatic Art Arde in mid -1984. Wow, so top 00:04:40.980 --> 00:04:42.939 -tier training in both the U .S. and the U .K.? 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:45.300 That's a heck of a foundation. Absolutely. Having 00:04:45.300 --> 00:04:47.279 Newman and Woodward essentially give her that 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:49.839 stamp of approval early on must have been huge. 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:51.939 No doubt. But let's circle back to the height 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:54.639 thing. You said it was a hurdle. What kind of 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:56.199 feedback was she actually getting? Well, she 00:04:56.199 --> 00:04:58.220 shared this quote herself, and it's pretty blunt. 00:04:58.360 --> 00:05:01.199 A casting agent years ago told her that because 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:04.279 of her height, the only roles she could realistically 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:09.139 play were lesbians and aliens. Lesbians and aliens. 00:05:09.180 --> 00:05:11.740 That's incredibly limiting. It's stark, isn't 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:14.230 it? It really speaks to how narrow the boxes 00:05:14.230 --> 00:05:16.870 were, especially for women back in the 80s, early 00:05:16.870 --> 00:05:19.350 90s. Yeah, the typical female lead wasn't usually 00:05:19.350 --> 00:05:22.269 six feet tall. Right. She wasn't the ingenue 00:05:22.269 --> 00:05:24.970 type or the conventional wife, just based on 00:05:24.970 --> 00:05:27.269 physicality in their eyes. So she had to really 00:05:27.269 --> 00:05:30.110 fight for parts that matched her presence. You 00:05:30.110 --> 00:05:32.269 know, intelligent characters, strong characters, 00:05:32.509 --> 00:05:35.329 maybe unconventional ones. So she had to kind 00:05:35.329 --> 00:05:37.430 of wait for the industry perception to shift 00:05:37.430 --> 00:05:40.170 or for roles to catch up to what she offered. 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:43.339 Pretty much. She had to turn what they saw as 00:05:43.339 --> 00:05:47.000 a limitation into her unique strength, her signature. 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:50.379 That commanding presence became her trademark, 00:05:50.660 --> 00:05:52.699 something no one else could replicate. And that 00:05:52.699 --> 00:05:54.920 waiting period, it definitely involved a lot 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:57.910 of just work. The working actor grind, as they 00:05:57.910 --> 00:06:00.269 say. This wasn't an overnight success. Not even 00:06:00.269 --> 00:06:03.189 close. It was about building slowly, consistently, 00:06:03.269 --> 00:06:05.470 laying the groundwork. What did that look like, 00:06:05.490 --> 00:06:07.550 practically? Well, she started doing off -Broadway 00:06:07.550 --> 00:06:10.870 stuff around 1989, and significantly, she spent 00:06:10.870 --> 00:06:14.069 a good chunk of time in daytime TV soap operas. 00:06:14.089 --> 00:06:16.759 Ah, the soaps. Which ones? She did stints on 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:19.740 As the World Turns and had a pretty solid two 00:06:19.740 --> 00:06:22.540 -year recurring role on Guiding Light. She played 00:06:22.540 --> 00:06:24.759 Ginger, one of the Spaulding family's maids. 00:06:24.939 --> 00:06:26.980 You know, people sometimes knock soap operas, 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:31.160 but the demands must be intense. All that dialogue, 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:33.500 quick turnarounds. Oh, absolutely. Think about 00:06:33.500 --> 00:06:36.360 it. Memorizing lines fast, hitting your marks 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:39.879 perfectly, turning emotions on a dime. That's 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:42.220 incredible training, especially for the kind 00:06:42.220 --> 00:06:45.000 of fast -paced, dialogue -heavy work she'd do 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:47.360 later. Good point. Like prep for Sorkin, almost. 00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:50.680 Exactly. It teaches you efficiency. And alongside 00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:53.720 that, she was doing the classic New York actor 00:06:53.720 --> 00:06:55.980 thing, guest spots on procedural shows. Like 00:06:55.980 --> 00:06:58.319 Law & Order. Everyone did Law & Order. Yep. 1994. 00:06:59.339 --> 00:07:01.300 She played a character named Anna Madsen in an 00:07:01.300 --> 00:07:03.860 episode called Old Friends. She was a witness 00:07:03.860 --> 00:07:06.120 reluctant to testify against the Russian mob. 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:08.680 It's like a rite of passage. Totally. But the 00:07:08.680 --> 00:07:10.680 real heat, the industry cred, that came from 00:07:10.680 --> 00:07:12.980 the stage, right? Definitely. While grinding 00:07:12.980 --> 00:07:15.420 it out on TV, she was simultaneously building 00:07:15.420 --> 00:07:17.800 a really strong reputation in the theater world. 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:19.740 That's where the buzz started. Her Broadway debut 00:07:19.740 --> 00:07:23.740 was in 96. Yes, in a revival of Noel Coward's 00:07:23.740 --> 00:07:26.459 Present Laughter. She played Liz Essendine, starring 00:07:26.459 --> 00:07:28.579 opposite Frank Langella. And the reviews were 00:07:28.579 --> 00:07:31.439 good. More than good. The New York Times specifically 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:34.120 highlighted her performance, even in a supporting 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:36.199 role. They called it the most fully accomplished 00:07:36.199 --> 00:07:39.360 performance on the stage. Wow, that's huge praise. 00:07:39.620 --> 00:07:43.019 It was. And it led to awards recognition. the 00:07:43.019 --> 00:07:45.420 Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama Desk nomination, 00:07:45.860 --> 00:07:49.000 people were noticing her ability to elevate everything 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:51.079 she was in. She makes everyone else look better. 00:07:51.180 --> 00:07:54.160 Kind of, yeah. A force multiplier. And that momentum 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:56.860 carried her straight into another major stage 00:07:56.860 --> 00:08:00.920 role the very next year, 1997, Arthur Miller's 00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:04.000 A View from the Bridge. A classic. A really heavy 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:06.649 play. Who did she play? She played Beatrice Carbone, 00:08:06.850 --> 00:08:09.730 the wife, a really complex, tragic role, initially 00:08:09.730 --> 00:08:12.410 opposite Anthony LaPaglia. He was later replaced 00:08:12.410 --> 00:08:14.750 by Tony Danzo, wasn't he? Bit of trivia there. 00:08:14.910 --> 00:08:17.889 He was, but her performance as Beatrice was the 00:08:17.889 --> 00:08:20.769 constant. And it earned her a Tony Award nomination 00:08:20.769 --> 00:08:23.490 for Best Actress in a Play. A Tony nomination. 00:08:23.810 --> 00:08:26.029 Plus another Drama Desk Award, this time winning 00:08:26.029 --> 00:08:28.629 for Outstanding Featured Actress. Right. So by 00:08:28.629 --> 00:08:30.810 this point, the theater world absolutely knew 00:08:30.810 --> 00:08:33.009 who she was. Not just reliable, but a genuine 00:08:33.009 --> 00:08:36.370 star capable of handling heavy drama, complex 00:08:36.370 --> 00:08:39.929 language. She was ready. Okay, so Broadway conquered. 00:08:40.490 --> 00:08:44.240 Now, 1999. This seems like a pivotal year, even 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:46.480 before the West Wing hit. She popped up in some 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:49.080 memorable films. Yeah, 99 was like a showcase 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:52.600 of her range just waiting to explode. Three really 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:55.960 distinct, high -profile supporting roles, back 00:08:55.960 --> 00:08:58.379 to back to back. What were they? OK, you had 00:08:58.379 --> 00:09:00.820 her as Miss Perky, the kind of offbeat guidance 00:09:00.820 --> 00:09:03.360 counselor in the teen comedy Ten Things I Hate 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:05.440 About You. Loved her in that. I know you can 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:07.320 be overwhelmed and you can be underwhelmed, but 00:09:07.320 --> 00:09:09.799 can you ever just be whelmed? Exactly. Then, 00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:13.379 totally different, she was Loretta in the very 00:09:13.379 --> 00:09:15.879 dark satire Drop Dead Gorgeous. Another great 00:09:15.879 --> 00:09:17.779 quirky role. And then the big one that year, 00:09:17.940 --> 00:09:20.120 American Beauty. Right. The film that won Best 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:22.610 Picture. She played Barbara Fitz, Colonel Fitz's 00:09:22.610 --> 00:09:25.649 wife. A much more subdued, dramatic part. Totally. 00:09:25.730 --> 00:09:29.070 So in one year, you see sharp comedy, broad satire, 00:09:29.070 --> 00:09:32.190 and quiet tragedy. It proved she could slide 00:09:32.190 --> 00:09:35.929 into any genre, any tone, and be completely believable. 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:38.940 That stage training paying off on screen. Absolutely. 00:09:39.179 --> 00:09:42.759 She could hold her own in these major film ensembles. 00:09:42.779 --> 00:09:45.419 It perfectly positioned her for what came next. 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:47.580 She wasn't just a theater actor doing bit parts 00:09:47.580 --> 00:09:50.320 anymore. She was someone people like Aaron Sorkin 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:53.019 were specifically noticing. And notice her he 00:09:53.019 --> 00:09:56.919 did. The timing was just perfect. The West Wing, 00:09:57.240 --> 00:10:01.320 C .J. Craig, White House press secretary. This 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:04.000 role just changed everything, didn't it? Fundamentally, 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:06.259 Aaron Sorkin, the creator, had apparently seen 00:10:06.259 --> 00:10:08.720 her in the movie Primary Colors. Ah, another 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:10.879 political film. Right, and he basically called 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:13.519 her in specifically to audition for CJ. Just 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:15.539 like that. Pretty much. It was this ideal meeting 00:10:15.539 --> 00:10:20.240 of actor and material. CJ Craig was loosely based 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:23.620 on Dee Myers, who was President Clinton's press 00:10:23.620 --> 00:10:25.840 secretary. Okay, so a real -world inspiration. 00:10:25.860 --> 00:10:28.779 Yeah, but Janie just made that role entirely 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:31.679 her own. She brought this mix of intelligence, 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:34.679 warmth. competence and vulnerability that was 00:10:34.679 --> 00:10:37.879 just magnetic and the character grew so much 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:40.080 over the series she didn't just stay behind the 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:43.370 podium No way. She starts as press secretary, 00:10:43.649 --> 00:10:46.870 the public face. But her influence grows. Her 00:10:46.870 --> 00:10:49.529 capabilities are recognized. And eventually she 00:10:49.529 --> 00:10:51.730 gets promoted to White House chief of staff. 00:10:51.909 --> 00:10:54.289 Which is huge. The top appointed job in the West 00:10:54.289 --> 00:10:57.529 Wing. Exactly. And that journey is why CJ resonates 00:10:57.529 --> 00:11:00.090 so much. The Atlantic actually ranked her as 00:11:00.090 --> 00:11:02.649 the best character on the entire show. Better 00:11:02.649 --> 00:11:05.230 than President Bartlett. Wow. Yeah. They said 00:11:05.230 --> 00:11:07.549 her capability and combination of strength and 00:11:07.549 --> 00:11:14.220 simple compassion represented the fan. And that 00:11:14.220 --> 00:11:18.529 portrayal led to just. An avalanche of awards. 00:11:18.690 --> 00:11:21.090 Those four Emmys for CJ. We need to break that 00:11:21.090 --> 00:11:23.389 down because it's pretty significant how she 00:11:23.389 --> 00:11:25.509 won them. It really is. This is the proof of 00:11:25.509 --> 00:11:27.950 her mastering the character's evolution. So the 00:11:27.950 --> 00:11:30.309 first two Emmys she won were for supporting actress 00:11:30.309 --> 00:11:32.190 in a drama series. Okay. Makes sense for the 00:11:32.190 --> 00:11:34.110 early years focused on the press room. Right. 00:11:34.269 --> 00:11:36.970 But as CJ's role expanded, especially when she 00:11:36.970 --> 00:11:39.250 became chief of staff, the role carried more 00:11:39.250 --> 00:11:41.809 dramatic weight, more screen time. So the show 00:11:41.809 --> 00:11:45.090 and the voters recognized that shift. They did. 00:11:45.529 --> 00:11:48.289 Her next two Emmy wins for CJ were in the lead 00:11:48.289 --> 00:11:51.090 actress in a drama series category. Winning lead 00:11:51.090 --> 00:11:53.350 and supporting Emmys for the exact same character 00:11:53.350 --> 00:11:56.190 on the same show. That has to be incredibly rare. 00:11:56.370 --> 00:11:58.649 Almost unheard of. It just shows how brilliantly 00:11:58.649 --> 00:12:01.210 she navigated that character's arc. And yeah, 00:12:01.269 --> 00:12:03.250 she ended up being the most awarded actor in 00:12:03.250 --> 00:12:06.429 that phenomenal cast. Plus four Screen Actors 00:12:06.429 --> 00:12:08.710 Guild Awards for the role, too. Just incredible. 00:12:08.809 --> 00:12:11.750 But beyond the awards, CJ did something else 00:12:11.750 --> 00:12:14.399 important, didn't she? Something about the Sorkin 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:17.960 woman critique. Ah, yes. The Sorkin woman argument. 00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:21.299 This was a recurring criticism of Aaron Sorkin's 00:12:21.299 --> 00:12:23.899 writing, especially early on. Remind us what 00:12:23.899 --> 00:12:26.480 that was about. Critics argued that Sorkin often 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:28.899 wrote female characters who were incredibly smart. 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:38.240 Like they were there to challenge the guys or 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:41.399 prop them up, maybe seem a bit brittle or overly 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:44.659 intellectualized. Kind of, yeah. Often seeming 00:12:44.659 --> 00:12:47.000 flustered or defined by romantic entanglements 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:50.120 despite their brilliance. The critique was they 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:53.179 sometimes lacked maybe true independent agency 00:12:53.179 --> 00:12:56.100 or depth beyond their function in the men's stories. 00:12:56.419 --> 00:13:00.230 Okay. So how did CJ break that? mold well cj 00:13:00.230 --> 00:13:03.590 was just fully realized vulture ranked her as 00:13:03.590 --> 00:13:06.029 the second best sorkin character ever across 00:13:06.029 --> 00:13:09.750 all his shows they called her classy self -assured 00:13:09.750 --> 00:13:13.049 and legitimately funny her promotion to chief 00:13:13.049 --> 00:13:15.269 of staff purely based on merit and capability 00:13:15.269 --> 00:13:18.429 not tied to a romantic plot line she had her 00:13:18.429 --> 00:13:21.129 own complex inner life her own professional trajectory 00:13:21.129 --> 00:13:23.690 she felt complete and funny we can't forget the 00:13:23.690 --> 00:13:26.279 funny she was hilarious oh absolutely The physical 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:28.179 comedy she could pull off within that high -stakes 00:13:28.179 --> 00:13:30.100 environment was amazing. The prime example has 00:13:30.100 --> 00:13:32.779 to be the jackal. Yes. Lip -syncing in her office, 00:13:32.919 --> 00:13:35.159 pure gold. Or even more famously, perhaps, the 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:37.700 turkey pardon incident. Oh my god, the turkeys. 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:40.500 When the first one dies. Yes. And she has to 00:13:40.500 --> 00:13:42.860 choose between two live turkeys, deciding which 00:13:42.860 --> 00:13:45.419 one gets the presidential pardon, all while trying 00:13:45.419 --> 00:13:47.559 to keep the press corps from realizing anything's 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:50.480 wrong. The controlled chaos. The barely suppressed 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:54.200 panic. Yeah. It's a masterclass in comedic timing 00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:56.600 under pressure. Totally. It shows her range within 00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:59.259 just that one role. The sharp Sorkin dialogue, 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:02.299 the high drama of politics, and then this brilliant 00:14:02.299 --> 00:14:05.440 physical comedy. She could do it all. C .J. Craig 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:08.779 cemented her as a truly multifaceted star. Okay, 00:14:08.820 --> 00:14:11.080 so the West Wing makes her a household name, 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:14.269 an Emmy magnet. What happens next? Does she transition 00:14:14.269 --> 00:14:16.850 more fully into film? She definitely leverages 00:14:16.850 --> 00:14:20.029 that TV success into more substantial film roles, 00:14:20.210 --> 00:14:22.809 yeah. But interestingly, she didn't necessarily 00:14:22.809 --> 00:14:26.960 chase leading roles. She seemed drawn to... strong 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:29.019 supporting parts in really high -quality ensemble 00:14:29.019 --> 00:14:31.679 films. Becoming that actor who instantly elevates 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:33.960 a cast. Exactly. You see her working with top 00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:36.440 directors, top actors. Even during the West Wing, 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:38.840 remember, she did The Hours in 2002, playing 00:14:38.840 --> 00:14:40.820 Sally Lester, Meryl Streep's partner. That's 00:14:40.820 --> 00:14:43.799 a serious, prestigious film role mid -CJ. Right, 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:46.019 and after West Wing wrapped. The quality continues. 00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:48.980 2007 was a big year again. She played Bren McGuff, 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:51.320 the very practical, sharp -tongued stepmom in 00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:54.320 Juno. Another iconic role. Totally. Same year, 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:56.879 she's Prudy Pingleton, Penny's very uptight mother, 00:14:57.080 --> 00:14:59.419 in the musical Hairspray. Okay, comedy again. 00:14:59.580 --> 00:15:02.700 Yep. And then a few years later, 2011, she's 00:15:02.700 --> 00:15:04.879 Charlotte Phelan, Skeeter's mother in The Help, 00:15:05.059 --> 00:15:07.899 another complex character in a major ensemble 00:15:07.899 --> 00:15:10.360 drama. And those ensembles often got recognized 00:15:10.360 --> 00:15:12.320 collectively, didn't they? With her as a key 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:15.269 part. They did. Hairspray and The Help both won 00:15:15.269 --> 00:15:17.429 Best Acting Ensemble Awards from the Critics' 00:15:17.429 --> 00:15:20.009 Choice Movie Awards. The Help also won the big 00:15:20.009 --> 00:15:22.230 one at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Ensemble. 00:15:22.389 --> 00:15:25.289 Her presence adds that layer of critical credibility. 00:15:25.789 --> 00:15:27.549 She makes the whole project better. That seems 00:15:27.549 --> 00:15:29.909 to be the consensus. But what's really fascinating 00:15:29.909 --> 00:15:32.610 is while she's building this impressive on -screen 00:15:32.610 --> 00:15:35.629 filmography, she's simultaneously building a 00:15:35.629 --> 00:15:37.730 whole other massive career where we never see 00:15:37.730 --> 00:15:40.529 her face. Ah, the voice acting. Exactly. Her 00:15:40.529 --> 00:15:42.909 voice work is incredible. And it's kind of ironic. 00:15:43.019 --> 00:15:45.519 isn't it thinking back to her height being an 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:48.879 early issue for casting her voice that distinctive 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:52.519 authoritative yet warm voice became this huge 00:15:52.519 --> 00:15:55.720 asset in a medium where physicality doesn't matter 00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:58.200 at all that's a great point so what are the big 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:00.620 voice roles well the most famous is probably 00:16:00.620 --> 00:16:03.799 peach the starfish in Pixar's Finding Nemo of 00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:07.100 course From 2003. And she came back for Finding 00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:10.320 Dory, too, right? In 2016. Yep, reprised the 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:12.960 role. She was also Gladys Sharp, the sort of 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:16.379 villainous HOA president character, in DreamWorks 00:16:16.379 --> 00:16:19.240 Over the Hedge in 2006. Okay, another big animated 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:21.320 film. And she did TV animation, too. She had 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:23.679 a recurring role for years on the Disney channel 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:26.820 show Phineas and Ferb. Who was she on that? Charlene 00:16:26.820 --> 00:16:29.019 Doofenshmirtz, the ex -wife of the main villain, 00:16:29.179 --> 00:16:32.259 Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Right. These are major... 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:35.779 mainstream voice gigs requires a totally different 00:16:35.779 --> 00:16:38.679 skill set. Totally different technique. And here's 00:16:38.679 --> 00:16:41.419 a fun one for the theme park fans. You know the 00:16:41.419 --> 00:16:43.919 Star Tours ride at the Disney parks? Yeah, the 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:46.419 adventures continue. Since 2010, she's been the 00:16:46.419 --> 00:16:49.100 voice of Ali Sansan, the spokes droid you hear 00:16:49.100 --> 00:16:50.879 in the queue and during the boarding process. 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:54.419 No way. I had no idea that was her. Yep. So millions 00:16:54.419 --> 00:16:57.240 of people hear Allison Janney's voice every year 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:00.019 without even realizing it. That's amazing. Okay, 00:17:00.100 --> 00:17:03.409 so let's recap. Tony nominee on Broadway, seven 00:17:03.409 --> 00:17:06.250 -time Emmy winner mostly for drama, major supporting 00:17:06.250 --> 00:17:11.019 roles in acclaimed films, and Pixar star. Where 00:17:11.019 --> 00:17:13.339 possibly could she go next? Well, how about conquering 00:17:13.339 --> 00:17:16.539 television comedy and drama simultaneously? Okay, 00:17:16.599 --> 00:17:18.480 now you're just showing off. Well, she was showing 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:21.660 off. The 2010s, this decade, is where Janie just 00:17:21.660 --> 00:17:24.220 solidified her reputation as being, well, almost 00:17:24.220 --> 00:17:26.440 uniquely versatile. She took on two incredibly 00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:29.359 different TV roles at the same time, won Emmys 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:32.140 for both, and proved she could master any format. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:34.960 Okay, let's start with the comedy, Mom, the CBS 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:38.099 sitcom with Anna Faris. Ran for eight seasons, 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:41.109 right? Until 2021. That's the one. She played 00:17:41.109 --> 00:17:43.930 Bonnie Plunkett, a recovering addict, very cynical, 00:17:44.130 --> 00:17:46.210 often self -centered, but also trying to rebuild 00:17:46.210 --> 00:17:48.130 her life and relationship with her daughter. 00:17:48.269 --> 00:17:51.069 A multi -cam sitcom. That's a very different 00:17:51.069 --> 00:17:52.890 rhythm, a different style of performance than 00:17:52.890 --> 00:17:55.269 The West Wing. Completely different. Live studio 00:17:55.269 --> 00:17:58.130 audience, big punchlines, physical comedy, but 00:17:58.130 --> 00:18:00.569 also needing to ground it in real emotion, dealing 00:18:00.569 --> 00:18:03.029 with heavy themes like addiction. It demands 00:18:03.029 --> 00:18:05.509 sharp timing and the ability to switch tones 00:18:05.509 --> 00:18:08.529 instantly. And there's a really powerful personal 00:18:08.529 --> 00:18:10.210 reason she took that role, wasn't there? There 00:18:10.210 --> 00:18:14.349 was. Very personal. Janie has spoken openly about 00:18:14.349 --> 00:18:16.890 how her younger brother, Hal, tragically died 00:18:16.890 --> 00:18:19.950 by suicide in 2011. He had battled addiction 00:18:19.950 --> 00:18:23.339 and depression for years. Oh, wow. It's heartbreaking. 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:26.740 It is. And she said that playing Bonnie, someone 00:18:26.740 --> 00:18:29.039 actively fighting addiction, someone in recovery, 00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:32.400 felt like a way to honor Hal's struggle. To, 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:35.240 you know, put a human face on recovery and maybe 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:38.079 help reduce the stigma. Using her work for something 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:41.079 deeply meaningful. Exactly. It gave the role 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:43.880 an extra layer of purpose for her. And that connection, 00:18:43.980 --> 00:18:46.200 that commitment, it absolutely shone through. 00:18:46.259 --> 00:18:48.859 The critics loved her. And the Emmy voters, too. 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:52.250 She won again for Mom. Two more Emmys. Outstanding 00:18:52.250 --> 00:18:54.470 supporting actress in a comedy series back to 00:18:54.470 --> 00:18:56.710 back in 2014 and 2015. That brought her total 00:18:56.710 --> 00:18:59.809 up to six Emmys at that point. Six. OK, but you 00:18:59.809 --> 00:19:01.549 said she was doing comedy and drama simultaneously. 00:19:01.769 --> 00:19:03.930 Yes. And this is where it gets statistically 00:19:03.930 --> 00:19:07.349 wild. While she's nailing the broad comedy beats 00:19:07.349 --> 00:19:10.250 on Mom every week. She's also doing. She's guest 00:19:10.250 --> 00:19:12.809 starring on the incredibly serious, critically 00:19:12.809 --> 00:19:15.890 acclaimed Showtime drama Masters of Sex. Oh, 00:19:15.890 --> 00:19:18.170 right. The show about Masters and Johnson. Who 00:19:18.170 --> 00:19:20.230 did she play on that? She played Margaret Scully. 00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:22.940 A character completely 180 degrees from Bonnie 00:19:22.940 --> 00:19:25.890 Plunkett. Margaret was this deeply repressed 00:19:25.890 --> 00:19:29.109 1950s housewife married to a closeted gay man 00:19:29.109 --> 00:19:32.109 played by Bo Bridges. Her whole world is slowly, 00:19:32.289 --> 00:19:34.869 painfully unraveling. Wow. Talk about different 00:19:34.869 --> 00:19:37.210 ends of the spectrum. From sitcom addiction recovery 00:19:37.210 --> 00:19:40.690 to 1950s repressed anguish. Exactly. Think about 00:19:40.690 --> 00:19:44.190 the technical skill required. Bonnie is all external, 00:19:44.369 --> 00:19:47.690 loud, expressive, quick quips. Margaret is all 00:19:47.690 --> 00:19:51.269 internal, quiet suffering, subtle glances, things 00:19:51.269 --> 00:19:54.519 left unsaid. J &E was juggling these two completely 00:19:54.519 --> 00:19:56.460 different performance styles, sometimes probably 00:19:56.460 --> 00:19:58.380 in the same week. That's incredible discipline, 00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:00.740 moving between those worlds. It really is, going 00:20:00.740 --> 00:20:04.140 from the precision timing needed for multi -cam 00:20:04.140 --> 00:20:07.160 comedy laughs to the nuanced, internalized acting 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:09.740 required for a prestige period drama. And did 00:20:09.740 --> 00:20:11.779 Masters of Sex also lead to awards recognition? 00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:15.460 It did. In 2014, the same year, she won her first 00:20:15.460 --> 00:20:18.740 Emmy for Mom. She also won the Emmy for Outstanding 00:20:18.740 --> 00:20:21.359 Guest Actress in a Drama Series for playing Margaret 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:24.279 Scully. Wait, she won two Emmys in the same year? 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:26.920 Yeah. For two different shows in two different 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:29.460 genres? Yep. Comedy Supporting Actress for Mom, 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:31.380 Drama Guest Actress for Masters of Sex. That 00:20:31.380 --> 00:20:34.579 seventh Emmy win is kind of the ultimate proof 00:20:34.579 --> 00:20:37.000 of her versatility. Okay, let's listen again. 00:20:37.529 --> 00:20:40.470 Lead, drama, supporting drama, supporting comedy, 00:20:40.609 --> 00:20:42.990 guest drama. Has anyone else done that? It's 00:20:42.990 --> 00:20:45.369 incredibly rare. It just demonstrates complete 00:20:45.369 --> 00:20:47.930 mastery across the board, whatever the format, 00:20:48.089 --> 00:20:50.470 whatever the genre, she delivers at the highest 00:20:50.470 --> 00:20:52.609 level. Unbelievable. And she was still fitting 00:20:52.609 --> 00:20:54.930 in movies during this time, too. Oh, yeah. Still 00:20:54.930 --> 00:20:57.069 popping up in key supporting roles. Like, she 00:20:57.069 --> 00:21:00.690 was hilarious as the Rye CIA boss, Elaine Crocker, 00:21:00.829 --> 00:21:04.170 in the Melissa McCarthy comedy spy in 2015. Right. 00:21:04.250 --> 00:21:06.269 And then totally different again, she played 00:21:06.269 --> 00:21:08.470 the skeptical... Detective Riley in the thriller 00:21:08.470 --> 00:21:11.630 The Girl on the Train in 2016. Always keeping 00:21:11.630 --> 00:21:14.289 us guessing. Okay. She's dominated television 00:21:14.289 --> 00:21:17.170 across multiple genres and formats. She's a go 00:21:17.170 --> 00:21:19.930 -to supporting actor in film. What's left? The 00:21:19.930 --> 00:21:22.109 Mount Everest of acting awards, I suppose. The 00:21:22.109 --> 00:21:24.130 Academy Award. And the role that got her there 00:21:24.130 --> 00:21:28.549 was truly something else. Aye, Tonya. 2017. Playing 00:21:28.549 --> 00:21:31.490 LaVonna Golden, Tonya Harding's mother. LaVonna! 00:21:31.650 --> 00:21:35.650 Oh, man. What a character. Chain smoking, abusive, 00:21:36.049 --> 00:21:38.410 perched on a chair with that bird on her shoulder. 00:21:38.789 --> 00:21:43.130 Unforgettable and terrifying and somehow darkly 00:21:43.130 --> 00:21:46.289 funny. Exactly. It's such a complex, risky performance. 00:21:46.650 --> 00:21:48.910 Fearless doesn't even begin to cover it. And 00:21:48.910 --> 00:21:50.910 the story behind her getting cast is pretty amazing, 00:21:50.970 --> 00:21:52.769 too, right? It wasn't just a typical audition. 00:21:53.049 --> 00:21:55.690 Not at all. This is really special. The screenwriter, 00:21:55.809 --> 00:21:58.009 Stephen Rogers, didn't just want Janie for the 00:21:58.009 --> 00:22:01.130 role. He wrote LaVona Golden specifically for 00:22:01.130 --> 00:22:04.240 her. Wow. He pictured her from the start. Pictured 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:06.500 her, and apparently wouldn't take no for an answer. 00:22:06.660 --> 00:22:08.819 The sources say he took it a step further. He 00:22:08.819 --> 00:22:10.960 actually refused to sell the screenplay. Until 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:14.339 the producers officially agreed to cast Allison 00:22:14.339 --> 00:22:17.700 Janney as Livona. He basically held the entire 00:22:17.700 --> 00:22:20.619 project hostage until she was locked in. That 00:22:20.619 --> 00:22:23.099 is an incredible level of commitment from a writer, 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:25.720 betting the whole film on one actor. It really 00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:28.839 is. It speaks volumes about what he knew only 00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:31.920 Janie could bring to it. That specific blend 00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:36.200 of, like, menace, pitch -black humor, and underneath 00:22:36.200 --> 00:22:39.000 it all, maybe a flicker of twisted maternal feeling. 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:42.259 It's a razor's edge of a role. And she clearly 00:22:42.259 --> 00:22:44.259 felt the weight of it. She called it one of her 00:22:44.259 --> 00:22:46.420 most challenging parts. She did. It required 00:22:46.420 --> 00:22:49.279 a total transformation. Physically. Vocally. 00:22:49.789 --> 00:22:52.269 That harsh accent, the posture, the whole demeanor, 00:22:52.269 --> 00:22:54.869 it was so far removed from her own natural elegance, 00:22:54.930 --> 00:22:58.009 she just vanished inside Livona. Yeah, you completely 00:22:58.009 --> 00:23:00.569 forget it's Allison Janney. And the critics definitely 00:23:00.569 --> 00:23:03.990 notice. Oh, unanimously. She was the standout. 00:23:04.210 --> 00:23:06.329 Michael O'Sullivan at the Washington Post summed 00:23:06.329 --> 00:23:08.769 it up well. He wrote that Janney steals every 00:23:08.769 --> 00:23:11.769 scene she's in playing Livona, a Harriton whose 00:23:11.769 --> 00:23:14.579 nodding goes beyond tough love. You just couldn't 00:23:14.579 --> 00:23:16.559 take your eyes off her. Herodin. Yeah. That's 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:18.779 a good word for it. And that universal acclaim 00:23:18.779 --> 00:23:20.980 translated directly into awards, didn't it? It 00:23:20.980 --> 00:23:22.460 absolutely did. This wasn't just a nomination 00:23:22.460 --> 00:23:24.539 here or there. This was a clean sweep. She won 00:23:24.539 --> 00:23:26.779 basically everything. The Grand Slam, they call 00:23:26.779 --> 00:23:29.819 it sometimes. Pretty much. For Best Supporting 00:23:29.819 --> 00:23:32.420 Actress, she took home the Academy Award. The 00:23:32.420 --> 00:23:35.299 Oscar. The Oscar. Plus the BAFTA, the Golden 00:23:35.299 --> 00:23:37.640 Globe, the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Critics' 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:39.440 Choice Movie Award, and the Independent Spirit 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:43.700 Award. Just domination. Wow. That settles it, 00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:46.920 then. That sweep confirms her status at the absolute 00:23:46.920 --> 00:23:50.400 peak. Not just a TV legend, but an undeniable 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:53.799 Oscar -winning film star. She reached the summit 00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:55.779 in both worlds. And, you know, even after reaching 00:23:55.779 --> 00:23:58.140 that absolute pinnacle with the Oscar, she hasn't 00:23:58.140 --> 00:24:00.579 slowed down. Not really. What's really interesting 00:24:00.579 --> 00:24:02.299 now is seeing her kind of circle back. How so? 00:24:02.500 --> 00:24:04.940 Well, her latest big TV project sees her returning 00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:07.559 to the world of political drama. Ah, Shades of 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:10.180 the West Wing. Exactly. She's in a Netflix series, 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:13.099 The Diplomat, which started in 2024. And she 00:24:13.099 --> 00:24:15.920 plays Grace Penn, the vice president of the United 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:18.630 States. Oh, perfect. From press secretary to 00:24:18.630 --> 00:24:20.950 chief of staff and now VP. It's like CJ kept 00:24:20.950 --> 00:24:23.809 climbing the ladder. Right. It's a fantastic 00:24:23.809 --> 00:24:26.509 full circle moment. And she's getting rave reviews 00:24:26.509 --> 00:24:29.730 for it, too. Rolling Stone put her performance 00:24:29.730 --> 00:24:32.849 on their list of the 10 best TV performances 00:24:32.849 --> 00:24:36.369 of 2024. It just fits her so well, bringing that 00:24:36.369 --> 00:24:38.250 authority and intelligence to an even higher 00:24:38.250 --> 00:24:41.089 office. It feels right. And she's still mixing 00:24:41.089 --> 00:24:43.319 it up with other genres, too. Oh, yeah. Always. 00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:46.779 Recently, she was in the period piece Palm Royale 00:24:46.779 --> 00:24:49.319 on Apple TV plus day playing a socialite named 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:51.960 Evelyn Rollins. Okay. And she played Colonel 00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:54.339 Howell in the big sci -fi movie The Creator back 00:24:54.339 --> 00:24:57.519 in 2023. Plus, she's got more films lined up 00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:00.640 like Another Simple Favor and Everything's Gonna 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:02.900 Be Great coming out soon. And she hasn't abandoned 00:25:02.900 --> 00:25:04.869 the stage either, has she? Nope. Proving her 00:25:04.869 --> 00:25:07.089 loyalty to her roots, she returned to Broadway 00:25:07.089 --> 00:25:09.950 in 2017, right around the... Tonya Buzz, actually. 00:25:10.089 --> 00:25:12.529 She starred in a revival of John Guare's play 00:25:12.529 --> 00:25:14.809 Six Degrees of Separation. Playing Weezer Kittredge, 00:25:14.829 --> 00:25:17.589 another iconic, complex role. Exactly. It's this 00:25:17.589 --> 00:25:21.549 constant cycle. Stage, TV, film, voice work, 00:25:21.710 --> 00:25:24.720 back again, mastering each one. Beyond the incredible 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:27.599 acting career, she's also become quite a powerful 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:30.539 voice for certain causes, hasn't she? Often linked 00:25:30.539 --> 00:25:32.980 back to her personal life. Very much so. Especially 00:25:32.980 --> 00:25:35.680 around addiction awareness and recovery. Stemming 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:38.160 from the tragic loss of her brother, Hal. Right. 00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:40.819 She's channeled that grief into really effective 00:25:40.819 --> 00:25:43.859 advocacy. She was even honored at the White House 00:25:43.859 --> 00:25:46.279 at a Champions of Change event for her work in 00:25:46.279 --> 00:25:48.420 advancing addiction prevention, treatment and 00:25:48.420 --> 00:25:51.480 recovery. It makes her portrayal of Bonnie and 00:25:51.480 --> 00:25:53.960 mom feel even more resonant. Taking personal 00:25:53.960 --> 00:25:56.660 pain and using her platform to make a difference. 00:25:56.819 --> 00:25:59.299 That's admirable. Absolutely. And she's active 00:25:59.299 --> 00:26:01.740 in other areas, too. Voter rights is a big one. 00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:04.019 You often see her reuniting with the old West 00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:06.740 Wing cat. for things like Michelle Obama's When 00:26:06.740 --> 00:26:09.039 We All Vote initiative. Using that C .J. Craig 00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:11.579 clout for good. Pretty much. And she also campaigns 00:26:11.579 --> 00:26:14.779 publicly for women's rights, LGBTQ rights, mental 00:26:14.779 --> 00:26:17.440 health awareness, animal rights. She made a pretty 00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:21.079 significant donation, like $250 ,000 to Planned 00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:23.660 Parenthood back in 2017 as well. She definitely 00:26:23.660 --> 00:26:25.740 puts her money and her voice where her values 00:26:25.740 --> 00:26:28.400 are. Seems that way. And just touching on her 00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:30.900 personal life philosophy briefly, she's been 00:26:30.900 --> 00:26:32.779 quite open about her choices. Never married, 00:26:32.900 --> 00:26:35.319 no children, and she's stated she's completely 00:26:35.319 --> 00:26:37.759 at peace with it. Her focus seems to have been 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:40.279 squarely on building this truly remarkable career. 00:26:40.579 --> 00:26:43.680 And what a career it is. I mean, just thinking 00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:46.420 about the journey. Starting out doing soaps and 00:26:46.420 --> 00:26:48.960 stage work, facing those early challenges about 00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:51.799 our height. Yeah, the lesbians and aliens comment. 00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:54.619 Right, and turning that potential hurdle into 00:26:54.619 --> 00:26:58.259 this source of undeniable power on screen, becoming 00:26:58.259 --> 00:27:01.880 CJ Craig, an icon. Then Bonnie Plunkett, showing 00:27:01.880 --> 00:27:05.359 incredible comedic and dramatic depth. And finally, 00:27:05.400 --> 00:27:08.480 LaVonna Golden, just terrifyingly brilliant Oscar 00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:10.420 winning work. It's an incredible trajectory. 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:12.900 And I think what her career really teaches us, 00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:14.880 you know, the big takeaway is about what true 00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:17.119 expertise looks like in acting. It's not just 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:19.359 finding your one thing and doing it well. Right. 00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:21.740 It's about range. It's about deep versatility, 00:27:21.980 --> 00:27:24.559 the ability to fully embody characters across 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:27.039 literally every genre, every medium. She didn't 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:28.720 just get nominated in lead drama, supporting 00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:32.359 drama, supporting comedy and guest drama on TV. 00:27:32.500 --> 00:27:35.559 She won Emmys in all four. That's. Mastery. That's 00:27:35.559 --> 00:27:38.279 her legacy. Unparalleled versatility. Yeah. That 00:27:38.279 --> 00:27:40.819 really sums it up. So for everyone listening, 00:27:40.980 --> 00:27:42.680 we want to leave you with a final thought to 00:27:42.680 --> 00:27:45.359 chew on. Okay. Considering this immense body 00:27:45.359 --> 00:27:47.839 of work, we've talked about Alice and Janie's 00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:51.319 many, many characters. From C .J. Craig, the 00:27:51.319 --> 00:27:54.200 ultimate competent chief of staff, to Grace Penn, 00:27:54.420 --> 00:27:58.000 the current fictional VP, maybe even Peach the 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:00.680 starfish from Finding Nemo. Oh, don't forget 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:03.769 Peach. Never. Which one of these roles, or maybe 00:28:03.769 --> 00:28:06.190 another one entirely, do you think best captures 00:28:06.190 --> 00:28:09.069 her essential trademark, the unique ability she 00:28:09.069 --> 00:28:11.230 has to just command your attention, to elevate 00:28:11.230 --> 00:28:13.190 everything she's in no matter how big or small 00:28:13.190 --> 00:28:15.509 the part? It's a tough choice. Lots to think 00:28:15.509 --> 00:28:17.569 about there. Definitely. Until our next deep 00:28:17.569 --> 00:28:19.789 dive, keep questioning, keep connecting the dots. 00:28:19.809 --> 00:28:21.670 And keep digging for that context. Yeah.