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Allison Janney is impossible to pigeonhole. From her portrayal of formidable press secretary C. J. Cregg on The West Wing to her uproarious yet heartstring-tugging performance as the struggling-to-stay-sober Bonnie Plunkett on CBS’s Mom, the seven-time Emmy winner has done it all. This fall, her range is on full display in a variety of distinct projects. On September 30, you can catch the actress in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, director Tim Burton’s latest fantastical fairy tale. Then, on October 7, she turns up with Emily Blunt in The Girl on the Train, based on the best-selling novel. And when the new season of Mom premieres on October 27, she’ll reprise her role alongside Anna Faris. With such a busy schedule, it’s hard to believe that Janney is a bit of a homebody, but that’s just what she revealed to AD. Read on to find out where she keeps her Emmys, what app she uses to get a good night’s sleep, and the shows she can’t stop binge-watching.
Tim Burton has such a specific eye and vision. What was it like working with him? I’ve always admired his artistic vision. It’s so unique. I think it took me five days to read the script—it was so dense with special effects and cool things—and I thought, Oh my God, I don’t even know how this is possible! I wanted to be a little part of his magic. He was such a delight to meet. He’s a very animated man himself and really whip-smart.
How did that compare with Girl on the Train, which has its own distinct noir-inspired look? My dear friend Tate Taylor directed it, and we have a long history of working together. I’ve done every single movie he’s done. Even if there isn’t a part for me in it, he creates one. I think the detective part I play is sort of an amalgamation of all the different detectives in the book. He’s got a great dark and twisted sense that I love. He’s not afraid to go places.
Did you keep any props from the movie? No, but standing out on the Hudson River in the middle of the night was pretty memorable. My favorite props were probably the hot-water bottles I was holding. You don’t know the virtue of hot-water bottles until you’re standing on the Hudson in twenty-degree weather. Those things saved my life.
You were born in Boston and raised in Ohio, but you live in L.A., where Mom is shot. Do you consider yourself a full-fledged Angeleno? I definitely enjoy everything L.A. has to offer, especially weather-wise, but with this unprecedented drought, I’ve really been hankering for some East Coast thunderstorms. I feel pretty bi-coastal now. My heart is in both places since I still have family on the East Coast and I have family here, too. I’m an American girl.
Describe your home. It’s cozy and elegant, a little bit eclectic, and incredibly comfortable. I spend a lot of time there and love people coming over and just hanging out by the pool or watching movies. It’s very lounge-y. I try to make it relaxing and not too cluttered.
What style of architecture is it? It’s a California ranch, but it has sort of an East Coast feel in the front. I’ve lived in it for just a year and a half, so I’m in the process of doing landscaping, putting a lot of Boston brick in the front, and making a pathway up to the house.
Are you very hands-on when it comes to decorating? I’m working with Elise Breton of Fine Art Interiors; she’s lovely and she gets me. I trust her, but I like to be hands-on. I’ll ask her to tell me where to look, and then I’ll tell her what I like and she helps me decide. I didn’t know this about myself, but I realized along the way that I like to be part of it. Waiting eight to ten weeks for pieces to arrive is the most annoying thing about the process. I just finally got to see the full chandelier for my kitchen. I have the hugest kitchen island with a skylight over it, but at night it’s completely dark so I had to find a way to light the island up. It looks beautiful. The chandelier looks like it’s made of branches, stretched out with bulbs—it’s so gorgeous.
Where do you go for design inspiration? I definitely use the Houzz app. I like going on there, looking at examples and trying to get the vibe. And I always buy Architectural Digest. I’ll also just search on my phone for ideas and inspiration while I have downtime at work.
Besides the chandelier, do you have a favorite piece you purchased for the home? It’s mostly lighting, because I’m such a big lighting girl. I love beautiful lighting. I bought these great Blackman Cruz amber-colored cubes: One cube is in the dining room, and one is in the living room. At night there is a beautiful glow all over the house.
Given your gigantic kitchen, do you entertain often? I do. I haven’t as much lately because of the landscaping project, but I love when people come over. I have huge doors that slide open in the kitchen and lead out to the terrace, where there’s a barbecue area. The whole kitchen has that lovely California indoor-outdoor setup. My boyfriend loves to barbecue, so if he’s cooking, it’s a good time for me to invite guests over.
Most nights you eat dinner . . . Since it’s still basically summer, sometimes we just go eat around the barbecue area. There’s an island there, or we’ll sit around the kitchen island on stools. We’re pretty casual when we are just eating by ourselves.
What’s always in your fridge? Eggs, rosé, Cholula hot sauce, and dark chocolate.
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If you could save only one object in your home, what would it be? If my boyfriend and dogs were safe, I would take the painting an artist did of my grandmother that I have in my living room. I love it. I have a whole wall of landscape paintings as well, so I’d probably grab as many paintings as I could. My great-great-grandfather was a painter, too, so I have some of his beautiful artworks and I would probably grab those as well.
If you could own any work of art, what would it be? Anything by Edward Hopper. I think that would be pretty amazing. It would be pretty cool to have him in my living room.
What do you keep on your bedside table? Always a bottle of water, some sort of Chapstick, whatever self-help book I’m reading, and my phone and earbuds. I listen to an app called Insight Timer for guided meditations—that’s been my go-to at night if I’m having trouble sleeping. I tend to get anxious about everything I’m doing so I have to calm myself down, and it’s been a godsend for me. I’m really understanding the virtues of meditation now more than ever in my life—just learning to not attach, to just let thoughts go by.
What was last playing on your TV? I’ve been binge-watching all of Mr. Robot. I was so excited to get to present Rami Malek with the Outstanding Male Actor in a Drama Series Emmy because I was so impressed with his performance. And we just watched the Ray Donovan season finale last night. I love television these days. I really enjoying sitting on my couch and watching all day. I’m kind of a social hermit.
What’s the best-designed set you’ve ever worked on? I’ve had a lot, but The West Wing set was pretty phenomenal in terms of how detailed and how huge it was and how many stages it was on. With all the walk-and-talks that we did, it was pretty remarkable.
Did you keep anything from The West Wing? The only thing of any significance I remember was the office plaque for my character C. J. Cregg.
Where do you keep your awards? They are in the office I’m sitting in right now. I have a little extra guest bedroom/office, and they sit on my bookshelves. There’s wainscoting on the walls, and the office is a serene blue—it’s all silver, light blue, gray. Pale, soft, comforting colors.
Do you lean more toward a neutral palette? Not necessarily. I’ve got one room that is fuchsia with an incredibly bright carpet. I love color, but for the main rooms and the office, I tried to go sort of neutral and add in great pops of color in pillows or little objects. But in one bathroom, I’ve got the Scalamandre zebra wallpaper of my childhood. My grandmother used to take me to Gino’s restaurant in New York City, and that was the wallpaper for the entire restaurant. Gino’s is no longer there, but when I saw the wallpaper I told my designer I wanted it. I’m not afraid to go bold.
Tell us about a costume that really helped you nail your character. This is silly, but it’s a movie from way back that I did called The Object of My Affection with Jennifer Aniston. Costume designer John Dunn dressed me. I played a very rich woman so I got the most beautiful clothing. They used Gucci and Calvin Klein and Armani, just really incredible designer clothes. It’s fun to get to play a rich character because of the costuming. On Mom, we get beautiful clothes, but it’s more down-to-earth.
What was the first thing you splurged on when you made it big? My first house. I was terrified. I couldn’t believe I was buying a house; it was the most remarkable thing. It’s literally a mile away from my new house in Studio City, and it was a little California ranch house. I’ve always dreamed of having a big Spanish-style house—that’s what I really love—but I always seem to end up buying California ranches. Go figure.
