Allison Janney told her height meant she could only play aliens… or lesbians
Allison Janney (Image: Getty Images)
Allison Janney has revealed that, early in her career, an agent told her she could only play “aliens and lesbians” because she is tall.
Recalling the meeting on CNN’s “Coming Up”, Janney said: “I remember when I was very young trying to find an agent and I had a meeting with one, she said, ‘What can you play? Aliens and lesbians.'”
She told host Elizabeth Wagmeister: “That’s what she said to me because I’m so tall. I’ve played lesbians. I haven’t played an alien yet. So maybe I’ll play an alien! Yeah, why not.”
Janney, who said she is six-foot tall, also spoke about how her height has shaped people’s assumptions about her personality. “People think because I’m so tall and imposing that must be the way I feel inside, and it never has been,” she said.
In the same conversation, Janney added: “I’ve always been very shy and not totally comfortable speaking as myself. I think that’s why I love acting so much.”
Janney’s queer roles
Janney has played queer roles during her career, including Sally in the 2002 film The Hours, the lover of Meryl Streep’s character.
In 2015, she addressed speculation about her sexuality in an interview with The Advocate, saying: “If people think I’m gay, I’m fine with it. I’ll probably never get married, and I don’t think I really want to be. I’ve never had a lesbian experience, but I’m beginning to wish I were gay. I think I’d be a lot happier!”
Janney is best known for playing CJ Cregg on The West Wing, and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing LaVona Golden in I, Tonya (2017). She starred as Bonnie Plunkett in sitcom Mom, and in recent years has appeared in Netflix political thriller The Diplomat.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
