It’s time for a transfer of power in the Oval Office—at least on TV—as the groundbreaking political drama The West Wing finally says goodbye after seven seasons on the air. But don’t feel too sorry for Allison Janney: Even though she’s out of a job, the towering actress took home four Emmys in a five years span for her portrayal of White House Press Secretary (and later Chief of Staff) Claudia Jean “C.J.” Craig, got famous, delivered dome of the most whip-smart dialogue in TV history, got engaged and, she tells Hollywood.com, had the time of her life.
Hollywood.com: You’re at the end of a pretty phenomenal run with The West Wing. What’s next for you?
Allison Janney: I think now, I take a breath. I very much want to get back to Broadway, I want to do theater, I want to do movies and I’d like to take a break though and find my passion again because this has been an exhausting thing doing this show. It’s been so wonderful but I’d like to visit my family and get to know them again. Maybe take care of my relationship, my personal life, my friends.
HW: Was this going to be the last season no matter what?
AJ: I think so. It was ready, and then John [Spencer] dying, I felt, I can’t go on. I don’t want to. He’s my buddy, John and Brad [Whitford] and Richard [Schiff] and I had a special relationship, the four of us. It’s tough. I hate to see it go because it’s been so glorious. We don’t like to think of it as canceled. We like to think of it as reaching its conclusion and going off the air. I think we all knew, that when they changed our time. Maybe it’s a good thing. I don’t know, I guess we started to feel like maybe this is the end, and then as I said, when John died we all just felt that we all didn’t want to go on anyway, so it feels right. We’re all ready to move on. It’s sad, but…
HW: What happened to the show, in your view? Why did it lose momentum?
AJ: It was reality TV, that really put a dent in us the first time we saw slips in our ratings—The Bachelor was the first thing that dug into our ratings. That and the transition from Aaron going, getting our feet there and finding our way again.
HW: What would your career have been like without The West Wing?
AJ: At the time I got West Wing I was doing American Beauty and Nurse Betty, both those movies at the same time. Who knows? I probably would have continued doing movies. I think it would have been fine, it just would have been different. Now this has propelled me into that other category of celebrity, whatever that means. Sometimes I think it hurts you, sometimes I think it helps you in terms of the next role. People tend to typecast you. But thankfully I’ve done enough different roles in the past.
HW: What want to swipe from set as souvenir?
AJ: The president has these beautiful glass paperweight bowls on his desk that have beautiful things in them, and I want one of those. I’ve got to get a lot of White House pens. I love CJ’s chair in her office. And also a lot of my wardrobe. I have beautiful clothes—Armani suits and Max Mara, Calvin Klein.
HW: Will they let you take what you want?
AJ: I don’t know if they’re gonna know about it! They’ll probably let me have some things.
HW: Has doing this show made you political?
AJ: I’m definitely more aware. I’m not like Brad, on that level. He’s pretty involved. I am interested, but I don’t know if I can give up my life and go out and…Martin [Sheen] gives so much.
HW: When they changed your position on the show, how did things change for you?
AJ: It was more difficult. I didn’t have as much fun because of the responsibility. As press secretary it seemed that there were more chances for her to mess up and have fun. And as Chief of Staff she had to be in charge and delegate. I kept telling the writers, ‘I want her humor to come through more.’ I didn’t want her to just become the authoritative delegator. What’s so interesting is that our lives after West Wing are meshing. Every scene is sort of coping with that question.
HW: Where would you like to see CJ end up?
AJ: Where do you go after Chief of Staff? Maybe she’d work for another president some day. I think she’ll get married, have a dog. I think she wants to be the woman behind the curtain. I don’t think she wants to run for office. She could head a corporation. She’s very smart. There’s no end to what CJ could do.
HW: You had less romantic luck on the show than some of the others.
AJ: All of CJ’s lovers tend to spontaneously combust. I always thought Richard Schiff and I always had something going. I would have liked that. And there were a couple of guest stars I wouldn’t have minded. I loved my storyline with Mark Harmon. I loved that.
HW: They had to make set elements like the Oval Office desk and chair bigger on Commander in Chief for Geena Davis because of her height. Did they ever do it for you, or just tell you to duck down?
AJ: No. We have a lot of tall Secret Service men, and Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits are all tall. It never was an issue. Our costume designer always put me in heels, and sometimes I’d end up in fuzzy slippers anyway. I’d say, ‘can you see my feet?’ If they can’t I wear fuzzy slippers. It’s been hard being tall, but…
HW: Being so statuesque hasn’t seemed to hinder you.
AJ: It hasn’t yet, thank God.
HW: We love when you have scenes with tiny Kristin Chenoweth.
AJ: I wish we had more scenes together. Brad wrote that episode where I said, “Are we from the same species?”
HW: Was it harder being tall when you were younger?
AJ: I think so, I never had a date till I was in college because I was taller—at least that’s what I think it was.
HW: Did you always sit in the back of the class?
AJ: Yes, the back. And at the apex in the group pictures. Now I love it. It’s a commitment, though, because I love to wear heels, too. So I’m always impossibly tall.
HW: Do you have trouble finding shoes?
AJ: Not any more. A lot of people have size 11.
HW: Would you do another series?
AJ: Yeah I would, probably not another hour drama, at least right away. I want to see my family. I want to have a life a little bit. But it’s been the best job of my life so far. I can’t imagine doing another hour drama right away. I’ve always been interested in half hour comedy. Those were my roots before anything else, comedy. So if it comes along I definitely wouldn’t turn it down.
HW: Any projects on the horizon
AJ: Yes I do have some things, some plays. Nothing I’ve committed to yet, because I don’t want to commit to anything. I want to have a month at least to sit and relax and start thinking about it.
HW: And after a year of engagement, will you finally squeeze a wedding into your schedule?
AJ: I know. We’re not married yet and I think we’re finally going to do it. It’s been so difficult to plan it. It will be so nice to finally get married and take care of my man and take care if my dog and my mom and dad.
–Reporting by Gerri Miller
