A tall (6') and lanky brunette character player with proven versatility on both stage and screen, Allison Janney spent several years in bit parts and minor roles before breaking through as the shy florist courted by an Italian chef (Tony Shalhoub) in "Big Night" (1996) and later reaching household name status with a regular role on the critically acclaimed NBC drama "The West Wing" (1999- ).

Janney was raised in Ohio and harbored dreams of Olympic skating medals before a freak accident in her senior year of high school dashed her plans. Attending a dance in a strapless gown, someone stepped on