Allison Jenny is an American theater, film and television actress. Winner of the Academy Award in the category "Best Actress in a Supporting Role". Also, during her career she received seven statuettes “Emmy”, a prize “Golden Globe”, “Drama Desk” and was twice nominated for a prize “Tony”. Best known for starring in the TV series West Wing and Mommy, as well as supporting roles in the films American Beauty, Juneau, and Tonya Against Everyone.
Childhood and youth
Allison Jenny was born November 19, 1959 in Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up in the city of Dayton, Ohio. Mother is a former actress. Father is a jazz musician, both brothers Allison followed in his footsteps.
After graduating from high school, Allison entered Kenyon College. There she took part in the production of the student theater, which was directed by the famous actor Paul Newman. He and his wife, also a Hollywood star, Oscar winner Joanne Woodward, convinced Jenny that she needed to pursue an acting career.
After that, she moved to New York, where she attended acting school with Dylan McDermott, the future star of the series "Private Practice", taking part in the courses of the Royal School of Drama in London in the summer.
Carier start
In the early nineties, Allison Jenny began to work actively on television, appearing in small roles in the popular projects Law and Order and Cosby, and also starred in several soap operas.
In parallel, she starred in films, often in episodic roles. Appeared in the films “The Wolf, Miracle on 34th Street” and “Six Days Seven Nights.” In 1999, the actress received the role of White House spokeswoman in the TV series West Wing.
Most Notable Roles
The political series of the famous screenwriter and playwright Aaron Sorkin quickly became a hit and made the stars of all members of the main cast. Allison Jenny has received four Emmy Awards for her role as CJ Craig and has been nominated for many other prestigious awards. "
Also in 1999, the actress appeared in a secondary role in Sam Mendes’s drama American Beauty, which won the Academy Award for Best Film at the end of the year.
In subsequent years, Jenny continued to work on television, appearing as a guest star in many successful series. She also played small roles in the comedies "10 Reasons for My Hatred" and "Juneau."
After the West Wing series ended, Allison Jenny got the lead role in Mr. Sunshine, the first project by Matthew Perry after the end of the Friends sitcom, but the project was closed after several episodes.
The actress continued to work actively, the most notable works in her filmography of this period are the drama “The Servant”, the black comedy “Bad Words” and the comedy action movie “The Spy”.
In 2013, Allison received a major role in the sitcom Mommy, and also joined the cast of the series Masters of Sex. Both works brought her an Emmy, making her the most successful actress in the history of the award.
Recent work
In 2017, a biographical film about the famous skater Tone Harding was released. Jenny played in the picture the mother of the main character. From the photo of Allison Jenny from the set and the shots from the trailers, it was clear that the actress absolutely reincarnated for the role and many predicted her an Oscar nomination before the premiere of the film.
In the end, this project really brought Allison Academy Award. She also continues to work actively on television and as a voice actress, giving her voice to the characters of the Duck Tales and Addams Family projects.
Personal life
Not much is known about Allison Jenny's personal life. The actress has never been married, she has no children.
During a thank-you speech after receiving an Oscar, the actress dedicated the award to her brother, who, as it turned out, suffered from addiction for many years and committed suicide shortly before the award ceremony.