:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2):format(webp)/Allison-Janney-030524-2-ed140390d7b847028e1d9adcc185831e.jpg)
Allison Janney. Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
Allison Janney is revealing how she reacted to seeing one specific script for The Diplomat.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Nov. 4, Janney, 64, explained that when she first read the script for the political thriller’s season 2 finale, she had a visceral reaction. By the time she made it to the end, she did something she had “never” done before.
“I literally threw the script across the room,” the actress admitted. “It was like, ‘What the?’ Because it was such an explosive, such an incredible — everyone has to binge the whole season because I’m only in the last two episodes. It is such a spectacular ending, I get chills thinking about it.”
Janney’s appearance on The Diplomat, although short, got both fans and cast members excited when it was first reported by Variety in January.
She plays Vice President Grace Penn in the series, which follows U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), and her husband Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) as they try to prevent a global war.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1294x313:1296x315):format(webp)/Allison-Janney-Netflix-Fall-Showcase-in-LA-110524-a830820c403e4227ba74ef71a0095834.jpg)
Allison Janney.Presley Ann/Getty
In October, Russell, who also executive produces The Diplomat, admitted to PEOPLE during a special event for the show at PaleyFest 2024 that she “was nervous, a little bit” when she heard of Janney’s participation in the show.
“Just because she’s awesome and so good,” the Felicity star, 48, said. “I love her. There’s a scene she does in Primary Colors — that movie is so good — where she does this physical comedy fall up the stairs. So I think I was a little nervous, but she’s everything you want her to be. She’s gracious and funny and smart and cool.”
While Russell joked that she “tried to keep it cool at first,” she eventually confessed her love for the film to Janney.
The Diplomat and The West Wing, which Janney starred in, share a showrunner, Debora Cahn. At that same event, Cahn explained to PEOPLE that she didn’t want Janney’s appearance in another political series “to feel like a gimmick,” and she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to create a “distinct” new character for the actress.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(756x281:758x283):format(webp)/Allison-Janney-in-the-Diplomat-110524-c8c9ef880fd54698803dce257b0662fa.jpg)
Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
“A lot of the way that I write, I learned from writing for Allison,” Cahn said. “So there are certain things that I hear that kind of come from her rhythms, So those are in all of these characters. I just didn’t want it to feel like sort of all the same thing.”
Cahn confessed that she then found herself “scared” to write for Janney again.
“I went into a full-on immobilized panic for a number of weeks when the first big Allison episode was coming because it just felt like so much was riding on it and I wanted it to be good,” she revealed. “I wanted it to be good for her and I wanted it to be worthy of these guys in terms of what she brought to the table,” she said in reference to the show’s cast.
The Diplomat season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
News
Corey Feldman Drops a Bombshell: Claims Johnny Depp Got Him Fired from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape Over Junkie Rumors—Hollywood Feud Ignites! 🌩️💥
Getty Images Corey Feldman recently appeared on Billy Corgan’s “Magnificent Others” podcast (via Entertainment Weekly) and claimed that Johnny Depp got him fired off “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” Lasse Hallström’s 1993 drama about a grocery store clerk and his dysfunctional family. Feldman said he got cast in…
Kate Beckinsale Drops a Bombshell: The Heart-Stopping Moment Keanu Reeves Rescued Her From Red Carpet Disaster—You Won’t Believe What Happened! 🌟💥
Kate Beckinsale recently revealed that her Cannes debut in 1993 could’ve ended in disaster if it wasn’t for her then-co-star and absolute superhuman, Keanu Reeves. This story of Keanu’s gallant act towards his female colleague once again reaffirms our infinite love for the famous actor, so let’s dive right in….
Johnny Depp Fires Back: Shuts Down Wild Rumors of Dating 21-Year-Old Jenna Ortega—You Won’t Believe His Response! 🌟💥
Johnny Depp, 61, has finally broken his silence on the jaw-dropping rumors that he’s romantically involved with Wednesday star Jenna Ortega, 21—a 40-year age gap that had the internet in a frenzy! The gossip, which first erupted in May 2023,…
Bombshell Alert: Johnny Depp’s Latest Move Has the Internet Losing Its Mind—You Won’t Believe What He Did This Time! ↓↓↓
Johnny Depp, 61, just dropped a bombshell that’s got the web in a frenzy! On March 29, 2025, the Pirates of the Caribbean icon crashed a kids’ charity event in Vancouver dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow—full costume, swagger, and all—stunning…
‘Glad She Kept Me’: Reba McEntire’s Wild 70th Birthday Reveal—Her Crazy Birth Story Will Leave You Speechless! 🌟💥
Reba McEntire, the “Queen of Country,” turned 70 years old today (March 28.) Feeling a tad sentimental, the “Fancy” singer decided to share her birth story on social media. And as it turns out, Reba’s entrance into this world was not at…
Wait, What?! The Real John Wick Snuck Into Just ONE Scene Across the Entire Franchise—Click to Uncover the Mind-Blowing Truth! 💥
The John Wick franchise blew up as soon as its first film was released, as people were enamored with the stylized world of a secret society of assassins, with one standing above all as the greatest killer of all time: John Wick (Keanu Reeves)….
End of content
No more pages to load