Allison Janney Flexes Her Comedic Muscles
Allison Janney by Joe Kohen/WireImage.com
Allison Janney, who we most recently saw in
Juno, is set for roles in two new comedies, including Sam Mendes'
This Must Be the Place (tentative title) and
A Thousand Words, starring
Eddie Murphy.
Mendes' film features Janney as an abrasive, off-kilter woman who reunites with a former employee (
Maya Rudolph) in Phoenix. Rudolph's character, meanwhile, is expecting a baby with her husband (
John Krasinski), and sets off for a nationwide tour to find a suitable place to raise their child.
In the Murphy vehicle, Janney plays his savvy, greedy boss at a literary agency. Murphy's character, meanwhile, learns he has only a thousand words left to say before his death.
If those two films aren't enough for Janney fans (I'm talking to you,
West Wing junkies), the actress will appear in a Broadway musical following her film shoots.
Is Janney straying too far from her roots? Or will it be refreshing to see her in more laughable fare? Any movie with the words "Eddie Murphy" and "vehicle" in the description makes me nervous, so my fingers are crossed for you, Allison!
- Anna Dimond
Use our Online Video Guide for more of Allison Janney.
