Allison Janney Recalls Being Told Her Height Limited Her to “Aliens and Lesbians”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 28: Allison Janney attends the premiere of Universal Pictures' "Minions & Monsters" at Dolby Theatre on June 28, 2026 in Hollywood, California. Photo Credit: Emma McIntyre
by Chris Tremblay Aug 24
3 MIN READ
Allison Janney has recalled an early-career meeting in which an acting agent told her that her height restricted her to two kinds of roles: “aliens and lesbians.”
Janney made the comments during the first episode of Coming Up, a CNN interview series hosted by Elizabeth Wagmeister.
The series features conversations with performers about the career experiences and pivotal moments that shaped their work.
In the interview, Janney said she was very young and trying to find an agent when she attended the meeting.
“‘What can you play? Aliens and lesbians,’” Janney recalled the agent asking and answering.
Janney said the agent’s remark was connected to her height.
“I’ve played lesbians,” Janney said in the interview.
“I haven’t played an alien yet,” she added, before joking that she might play one in the future.
CNN’s account of the interview described Janney as an Oscar-winning actor discussing her Emmy nomination and career with Wagmeister.
Janney is widely described as six feet tall, or approximately 1.83 metres.
In a separate portion of the CNN conversation, Janney said people assumed that being tall and imposing reflected her internal personality, although she said it did not.
The interview therefore connected the agent’s comment not only to a physical characteristic but also to the assumptions that can accompany an actor’s appearance.
CNN promoted the segment under the headline “How an agent completely misread the talent of this Oscar winner.”
The wording reflects the focus of the segment, but neither CNN nor Janney’s interview establishes how many roles the agent discussed or whether the remark represented a formal industry-wide assessment.
The comment also illustrates the use of “lesbian” as a role category rather than as a description of a person’s identity.
Janney’s wording was about the kinds of characters she was told she could portray, not a claim that lesbian people share a particular appearance or personality.
CNN said Janney’s major Hollywood breakthrough came when she was 40.
That account presents her career as developing later than the conventional path often associated with leading screen performers.
Janney became broadly known for playing C.J. Cregg on The West Wing, according to biographical material about her career.
She later received major recognition for film and television work, including an Academy Award for her performance in I, Tonya.
Her screen roles have included characters who were not defined by her height, including political figures, parents, professionals and other dramatic and comic parts.
The 2026 CNN interview was released while Janney was nominated for an Emmy for her role in The Diplomat.
CNN’s pre-Emmy series included Janney among a group of Emmy-nominated performers interviewed by Wagmeister.
The interviews began rolling out on CNN platforms during the Emmy voting period beginning August 17.
Janney’s reference to lesbian roles has drawn attention because she has played LGBTQ+ characters during her career.
Her earlier work has included a lesbian character in The Hours, in which she appeared as a partner of Meryl Streep’s character.
Janney has also spoken publicly about LGBTQ+ themes and lesbian roles in past interviews.
In that 2017 conversation, she discussed her connection to LGBTQ+ audiences and her interest in playing women who love women.
Those earlier comments are separate from the 2026 CNN interview and do not establish that the agent’s prediction influenced the roles Janney ultimately accepted.
Coverage of the new interview has appeared in entertainment and LGBTQ+ media, including Variety, PinkNews, Attitude and Australia’s Star Observer.
The reports consistently identify the CNN interview as the immediate source of Janney’s recollection.
Janney’s response in the interview was lighthearted, but the recollection describes an early professional judgment that reduced her potential to a narrow set of stereotypes based on her appearance.
Her subsequent career, as documented by CNN and biographical sources, encompassed a much wider range of performances.
The full Janney episode of *Coming Up* is available through CNN’s digital platforms for subscribers.
The series features conversations with performers about the career experiences and pivotal moments that shaped their work.
In the interview, Janney said she was very young and trying to find an agent when she attended the meeting.
“‘What can you play? Aliens and lesbians,’” Janney recalled the agent asking and answering.
Janney said the agent’s remark was connected to her height.
“I’ve played lesbians,” Janney said in the interview.
“I haven’t played an alien yet,” she added, before joking that she might play one in the future.
CNN’s account of the interview described Janney as an Oscar-winning actor discussing her Emmy nomination and career with Wagmeister.
Height and typecasting
Janney is widely described as six feet tall, or approximately 1.83 metres.
In a separate portion of the CNN conversation, Janney said people assumed that being tall and imposing reflected her internal personality, although she said it did not.
The interview therefore connected the agent’s comment not only to a physical characteristic but also to the assumptions that can accompany an actor’s appearance.
CNN promoted the segment under the headline “How an agent completely misread the talent of this Oscar winner.”
The wording reflects the focus of the segment, but neither CNN nor Janney’s interview establishes how many roles the agent discussed or whether the remark represented a formal industry-wide assessment.
The comment also illustrates the use of “lesbian” as a role category rather than as a description of a person’s identity.
Janney’s wording was about the kinds of characters she was told she could portray, not a claim that lesbian people share a particular appearance or personality.
A career beyond the prediction
CNN said Janney’s major Hollywood breakthrough came when she was 40.
That account presents her career as developing later than the conventional path often associated with leading screen performers.
Janney became broadly known for playing C.J. Cregg on The West Wing, according to biographical material about her career.
She later received major recognition for film and television work, including an Academy Award for her performance in I, Tonya.
Her screen roles have included characters who were not defined by her height, including political figures, parents, professionals and other dramatic and comic parts.
The 2026 CNN interview was released while Janney was nominated for an Emmy for her role in The Diplomat.
CNN’s pre-Emmy series included Janney among a group of Emmy-nominated performers interviewed by Wagmeister.
The interviews began rolling out on CNN platforms during the Emmy voting period beginning August 17.
Lesbian roles and representation
Janney’s reference to lesbian roles has drawn attention because she has played LGBTQ+ characters during her career.
Her earlier work has included a lesbian character in The Hours, in which she appeared as a partner of Meryl Streep’s character.
Janney has also spoken publicly about LGBTQ+ themes and lesbian roles in past interviews.
In that 2017 conversation, she discussed her connection to LGBTQ+ audiences and her interest in playing women who love women.
Those earlier comments are separate from the 2026 CNN interview and do not establish that the agent’s prediction influenced the roles Janney ultimately accepted.
Coverage of the new interview has appeared in entertainment and LGBTQ+ media, including Variety, PinkNews, Attitude and Australia’s Star Observer.
The reports consistently identify the CNN interview as the immediate source of Janney’s recollection.
Janney’s response in the interview was lighthearted, but the recollection describes an early professional judgment that reduced her potential to a narrow set of stereotypes based on her appearance.
Her subsequent career, as documented by CNN and biographical sources, encompassed a much wider range of performances.
The full Janney episode of *Coming Up* is available through CNN’s digital platforms for subscribers.
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