Allison Janney, the Anti-C.J.

Allison Janney caught a glimpse of politics-meets-Hollywood when she appeared in "Primary Colors," the 1998 satiric story of a Clintonesque presidential campaigner.

"When it came out, the [Monica] Lewinsky scandal broke," she said. "That's probably why it didn't really go anywhere. But I got 'The West Wing' because of that movie."

Janney, 45, spent seven seasons as C.J. Cregg, press secretary and chief of staff for the Bartlet White House, through wars, elections and personnel changes. Janney talked to TV Week recently from her Los Angeles home.

What was the most enjoyable thing about doing this show?

The fun, the opportunities came about in the beginning when most of us had come from theater or small parts in movies. It was exciting going to Washington and having the red carpet rolled out, to be invited to the correspondents' dinner and go to the Russian Embassy. It was all very heady.

The series underwent some changes . . .

It became a bit splintered and different after Aaron [Sorkin, the show's creator] left. But it was a great ensemble, and we still had fun together as actors and as friends.

John Spencer's death last December had to be tough, both on and off the set.

It was devastating. Brad [Whitford] called to tell me, and we were all in shock. John certainly had his health problems and we figured, at the least, he'd be in the hospital awhile. But it was so unexpected, you don't know where to put it in your mind. He is irreplaceable and was such an essential part of the group for seven years [playing Leo McGarry, chief of staff and vice presidential candidate]. Doing the shows about Leo's death, that was reliving the grief over and over.

Talk a little about C.J. and all she went through over the years.

Oh, C.J.'s romances! She was so busy working she couldn't make anything happen in that department, because of how much she gave to her job. It was all about that relationship with her work, and that kind of explains everything.

In fleshing out your character, did you talk to any of the others who have had that job in the White House?

We had conversations with Dee Dee [Myers, President Clinton's first press secretary] and it was nice to hear her take on it, but I wanted to make the character my own. And certainly C.J. has inspired a lot of women, from what people have said to me, and things like that are the icing on this job. I have always had an affinity for women who are strong and capable and can hold their own against anybody. It's the very opposite of the way I am in real life. I want to be like them. And I will miss getting to step into her shoes.

What will you do for fun?

Right now I'm looking forward to reading books -- I got a big stack of them the other day, a lot of guilty-pleasure reading -- and visiting my family. I'm not big for travel. I love to have people over. My fiance [actor Richard Jenik] and I love our rescued dog, Chauncy; he's the best dog on the planet. Part retriever, part Great Dane. He's 130 pounds, and we created a thing in the back yard for him to play and run around, so we have friends over and have fun out there.

Other "West Wing" memories?

Monica Lewinsky rowed me around in a canoe. This was way back when we first started, the end of the first season. Camryn Manheim had a party in Venice, and there I was in a canoe, and Monica and Camryn paddled me around this canal in Venice.

What did you and Monica talk about?

We talked about her handbag line and about everything except the white elephant in the room. And I had lunch with Linda Tripp. We were filming out in Virginia and we all were having lunch . . . and she sat there at another table, engaging us in conversation. So "The West Wing" really brought me to meet people I otherwise would not have met. I can't imagine ever regretting the ride.