Allison Janney once catfished Paul Newman, the Ohio native reveals

Kenyon grads Allison Janney and Paul Newman

Dayton, Ohio, native Allison Janney appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and confessed to the talk show host that she once catfished legendary actor Paul Newman.

“I like to think I catfished him into casting me,” Janney said during her April 24 visit. The part was for a play at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where Janney - and Newman - went to school. Newman returned to Kenyon in 1978 to direct the debut play at the school’s newly constructed Bolton Theater. The play? C.C. Pyle and the Bunion Derby.

Granted, Janney’s “catfishing” was more of the professional type. And, okay, fine, not really catfishing at all. Though Janney admitted to making up a story about her new Volkswagen Scirocco. It was part of her audition for Newman, which included getting up on stage and extemporaneously talking about anything you wanted.

“I decided I was going to appeal to his love of race car driving,” Janney said. “I made up a story about (driving my Scirocco) from Dayton. I said, ‘It usually takes two and a half hours to get to Kenyon, but I can make it in an hour and 10, if I take such-and-such exit and the cops aren’t there and I punch it. I made the whole story up and it probably had nothing to do with my getting the part, but I like to think that I catfished Paul Newman.”

Janney also met Joanne Woodward, actress and Newman’s spouse, there. Both actors were instrumental in coaxing her to New York from Ohio to build her career.

Janney is best known for her role as press secretary C.J. Cregg on The West Wing and as Anna Farris’s mother on Mom.

Comments

Mike Judge's 'Automated Trucking' one of several films awarded tax credits for 2025

Mike Judge and Alec Berg, creators of 'Automated Trucking' >>> Automated Trucking , a new comedy feature from Mike Judge, creator of Office Space , Beavis and Butthead , and King of the Hill , will shoot in Ohio this year - but where in Ohio is the real question. Automated Trucking was one of 14 projects awarded more than $26 million of $33 million in tax credits from the Ohio Department of Development’s Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit Program (OMPTC) aimed at boosting production and infrastructure across the state. The newly launched Ohio Film & Theater Capital Improvements Tax Credit Program (OFATCI) will provide more than $7.3 million to support capital improvements for film and theater production. "Our film tax credits bring producers and stars to Ohio, and they create opportunities for the local businesses, skilled trades, and creatives already here," said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. "The expansion of film in...

Everything we know about ‘Superman’ filming in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio

The iconic Daily Planet globe on set in Cleveland, Ohio >> Superman , under the guise of Genesis , was among the films awarded 2024 film tax incentives by the Ohio Department of Development. The Warner Bros. movie was one of 23 film, television, and theater projects awarded incentives through the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit Program. Superman, formally titled Superman: Legacy , kicks off writer/director James Gunn’s DC Universe . Here’s everything we know about the production. Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, caricatured by Shuster Superman will film on location in Cleveland and Cincinnati Superman will film in Cleveland and Cincinnati, according to OhioData . On-location work in Cleveland is expected to start June 17 and last through July 16, according to an April 23 casting call from Angela Boehm Casting. Neither Warner Bros. , the Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC), nor Film Cincinnati have issued an official announcem...

Catching up with Erik Bork and 'The Elephant in the Room'

Sean Kleier and Alyssa Limperis play political opposites in love Since our last conversation with Dayton native Erik Bork , the Emmy-winning writer has embraced new creative ventures, including directing his debut feature film, Elephant in the Room . The “red-blue rom-com,” as Bork calls it, delves into political polarization through the intertwined lives of three unexpected companions. And with the 2024 election looming large, what better time for a film like Elephant in the Room ? Set in December 2020, the story follows a progressive Los Angeles woman who meets a Trump supporter and unexpected sparks fly. In the aftermath of their meet-cute, however, she questions whether they can overlook their political differences to build something more. “The film is less about political debate and more about flawed yet relatable characters who explore their differences while trying to figure out their lives and relationships in a heartfelt, humorous way,” explains Bork. Alyssa Limperi...

Midwest Movie Maker

Search This Blog