Allison Janney is a force to be reckoned with.
The acclaimed actress won four primetime Emmys for her role as the White House Press Secretary on The West Wing, where she was hailed as a feminist role model as well as one of the greatest female characters on television.
Over a decade later, Janney is continuing to shatter the belief that there are no good roles for older actresses, often playing sarcastic, tough-as-nails women who are unapologetically complicated. Her portrayal of LaVona Golden in the 2017 biopic I, Tonya, was universally applauded, and earned her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
In interviews, Janney espouses the same sardonic and defiant spirit that shines through her characters. Case in point: Janney recently wore nothing but red pumps, a sexy swimsuit, and diamond earrings for the October issue ofIn Style Magazine, and when asked about what dating in her '50s is like, responded, "[Mr. Right] is going to have to find me because I'm not going to find him."
What a legend.
Of course, even Janney isn't impervious to insecurities.
Towering at 6 feet, Janney said she's "a little insecure" about her height, especially when she has to wear heels on the Red Carpet. And she gets a little help in the hair department.
"I have a head full of hair extensions," she said. "Years of blow-drying and coloring and dyeing, it's just fluff. So I choose to help fill out my [hair]. I'm not afraid to admit that."
But her biggest insecurity is something any woman getting older can relate to.
"My biggest insecurity is my jowls. I'm gonna do one of those thread lifts. I remember telling myself when I was younger, looking in the mirror and seeing some imperfection or wrinkle, even in my 20s, 'Just remember this, Allison. You're looking at your face now and finding fault with it. Just stop. Because you will always find fault.'"
She has the same amazing approach to other aspects of aging as well, which is one of the reasons that, at 58, she still looks incredible. After all, ageless wonder Jane Fonda said that the secret to looking young is feeling young.
"There are a lot of things I'm noticing as I get older. I'm trying to grow old gracefully and embrace it, but I also want to fight it and do little things here and there to help," Janney said.
While Janney likes to work out, she's certainly not a gym rat.
"Most recently, on location, I didn't work out one bit. I've got a gym in my garage and a Pilates trainer who comes on the weekends, and that feels good...But my favorite way to work out is just to dance — go to a dance club and just sweat buckets."
So the real key to her ageless appearance isn't even her diet or fitness regimen as much as her unswerving confidence. When the interviewer remarked that she must be pretty flexible, she kicked a leg up in the air and answered, "I could be a Rockette."
This perfectly aligns with how she described what makes someone beautiful.
"There are certainly women who know how to dress and style themselves. I could do more of that because I really spend most of my time in sweatpants and want to be comfortable. But I also think not being comfortable in your body makes it hard to be sexy. No matter what your shape or size, if you're comfortable in it, it's so sexy and so obvious to people."
For more anti-aging wisdom for Hollywood's leading ladies, check out Jane Seymour Reveals Her Ageless Beauty Secrets.
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