On ‘Ellen,’ Janney wins $10K for charity

Oakwood-raised star stays with parents here during pandemic.

One of Dayton’s favorite daughters appeared Tuesday on “Ellen” from her mom’s house here in the Dayton area.

Emmy- and Academy Award-winning actress Allison Janney, the star of the CBS sitcom “Mom,” played a drawer dash game on the afternoon talk show to win $1,000 for the Dayton Foodbank. Host Ellen DeGeneres then announced that the amount would be rounded up to $10,000.

Janney, a graduate of Kenyon College in Gambier, was raised in Oakwood, attended Miami Valley School and took classes in downtown Dayton at the Dayton Ballet.

Her parents, Macy Janney and Jervis Spencer Janney, still live here.

In late March, the star recorded a segment from her mom’s home as part of Gov. Mike DeWine’s coronavirus awareness campaign.

Janney, the star of the new film “Bad Education,” now on HBO, also appeared on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” May 5 from her mom’s house.

She told Corden she was visiting Dayton around the time the coronavirus pandemic began to ramp up in the United States and decided to stay to take care of her aging folks. “I had no idea I was going to be here this long,” she said. “I am going to stay here as long as it takes to see them

through this.”

She said she didn’t bring many clothes with her because the trip was supposed to be short.

“During this time, it doesn’t really matter,” she said. “I got like three pair of sweatpants and I have been borrowing my mother’s cardigans and some of her turtlenecks.”

Janney, who wears a mask when she goes out, said it is the longest amount of time she has spent with her parents since she was in 10th grade.

Janney left Miami Valley School after her ninthgrade year to attend boarding school at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut.

She won her Oscar for her role in “I, Tonya” as the mother of figure skater Tonya Harding.

Speaking to Cordon from her childhood room, Janney showed off a figure skating figurine and a rooster lamp.

Contact this reporter at 937225-2384 or email Amelia. Robinson@coxinc.com.

Allison Janney in a screen grab from an appearance earlier this month on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” from her mom’s house.

Actress Allison Janney is shown in a screen grab from her appearance on “Ellen” on Tuesday. Janney is staying in the Dayton area with her parents during the pandemic.