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Watching Allison Janney casually discuss complex political issues as she strides through the corridors of power in her portrayal of C. J. Cregg, it's hard to believe The West Wing actress and White House Press Secretary aren't one and the same. But as much as she admires her fictional alter ego, Janney insists she bears no resemblance to C. J. once the cameras stop rolling.
"C. J. is incredibly brilliant - and I am an actor who memorises lines," she laughs as she reflects on the differences between them.
"I'm completely self-deprecating. But C. J. comes alive when she talks about politics and I become totally overwhelmed.
"I grew up during the Watergate era so I'm sort of disillusioned by politics; I don't like politicians and I don't believe in them.
"It's hard to believe in anything they say so this (The West Wing) has given me more of a soft heart when it comes to people who work in public service.
"I understand a little bit more of what goes on behind closed doors but still, it's just not a world that I, Allison Janney, would want to be a part of."
Yet it's this very disparity that endears Janney to her on- screen counterpart.
"I couldn't be prouder to play her, especially since she's so different from me," she says. "For me, sometimes it feels like I don't know who I am or what I want to be and then I get to step into the shoes of someone like C. J. - the best possible role."
She's also honoured to...