Allison Janney Wins 8th Emmy, Ties Louis-Dreyfus Record
Janney also paid tribute to Dolly Parton and Rob Reiner following their recent deaths.
'The Diplomat' star Allison Janney added another trophy to her collection at the 2026 Emmy Awards, taking home her eighth Emmy — tying Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cloris Leachman and Jean Smart for the most acting Emmy wins.
Backstage, the actress caught up with 'Extra's' Terri Seymour to reflect on her win, what's ahead for Season 4 of 'The Diplomat,' and the recent losses of icons Dolly Parton and Rob Reiner.
Allison said she wasn't expecting to hear her name called by Emmy Rossum and Alan Cumming as the winner of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
She admitted, 'I had looked at some website because it said I had like a 2% chance of winning. So, I thought, 'Okay, well, that's all right. I'll just go and have a good time. I'm just going to go and bring my friend and we're going to have a lovely time.' So, I just really wasn't expecting that and it's so lovely.'
When Terri noted Janney tying with Louis-Dreyfus, Janney replied, 'It's crazy! And you know, I'm in rehearsal right now with Julia Louis-Dreyfus doing a play. I'm going to take this one and go, 'Tied, baby. Tied!''
The women will soon be seen in 'Other Desert Cities' on Broadway.
As for where the new statuette will live, Allison revealed, 'I'll put her with the others in my office, and she'll have a special place.'
While she initially planned a low-key evening because of an early rehearsal Tuesday, her win might change those plans.
'I wasn't planning to go to a party,' Janney noted, 'but I might have to at least go to the Governors Ball and have a glass of champagne.'
The actress also offered a tease for Season 4 of 'The Diplomat.'
'Expect the unexpected,' Allison teased. 'Things go a bit crazy… Debora Cahn, our showrunner, is such a brilliant writer and she has managed to — every season — surprise me with what she comes up with.'
Allison also praised her co-star Keri Russell and their on-screen dynamic.
'She is the coolest woman on the planet,' Janney raved. 'She's such a generous actress and so much fun to work with. The fact that our characters kind of love-hate each other makes it a lot of fun to play.'
The Emmy winner also took a moment to reflect on the loss of Dolly Parton, whom she worked with on '9 to 5: The Musical' on Broadway.
'She was everything you'd want her to be and more,' Janney emphasized. 'At rehearsals, every day — so happy and grateful for what we were doing with her. She was so supportive of me. I'd not been in a musical before except for in high school, so I was a little out of my element and she was so supportive of me and just cheerleading me on.'
She added, 'I just loved that woman very much, as does the whole world... I saw someone [say,] 'It should be Dolly Parton Day.' The 25th of September — because it's 9/25.' The plan references Dolly's iconic movie '9 to 5,' on which the musical was based.
Allison also remembered Rob Reiner, calling his passing 'shocking' and reflecting on how she knew him.
'I was so lucky to get to work with him early in my career,' she said. 'It was a huge moment in my career to have Rob Reiner pick me for a show that didn't go anywhere, but it was just amazing to get to work with him and be in his presence.'
Though that short-lived series 'Morton & Hayes,' a comedic mockumentary, was not successful, it was a rare misstep for Reiner.
Janney added, 'I don't think there's anyone who's made more hit movies in a row... It was full-on, just, epic tragedy.'
