By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-12 23:49:18 | Updated at 2026-08-13 02:02:06
2 hours ago
Allison Janney has spoken candidly about never having children, saying she was told she was too old by the time she went to see a fertility doctor.
The West Wing star made the confession on the Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky podcast on Tuesday, revealing she made an appointment with a specialist when she was in her forties.
'I just thought, well, I better... I should try,' the now 66-year-old Oscar winner stated. 'The first I heard that I wouldn't be able to have a kid at 40-something was in this fertility doctor's office. She was like, "The odds are not in your favor."'
'And she said, "Also, where is your partner?" And the guy that I was with, he didn't even come with me and I was like, "I guess that is a sign, isn't it?"'
Janney, who has never married, added that she was 'sort of under the impression that women could have kids until they were 50 or something.'
Geriatric pregnancies aka advanced maternal age (AMA) are defined by anyone who reaches 35 years or older by the time of their estimated date of delivery.
The Diplomat star Allison Janney has always declared she never wanted children, but the one moment she did try to see a fertility doctor, it was already too late (pictured March 1)
'I just thought, well, I better... I should try,' the 66-year-old Oscar winner told Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky on Tuesday. 'I went to a fertility person and they were like, "Oh, you're kind of over the hill to..." I was like, "Oh, really?"'
Meanwhile, the seven-time Emmy winner spoke candidly about being "lonely" in relationships she knew deep down were not right for her.
Janney has been in three publicly known long-term romances and is currently single.
She was linked to computer programmer Dennis Gagomiros between 1994-2001, before embarking on a romance with her Our Very Own co-star Richard Jenik.
Janney and Jenik got engaged by their split in 2006.
She later dated The Way, Way Back production manager Philip Joncas between 2012-2017.
'I always thought I would get married just because at the time I was growing up that's what you did,' Janney explained.
'I was like, "Okay, well, I guess that didn't happen..." The way you feel in a relationship that you know is probably not the one and you're kind of in it and you don't know how to get out of it, that's the most lonely feeling in the world to be with someone and feel alone. Oh my god, that's awful. So it didn't happen for me.'
Janney continued: 'The first I heard that I wouldn't be able to have a kid at 40-something was in this fertility doctor's office. She was like, "The odds are not in your favor"'
Janney was engaged to her Our Very Own co-star Richard Jenik before their split in 2006 (pictured together in August of that year)
Janney was also linked to computer programmer Dennis Gagomiros between 1994-2001 and The Way, Way Back production manager Philip Joncas between 2012-2017
The Miss You, Love You star confessed that her true love, aside from her friends and family, has always been dogs.
'I could not love dogs more. I mean, I have to get off Instagram because every dog I see on the rescue things [I want to adopt],' Janney said.
'I want to have a farm and rescue, you know, at least have at least 10 dogs. I just love them so much.'
Meanwhile, the Massachusetts-born star said there 'was not a lot of touching or hugging' in her Waspy family growing up, so she could feel fulfilled just from hugging her animals.
Janney confessed that her true love, aside from her friends and family, has always been dogs (pictured July 7)
Janney said there 'was not a lot of touching or hugging' in her Waspy family growing up, so she could feel fulfilled just from hugging her animals (pictured in 2021)
Meanwhile, the star is keeping busy with work.
The seven-time Actor Award winner is in rehearsals to play Silda Grauman in the Broadway revival of Other Desert Cities alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Joe Keery and Lily Rabe.
Previews begin September 29 for theplay, which runs October 18-January 17, 2027 at the Hudson Theatre in New York City.
Janney will also have a mystery role in Ridley Scott's $110 million-budget sci-fi flick The Dog Stars – hitting US/UK theaters August 28 – alongside Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley and Josh Brolin.
