Is this real life, or is this just fantasy? It’s a question we often ask about our best fiction, but also what we asked ourself while watching this new clip of Allison Janney acting as her West Wing character C.J. Gregg at a White House press briefing.
So, the answer is: this is reality. And it’s great.
Janney completely owned the podium, saying that the “real” press secretary was out for a root canal, and then launching into this:
First, the president is still working on his jokes for the White House Correspondents Dinner. I don’t have any details on that other than he intends to be funny. Very funny. And second, it is Friday which means at half-past five I will be performing the Jackal in my office for anyone who is interested or remembers or cares.
She later segued into her actual reason for appearing, which was not to entertain us but to work with Chuck Lorre to raise awareness about opioid addiction. (Janney stars on Mom, which is Lorre’s show that largely deals with problematic addicts, as told through very bad jokes.)
Watch the clip below. Sometimes real life ain’t so bad.