Allison Janney Will Play Prudy Pingleton in Hairspray Film

Emmy Award winner Allison Janney will play Prudy Pingleton in the film version of the Tony Award-winning musical Hairspray. Directed by Adam Shankman, the movie will begin shooting this fall and is expected to open on December 21, 2007.

As previously reported, Hairspray will also star John Travolta as Edna Turnblad, Nikki Blonsky as Tracy Turnblad, Christopher Walken as Wilbur Turnblad, Zac Efron as Link Larkin, Amanda Bynes as Penny Pingleton, Brittany Snow as Amber von Tussle, Queen Latifah as Motormouth Maybelle, James Marsden as Corny Collins, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Velma von Tussle.

Janney has appeared twice on Broadway. For her performance as Beatrice in the 1997 revival of A View from the Bridge, she received a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award; for her performance as Liz in the 1996 revival of Present Laughter, she received a Drama Desk nomination and a Theatre World Award. Best known for her Emmy-winning role of C.J. Cregg on NBC’s The West Wing, Janney will be seen in Kenneth Lonergan’s upcoming film Margaret, starring Anna Paquin, Matthew Broderick, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, and J. Smith-Cameron (Lonergan’s wife).