--- title: Allison Janney Appears as CJ Cregg at White House Briefing description: Allison Janney crashes the White House Press Briefing, a day before the White House Correspondents Dinner. canonical: https://time.com/4312740/allison-janney-cj-cregg-white-house-press-briefing-correspondents-dinner-west-wing/ copyright: © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All Rights Reserved. terms: https://legal.time.com/terms-of-service/ license_contact: syndication@time.com author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-29T18:20:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:50:21.944Z og:title: Watch The West Wing's CJ Cregg Crash the White House Press Briefing og:description: Allison Janney, who played the fictional press secretary, surprised reporters og:url: https://time.com/4312740/allison-janney-cj-cregg-white-house-press-briefing-correspondents-dinner-west-wing/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d38107de393789e/69889141196cf42cdf03b68e/obama_waxm-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4161 og:image:height: 2341 og:image:alt: Obama_Waxm (1) og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch The West Wing's CJ Cregg Crash the White House Press Briefing twitter:description: Allison Janney, who played the fictional press secretary, surprised reporters twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d38107de393789e/69889141196cf42cdf03b68e/obama_waxm-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch _The West Wing_'s 'CJ Cregg' Crash the White House Press Briefing > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=3afb55e6-8892-415b-ad81-0888d38ae575&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: TIME Raw: Watch Allison Janney Crash a White House Presser [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Raw: Watch Allison Janney Crash a White House Presser](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/85JOhGw2.m3u8) (2:46)  _Published 2016-04-29_  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Apr 29, 2016 6:20 PM UTC  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Apr 29, 2016 6:20 PM UTC Emmy Award-winning actress [Allison Janney](http://time.com/4270221/west-wing-podcast-joshua-malina/) reprised her role as C.J. Cregg, the White House Press Secretary on _The West Wing,_ in the press briefing room on Friday. The surprise appearance comes a day before the [White House Correspondents Dinner](http://time.com/4132476/larry-wilmore-nightly-show-white-house-correspondents-dinner/), the annual event in which the commander-in-chief becomes the comedian-in-chief and delivers a speech jam-packed with self-deprecating jokes and digs at friends and foes on both sides of the aisle. While the actress made some inside jokes from _The West Wing_ behind the podium — like explaining that the real press secretary Josh Earnest had to get a [root canal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVKUiqDcGm4), something that happened to her character — she also had a serious message to share. As the star of _Mom,_ the CBS sitcom about a single mom and recovering addict, “I’m here today to draw attention to the [opioid epidemic](http://time.com/4292290/how-obamacare-is-fueling-americas-opioid-epidemic/) and to celebrate those who are working to help others combat substance use disorder,” she said, [noting](https://www.whitehouse.gov/champions) that the White House is honoring 10 men and women in particular for such work. “All of us can help reduce drug abuse through evidence-based treatment, prevention, and recovery.” ## Transcript [ NOISE ] Hi everyone, good afternoon. I was gonna tell you all to be seated, but I see you are already seated so we can begin. Josh is out today. He has, I believe it's a root canal. [ LAUGH ] Yeah, he has a root canal, but let's be honest, I'm better at this than he is anyway, right, just between us. First, I have two announcements, and then I'll take questions. 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. [ LAUGH ]. Very funny. Okay, 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. So now, I'll take your questions. [ CROSSTALK ] Gosh, you're back. This is not your show anymore. My gosh! I am so sorry, I just was in town and I just wanted to take a moment. I-- totally. This is your office. Well, you're standing at the podium so you might as well use it. In all seriousness. In all seriousness [ LAUGH ] What do you mean, this is just happening. In all seriousness, my name is Allison Janney, and I am here today to draw attention to opioid epidemic and to celebrate those who are working to help others calm that substance abuse disorder. And I'm actually on a show now called Mom And which deals with people in recovery and I'm here with my co- creator and Executive Producer Chuck Lorre, who is this issue is very important to both of us. He's in the back there. Today I'm here at the White House, ten individuals from across the country will be honored as White House Champions of Change. They've been selected from over 900 nominations for the leadership preventing prescription drug abuse and heroin use, and for increasing access to treatment and to support their fellow Americans in recovery, for supporting their fellow Americans in recovery. This is a disease that can touch anybody, and all of us can help reduce drug abuse through evidenced Based treatment, prevention, and recovery. Research shows it works. And courageous Americans show it works everyday. I'm so nervous I can't believe . >> [ LAUGH ] So thank you for the opportunity to be here today and to highlight this important issue. And now I will turn the podium to its rightful owner. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Yeah, sure. Who is President [ UNKNOWN ] supporting? Is it the Democrats? I think you know the answer to that question. Absolutely. Thank you, Alice. 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