Allison Janney had the perfect excuse to make out with Stephen Colbert — and we ain't complaining
Allison Janney, 64, a 7-time Academy Awards winner and most renowned for her roles in 'The West Wing' and 'I, Tonya', has always been fearless when it comes to entertainment. Whether she’s delivering powerhouse performances in dramas or showing off her impeccable comedic timing, Janney knows how to captivate an audience. And during her appearance on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' in 2016, she did just that—this time, with an unexpected on-screen kiss.
Stephen Colbert kicked off the playful exchange by recalling Janney’s love for acting exercises. “And you said you like to do acting exercises?” he asked. “Yes, with nursery rhymes or song lyrics,” Janney confirmed. Colbert then reminded her of their last impromptu performance, saying, "Last time, you and I did 'Hot Blooded' by Foreigner. I would like to do it with you now.” They enacted a scene from her movie 'Tallulah', as the segment wrapped up and Colbert said his last dialogue, “Well, this boy is addicted!” Janney dramatically rose from her seat and planted a long, unexpected smooch on the stunned host. Colbert, momentarily speechless, gathered himself before blurting out, “You are a good actor.”
I’ll need to kiss you before I’ll know for sure😉 https://t.co/XbXNUXnVre
— Allison Janney (@AllisonBJanney) September 9, 2018
Fans immediately responded to the video, turning the unexpected kiss into a viral moment. One enthusiastic viewer gushed, "These two are great! They bounce off each other so well. I hope they keep getting her to come back." Another couldn’t help but laugh at Janney’s bold approach, writing, "The way Allison snuck up on Stephen like a lion is just so funny." Meanwhile, a third fan pointed out Colbert’s growing reputation as late-night’s most kissable host: "I don't think I've ever seen a late show host get kissed so much, but who's more lovable than Stephen? I'd love to be a guest heh heh." And perhaps the most relatable comment of all? "All these people are kissing Stephen Colbert and I totally get it. Intelligence is hot!" Janney wasn’t the only one smitten by the charming host.
A resurfaced clip captures yet another one of Allison Janney’s playful onstage kisses—this time at the Hollywood Film Awards. During her speech, Kate Winslet jokingly suggested a kiss, prompting Janney to take her up on the offer. As Janney made her way to the stage, Winslet excitedly declared, “Ah, it’s gonna happen!” reported The Hollywood Reporter. This wasn’t the first time Janney surprised someone with a spontaneous kiss. According to People, she famously planted one on James Corden at the 2015 Critics' Choice Awards—an unscripted moment that instantly went viral. Later, on 'The Late Show with James Corden', she explained her motivation, saying, “I merely went for a laugh because I was jet-lagged, and I hadn’t prepared a speech. I knew that you were a fellow thespian and thought, ‘He’s gonna understand what I’m doing here. I’m gonna go for a laugh.’”
But perhaps her most talked-about kiss happened on the 2018 Oscars red carpet when she locked lips with Scott Evans, brother of actor Chris Evans. The playful smooch took everyone by surprise, with Evans later joking that Janney had caught him off guard. "I did NOT see that coming, but what an honor!" he quipped in an interview with Access Hollywood. The moment quickly became one of the most unforgettable highlights of the night, proving once again that Janney is always up for a little spontaneous fun.