Allison Janney joked that she will spoon, but not French kiss, her longtime friend and onscreen husband Bradley Whitford, after winning the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Diplomat on September 14, 2026.
Speaking to Live from E!: 2026 Emmys about her onscreen romance with Whitford, Janney said she had asked The Diplomat's head writer, Debora Cahn, to keep intimate scenes off the table. "I said, Deborah, do not write any bedroom scenes, please," Janney said. "She did write one. We were in a fight, and we got into bed and just curled up, snuggled. But you know, that's about as far as I want to go with that."
"I'll spoon, but I will not French kiss him," Janney added.
Even with the boundaries, Janney had nothing but praise for her costar. "He's an amazing actor," she said, adding that "he's also one of the most the funniest people on the planet."
A Reunion Two Decades in the Making
Janney and Whitford first worked together on The West Wing, the political drama in which they played White House staffers under Martin Sheen's President Bartlet. Twenty years later, the pair now play onscreen spouses in The Diplomat, with Janney portraying President Grace Penn.
Janney arrived at this year's ceremony in a feathered gown paying homage to Old Hollywood, a striking contrast to the ruthless political leader she plays on screen. Following her nomination for the role, Janney said, "I'm absolutely delighted and grateful to the Television Academy. Playing Grace Penn continues to be one of the great privileges of my career."
Whitford's Own Emmys Run
Whitford, 66, walked the Creative Emmy Awards red carpet on September 6 with his wife, actress Amy Landecker, who wore a sequined blue and gold gown. Whitford was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, an award that ultimately went to Ernest Harden Jr. of The Pitt.
After the July nomination, Whitford kept his reaction brief. Under a photo of his Diplomat character, Todd Penn, he wrote on Instagram, "Shucks..."
Playing Married, Staying Friends
Despite their onscreen ease, both actors admitted that pretending to be married took some getting used to. "It's kind of funny for us to be martial," Whitford told Netflix's Tudum, adding that Janney "said that kissing me is like kissing her brother."
Janney said she was glad Whitford was cast opposite her. "It's great that it's Brad because we have such a relationship already," she said. "We have years together."
The Diplomat's Emmy Haul
The Diplomat earned seven Emmy nominations this year, including nods for stars Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell, along with nominations for writing, casting and Outstanding Drama Series.
More Couples at the 2026 Emmys
Janney and Whitford were far from the only pairing drawing attention on the red carpet. Other couples spotted at the ceremony included:
- Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney
- Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey, four months after confirming Cuoco's pregnancy
- Jon Hamm and Anna Osceola, who debuted her baby bump
- Katherine LaNasa and her husband of 12 years
- Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart
- Kayla Radomski and Jason Segel
- Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee
- Jason Bateman and Amanda Anka, married 25 years
- John Mulaney and Olivia Munn
- Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkin
- Mariska Hargitay and her husband Peter Hermann, joined by their children Andrew, Amaya and August Hermann
- Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell
- Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin, married nearly 30 years
