# Janel Moloney

Janel Moloney (born October 3, 1969) is an American actress, best known for her role as Donna Moss on the television series The West Wing, a role for which she received nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2002 and 2004. From 2014 to 2017, she starred on the HBO drama The Leftovers.

## Career
### Television

Her early work included television guest roles on ER, Sports Night, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., and Murder, She Wrote. Starting in 1999, Moloney had a main role on The West Wing as Donna Moss, beginning as an assistant to Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) before pursuing further ambitions in the next election. Moloney was originally credited only as a guest star, but she appeared in every episode of the first season. From the second season onward, Moloney was listed in the main credits. She has received two Emmy Award nominations, one in 2002 and one in 2004, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama.
Moloney appeared in the television film Bang Bang You're Dead with Thomas Cavanagh and Randy Harrison, which was first broadcast on October 13, 2002, on Showtime. She played the part of Amber Frey in the made-for-TV movie Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution, broadcast May 25, 2005 on CBS. In 2007, Moloney played Dana Chase, who has a relationship with Tommy Caffee (Jason Clarke) in six episodes of the second season of Brotherhood.
In 2008, Moloney appeared in one episode ("It's a Wonderful Lie") of House M.D. In 2008, she guest-starred in an episode of 30 Rock. Moloney appeared in the 3rd installment of the Lstudio.com web series Puppy Love.
In 2009, she appeared in the American series Life on Mars as Professor Pat Olsen in the episode "Revenge of the Broken Jaw". She also appeared in the episode "Faithfully" of Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Allison Wyler.
Moloney had a recurring role in the first season of HBO drama The Leftovers, and was bumped up to a main role for the following two seasons (2014-2017).

### Theatre

In 2007, Moloney made her Off-Broadway stage debut as Theresa in the Playwrights Horizons production 100 Saints You Should Know, written by Kate Fodor and directed by Ethan McSweeny. She appeared in the Off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore in September through October 2, 2011.

### Film

Moloney starred in the 2010 feature film Armless, as Anna. She made a brief appearance as Earlene in the 1995 Walter Hill directed western Wild Bill, and appears in the 2013 film Concussion.

## Personal life

Moloney has two sons, Julian and Fernando, with composer Marcelo Zarvos, who she married in 2010. She launched a newsletter on Substack in 2025.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Dream Lover | Alice Keller | |
| 1995 | Safe | Hairdresser | |
| 1995 | Wild Bill | Earlene | |
| 1997 | ''Til There Was You | Beebee Moss, Age 25 | |
| 1998 | Desperate Measures | Sarah Davis | |
| 1998 | The Souler Opposite | Thea Douglas | |
| 2002 | Bang Bang You're Dead | Ellie Milford | |
| 2005 | Just Pray | Cheryl Lawson | Short |
| 2010 | Armless | Anna | |
| 2013 | Concussion | Pru | |
| 2014 | Stay Then Go | Marion Baird | |
| 2016 | Half the Perfect World | Gina | |
| 2017 | The Leisure Seeker | Jane | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Roomies | Punk Co-Ed | Episode: "The One That Got Away" |
| 1991 | To Save a Child | Janelle Lowry | TV movie |
| 1991 | ...And Then She Was Gone | Mary | TV movie |
| 1992 | Double Edge | Jen | TV movie |
| 1993 | The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. | Mary Sims | Episode: "Pirates!" |
| 1993 | Bakersfield P.D. | Sarah | Episode: "Lucky 13" |
| 1995 | ER | Mrs. Nancy Larson | Episode: "The Birthday Party" |
| 1995 | Murder, She Wrote | Maria Corbin | Episode: "Unwilling Witness" |
| 1996 | High Incident | Bridesmaid McManus | Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part" |
| 1998 | Sports Night | Monica Brazelton | Episode: "The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee" |
| 1999–2006 | The West Wing | Donna Moss | 149 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2001, 2002) Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2002, 2004) Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2003–2006) |
| 2005 | Amber Frey: Witness for the Prosecution | Amber Frey | TV movie |
| 2007 | Brotherhood | Dana Chase | 5 episodes |
| 2008 | House | Maggie | Episode: "It's a Wonderful Lie" |
| 2008 | Puppy Love | Allegra | |
| 2008 | 30 Rock | Jessica Speyer | Episode: "Reunion" |
| 2009 | Life on Mars | Pat Olsen | Episode: "Revenge of Broken Jaw" |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Allison Wyler | Episode: "Faithfully" |
| 2009 | Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas | Marion Malloy | TV movie |
| 2012 | Walk and Talk the Vote: West Wing Reunion - Bridget Mary McCormack | Donna Moss | Video short |
| 2013 | The Good Wife | Kathy Eisenstadt | Episode: "A Precious Commodity" |
| 2014–2017 | The Leftovers | Mary Jamison | Recurring (season 1), main role (season 2–3) |
| 2014 | Alpha House | Senator Peg Stanchion | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | The Blacklist | Kat Goodson | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | American Crime | Raelyn | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Lorraine Franchella | Episode: "Dare" |
| 2018–2019 | The Affair | Ariel | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote | Donna Moss | TV special |
| 2020 | The Undoing | Sally Morrison | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Bull | ADA Sutherland | Episode: "Fallen Idols" |
| 2021 | FBI | Hannah Thompson | Episode: "Fire and Rain" |
| 2022 | Law & Order: Organized Crime | Deputy Inspector Lillian Goldfarb | 5 episodes |