| C. J. Cregg | |
|---|---|
| The West Wing character | |
 Allison Janney as C. J. Cregg | |
| First appearance | "Pilot", September 22, 1999 |
| Last appearance | "Tomorrow", May 14, 2006 |
| Created by | Aaron Sorkin |
| Portrayed by | Allison Janney |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Claudia Jean Cregg |
| Nickname | Flamingo (secret service codename) |
| Occupation |
|
| Family | Talmidge Cregg (father) |
| Spouse | Danny Concannon (married post-series) |
| Children | 1 |
| Nationality | American |
Claudia Jean Cregg is a fictional character played by Allison Janney on the American television drama The West Wing. From the beginning of the series in 1999 until the sixth season in 2004, she was the White House Press Secretary in the administration of President Josiah Bartlet. After that, she serves as the president's chief of staff until the end of the show in 2006. The character is partially inspired by real-life White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, who worked as a consultant on the show.
Aaron Sorkin, the show's creator, designed C. J. to be assertive and independent from the show's men; though she is portrayed as a smart, strong, witty, and thoughtful character, she is frequently patronized and objectified by her male coworkers. She is sometimes shown as overly emotional, a trait criticized by reviewers as a misogynistic stereotype. Her onscreen romance with Danny Concannon (Timothy Busfield), a senior White House reporter, was also criticized by commentators as giving the impression she was betraying her coworkers. Initially, she is portrayed as politically inept, but she quickly becomes one of the most savvy characters on the show.
Despite C. J.'s shortcomings and surroundings, she is considered among the best characters ever written by Aaron Sorkin. The character proved to be Janney's breakthrough role and earned her widespread critical acclaim, as well as multiple offers to enter the real-life American political realm. For her performance, she received four Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as four Screen Actors Guild Awards and four nominations for the Golden Globe Award. She reprised her role at a real-life 2016 White House press briefing, the 2017 Not the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and a 2020 special episode to benefit When We All Vote.