The West Wing actor Allison Janney looks incredible in photo shoot for InStyle magazine

SHE’S had an amazing career playing some of our favourite characters in film and TV. Now Allison Janney has posed in a stunning new photo shoot.

ALLISON Janney, the Academy Award-winning actor who rose to fame as CJ on The West Wing, has posed in her swimsuit for a stunning new photo shoot.

The 58-year-old wore two red one-piece swimsuits for the InStyle shoot — one by Norma Kamali and another by Tory Birch — and was styled in diamond jewellery by Harry Winston and Bulgari with Stuart Weitzman pumps.

Janney revealed she stays in shape by sticking to a regular and varied exercise routine.

“Most recently, on location, I didn’t work out one bit. I’ve got a gym in my garage and a pilates trainer who comes on the weekends, and that feels good,” she told InStyle US editor Laura Brown.

“But my favourite way to work out is just to dance — go to a dance club and just sweat buckets,” she said.

Janney, who is 183cm tall, admitted to feeling “a little insecure” about her height.

“I know certain men are threatened by it, or uncomfortable. To be in heels at an awards show — when I’m 6 foot 3 or 4 — is quite a commitment to being seen,” she said.

“You can’t hide when you’re my height. And I consider myself shy. So I’ve had to deal with people assuming that I feel powerful, which usually is not the case.”

Allison Janney won Best Supporting Actress for film I, Tonya at this year’s Academy Awards. Picture: Angela Weiss/AFP

Being an actor over 50 in an industry that teaches women they expire at 40 has its challenges, Janney said.

“My biggest insecurity is my jowls. I’m gonna do one of those thread lifts. I remember telling myself when I was younger, looking in the mirror and seeing some imperfection or wrinkle, even in my 20s, ‘Just remember this, Allison. You’re looking at your face now and finding fault with it. Just stop. Because you will always find fault’,” she said.

“I’m trying to grow old gracefully and embrace it, but I also want to fight it and do little things here and there to help. Especially when you’re still single.

“I’m not totally out of the game, but I’m one foot in, one foot out. I think this guy, whoever he is, is going to have to find me because I’m not going to find him.”

Allison Janney at the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Picture: Jason Merritt/Getty Images/AFP

But all any of us can do is try to embrace who we are and work our hardest to be healthy, she said.

“No matter what your shape or size, if you’re comfortable in it, it’s so sexy and so obvious to people. And doing things to help that along is valuable,” Janney said.

“Like, I remember doing this pole-dancing class, and it did so much for me. It’s like wearing lacy underwear. No one sees it, but you know you have it on.”