Allison Janney Reveals Weird Request Her ‘Germophobe’ Scene Partner Made Ahead of Kissing Scene

Allison Janney is spilling the details on one of the more awkward requests she’s gotten from a co-star in her Hollywood career. The Mom star, 61, opened up about the odd working dynamic on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday when she was explaining how the sitcom’s cast and crew have been staying safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I get tested almost seven to eight times a week dependent upon whether or not I’m going to be doing kissing scenes,” Janney explained, noting that even the testing requirements don’t rank as the strangest kissing scene requirements she’s ever received. “Even before COVID I had a scene partner who I had to kiss with and he was such a germaphobe he would put Neosporin on his lips and ask me to put it on mine too before he would kiss me,” Janney revealed.

Janney joked that she wasn’t actually sure if Neosporin would prevent the spread of germs. “I took it very personally though,” she admitted. “Where does he think I put my mouth? It kind of unnerved me, but, you know, people are germaphobes.” Kimmel did guess that self-professed germaphobe Howie Mandel was the scene partner, but Janney responded, “No, it was not Howie Mandel. I will not say who it was.”

The Mom cast is also dealing with the exit of Anna Faris, who announced she would be leaving the sitcom after seven seasons last year. “It’s a huge loss for the show to not have Anna because she was part of creating a character, Christy, that everyone fell in love with, who was so lovable and warm and gullible and funny and we will miss her so much,” Janney told Entertainment Tonight in November. “I think I’ll miss the most, for me, the relationship between Bonnie and Christy, even though that will still continue. But she won’t be present. That’s what I’ll miss.”

Janney’s Bonnie is now an empty nester with husband Adam, played by William Fichtner, which The West Wing alum noted is adding a new dynamic to the show. “It’s been actually fun because Adam, Bonnie’s husband, we find that we have more time to discover our relationship and that we in fact do like each other very much,” Janney teased. “In fact, we think we’re so good at being in a relationship that we decide we can give advice to other people in relationships.”