‘Mom’ Cancellation Shocked Star Allison Janney and Left Her With ‘Theories’

The cancellation of Mom after eight successful seasons came as a bit of a shock to fans, and apparently to star Allison Janney as well. In a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Janney opened up about why she thought the heartfelt sitcom got the can, although she clearly had faced the ire of higher-ups for speaking her mind. “Yeah, it was a shock,” Janney said of the cancellation news. “I have my own theories, but I’ve been told not to express them. But listen, eight years is a great long run for a show.”

According to Janney, the themes of addiction and finding community through Alcoholics Anonymous made Mom a show worth making. “You know, it’s one thing to be part of a show that entertains, which in and of itself is a wonderful thing,” Janney explained. “But to also have an impact on people who are in recovery or people who have loved ones or family members who are going through it, to make recovery a more approachable option.” This particular theme hit home for Janney, whose brother Hal Janney died from addiction 10 years ago. “I just – I just miss his sense of humor, really,” Janney admitted. “My favorite time to talk to him was when I was in the car driving someplace, so I always think of him when I’m in the car. And I still have his phone number, and I dial it.”

The series finale of Mom airs on Thursday, and it’s certainly a bittersweet moment for Janney. “I hate change,” she revealed. “It makes me … I get afraid – I always have – to let something go and not know what’s next. I think the biggest thing I need to learn how to say is no.”

This isn’t the first time that Janney has expressed her opinions over Mom‘s cancellation. “There are so many reasons behind it — most of them probably money,” she said on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Again, Janney didn’t get into specifics, focusing on how “sad” she is that the show couldn’t get just one more season.

“I wish we’d had at least another year for the writers to have that much time to ramp up to the ending,” Janney said. “We sort of found out sooner than we thought we would hear. We thought, ‘Surely they’re going to want more Mom,’ and they decided not.” Janney explained that she’s using her remaining time on the show for reflection. “I’m having a lot of moments where I’m just standing on set and taking it in, and looking at all the faces I’ve looked at for eight years,” the Oscar winner explained. “All of a sudden, it’s gone. And no matter how much I prepare myself for it, I know I’m going to be just tears, buckets of tears, because it’s just been so incredible.”