C.J Cregg
The character of Claudia Jean Cregg in The West Wing understandably brought actress Allison Janney many accolades, and a legion of devoted fans. As the White House Press Secretary for President Bartlet (Martin Sheen), she spent each episode, from 1999 to 2006, skating gracefully between the various male characters of the administration and communicating effectively with the world. As the award-winning show drew to an end, she was promoted to White House Chief of Staff – a plot development notable for the fact that there has never been a female White House Chief of Staff in reality.
During her seven seasons, C.J Cregg dealt with every fictional national and international situation that occurred, in addition to a father with Alzheimer’s, death threats, two assassination attempts, the death of her boss, and the death of her Secret Service agent. She worked with the UN to effect real change and navigated a complex relationship with a reporter. Ultimately, she was seen to take a high profile job in the private sector, marry the reporter and have a child.
C.J stands as a female character that is an all-too-rare example for the real world to aspire to – achieving in a fictional world professional positions that continue to elude equally qualified and talented women in reality.
Olivia Pope
Played by the award-winning Kerry Washington in Scandal, Olivia Pope is perhaps the female character with the most complex personal life currently on television. A former White House Communications Director, she has gone freelance – setting up her own business, managing the vast array of crises encountered by her high profile clients. The character is a detailed portrayal of a highly intelligent, capable woman operating in a position of great power and influence.
Fifty-six episodes of the Shonda Rhimes creation have so far revealed Pope to be romantically entangled with the President of the United States, and to have been unknowingly at the heart of a high-level conspiracy involving her father, the mother she thought had died, and the fact that her mother is a terrorist. Throughout these plot arcs, she conducts herself as a consummate professional – leading her employees through their respective careers and providing an essential service to clients far less savvy than she is.
