Allison Smith

Allison Smith is an American actress, singer, writer, and director born on December 9, 1969, in New York, New York. She is recognized across stage, film, and television, with a career that spans Broadway, Los Angeles theater, and prominent roles in Emmy Award-winning television productions.

Smith's Broadway career began in 1977 and extended through 1979, during which she took on two significant productions. She originated the title role in Annie, a credit that established her early prominence as a stage performer. She also appeared in the original Broadway production of Evita, which featured Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin in its cast.

Beyond Broadway, Smith has continued to work in theater in a variety of capacities. She starred in the Los Angeles premiere of David Mamet's Oleanna and appeared in a supporting role in Peter Parnell's QED opposite Alan Alda. She also performed in the musical The Education of Randy Newman, in which she played the character of Randy Newman's first wife.

On television, Smith is best known for two roles in Emmy Award-winning series. She played Jennie Lowell on the 1980s sitcom Kate & Allie and later portrayed Mallory O'Brien on Aaron Sorkin's NBC drama The West Wing, which ran on NBC and earned the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.