Allison Janney gave her assistant Ilana the home of her dreams on Monday’s episode of Celebrity IOU.
The 61-year-old actress rolled up her sleeves and got dirty doing demo with the show’s hosts, twin designers Jonathan and Drew Scott, 42.
‘Give me a sledgehammer, and I will bust some s*** up,’ Allison cracked, aware they had just three-and-a-half-weeks to get it done.
Dream home: Allison Janney gave her assistant Ilana the home of her dreams on Monday’s episode of Celebrity IOU
Demo: The 61-year-old actress rolled up her sleeves and got dirty doing demo with the show’s hosts, twin designers Jonathan and Drew Scott, 42
The six-time Emmy winner brought glamour to the proceedings by slinking around in a red floor-length dress and construction boots, saying, ‘I do my best work when I’m dressed to the nines.’
‘Got to work the angles,’ she added, posing.
Drew was impressed, saying, ‘I think this is the first time in the history of demolition that somebody has ever shown up in an evening gown, swinging a sledgehammer.’
Glamour: The six-time Emmy winner brought glamour to the proceedings by slinking around in a red floor-length dress and construction boots, saying, ‘I do my best work when I’m dressed to the nines’
It was all for the love of Ilana, whom Allison had known for 20 years, since her big break on the NBC TV show The West Wing.
Ilana had actually worked in the White House’s real West Wing, and advised Allison during the show’s run, from 1999 to 2006.
Allison rather reluctantly took Ilana on as an assistant, feeling like she wasn’t important enough to have an assistant—unlike, say, her costar, Rob Lowe.
Allison and Ilana: It was all for the love of Ilana, whom Allison had known for 20 years, since her big break on the NBC TV show The West Wing
Real West Wing: Ilana had actually worked in the White House’s real West Wing, and advised Allison during the show’s run, from 1999 to 2006.
To Allison’s surprise, Ilana soon became ‘invaluable’ to her, and they’ve since spent two decades working together, with Ilana never taking a vacation the whole time.
‘I can’t live my life without her,’ Allison admitted. ‘She’s my sister, she’s my manager, she’s my muse, she’s my confidante.’
Both of them had recently lost siblings ‘in very tragic ways,’ Allison said, and Ilana was emotional as she described the ways in which Allison had been there for her.
Invaluable: To Allison’s surprise, Ilana soon became ‘invaluable’ to her, and they’ve since spent two decades working together, with Ilana never taking a vacation the whole time
Sister and Muse: ‘I can’t live my life without her,’ Allison admitted. ‘She’s my sister, she’s my manager, she’s my muse, she’s my confidante’
‘It means everything,’ Ilana affirmed, describing what it was like to have her pal’s support.
The Scotts learned from Allison that Ilana loved to throw parties, so they expanded and then moved Ilana’s tiny kitchen to give her more room to entertain, building her a huge island and a wine cabinet, installing newer, brighter floors, and upgrading her built-in shelving.
They also redesigned her living room, giving her fireplace a modern makeover and bringing in new furniture that made the space look streamlined and sexy.
Entertain: The Scotts learned from Allison that Ilana loved to throw parties, so they expanded and then moved Ilana’s tiny kitchen to give her more room to entertain, building her a huge island and a wine cabinet, installing newer, brighter floors, and upgrading her built-in shelving
Before and after: They also redesigned her living room, giving her fireplace a modern makeover and bringing in new furniture that made the space look streamlined and sexy
The project wasn’t easy: The Scotts discovered a heap of grease and ‘something living’ above the home’s poorly installed oven vent, which made Allison scurry away.
‘I’m out, I’m out, I’m on the 101,’ she called back, referring to the highway that runs from California to Washington.
But Allison soon returned in an olive-green jumpsuit to smash her hammer through a wall, calling ‘Honey, I’m home!’ as she peeked through.
Demo gear: But Allison soon returned in an olive-green jumpsuit to smash her hammer through a wall, calling ‘Honey, I’m home!’ as she peeked through
The Scotts kept finding shoddy construction in the house, and even installed a new steel beam to support rooms, which cost them money and time they didn’t have.
Somehow, they met their deadline, and the place looked like a completely different home—super luxe, with all the finishes chosen by Allison herself.
The actress FaceTimed Ilana from the site as her pal drove back from the airport.
Shoddy: The Scotts kept finding shoddy construction in the house, and even installed a new steel beam to support rooms, which cost them money and time they didn’t have
Drove back: The actress FaceTimed Ilana from the site as her pal drove back from the airport
‘I just want to tell you that I did break a little something,’ Allison said, as the Scotts laughed quietly in a corner. ‘We can fix it. I don’t want you to panic.’
When Ilana, her husband Itay and their two daughters got home, Allison greeted them outside and led them into the house, promising, ‘Everything broken can be fixed.’
They walked in, and Ilana was nearly speechless, saying, ‘Oh my God,’ as the Scotts sprang out from their hiding place in the kitchen.
Break something: ‘I just want to tell you that I did break a little something,’ Allison said, as the Scotts laughed quietly in a corner. ‘We can fix it. I don’t want you to panic’
‘It looks so different,’ the homeowner said, incredibly touched by what Allison had done for her. ‘This is crazy beyond. I don’t even comprehend how we left and came back to this.’
Jonathan propped one of Ilana’s daughters atop the kitchen island, and she did a little dance.
‘I’m overwhelmed by this whole experience,’ Ilana told Allison, who hugged her. ‘This house is so ridiculous, and you did this for us, and I’m so grateful for you.’
So different: ‘It looks so different,’ the homeowner said, incredibly touched by what Allison had done for her. ‘This is crazy beyond. I don’t even comprehend how we left and came back to this’
Dance: Jonathan propped one of Ilana’s daughters atop the kitchen island, and she did a little dance
Overwhelmed: ‘I’m overwhelmed by this whole experience,’ Ilana told Allison, who hugged her. ‘This house is so ridiculous, and you did this for us, and I’m so grateful for you.’
An emotional Allison returned the compliment.
‘You’ve been there for me, for so many things, so many moments of my life, and made things easier and run smoother for me, and I wanted to do that for you,’ she told Ilana.
The newly redone home would be a boon in her life too, she emphasized, as she planned to visit often.
‘You have an open invitation,’ Ilana promised, as the friends shared cake and wine.
Celebrity IOU returns next week on HGTV.
Easier: ‘You’ve been there for me, for so many things, so many moments of my life, and made things easier and run smoother for me, and I wanted to do that for you,’ she told Ilana
Open invitation: ‘You have an open invitation,’ Ilana promised, as the friends shared cake and wine