Marion Cotesworth-Haye - The West Wing

Allison Janney steals the show as White House Press Secretary CJ Cregg, who when meeting the immensely snobbish Marion Cotesworth-Haye, explodes in uncontrollable laughter. Here is every mention of Marion leading up to what is maybe the funniest scene in the seven years of "The West Wing". This is from season 4, episode 18, "Privateers".

[@InlawsOutlaws]

This is my friend Helen Slayton-Hughes and every once in a while I have to watch again because she is PERFECTION.

[@beef-waterfall3638]

Yes indeed. Her delivery was masterful.

[@seanhitchcock2497]

She was also very good as the indomitable Ethel Beavers in Parks and Recreation

[@antourte1]

Well that's a different foxhunt altogether! Honestly for some reason I came here after I saw the Queen died. This character seems the person most like the Queen in all of _West Wing_ somehow.

[@PeterCacioppi]

Wait seriously? She is incredible.

[@pieceofgosa]

She's incredible. A comedy goddess.

[@traejaan]

"Helena Hodworth Hooter Tooter of Braintree" I have never forgotten this line and I use quite often in my daily life of insulting my family

[@kcindc5539]

01:35 The earnestness in which Allison Janney launches into “….anyway Helena Hotworth Hooter-Tooter from Braintree” is sheer brilliance

[@Yobcis73]

I'm sure Josh Malina is biting the inside of his mouth as to not ruin the take by laughing.

[@kcindc5539]

@@Yobcis73 OMG yes.

[@tejaswoman]

Let's all take a moment to acknowledge that Braintree really is one of the weirdest, silliest names for a historic American town.

[@kcindc5539]

@@tejaswoman it really is….

[@Bariom_dome]

It was stuff like that that made me love her

[@ZacharyLoeser]

The outtakes from this must've been AMAZING.

[@georgepratt4988]

Agreed! I wish I could see them!

[@joeyfitz9]

"Ah well that's a different fox hunt altogether now, isn't it!" I can not wait to try to drop that line in a conversation!

[@sharkracer]

Ah well, that's a different fox hunt!

[@CBeard849]

WW was one of my most favorite series and it's the "deadpan banter" between the cast that kept it enjoyable. WW is chock full of funny stuff like this and it provides a break from the many seriously anxiety producing stressful ones.

[@alanblack306]

You have to admire actors who can keep it together in moments like this. Don't know how they do it.

[@maineboy1979]

My aunt worked for a very large, very old church in a very affluent town in Massachusetts. The local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held their meetings there, and my aunt said there were several women in the group who looked and acted *exactly* like Marion.

[@MotownGuitarJoe]

The Francis Scott Key Key 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@pieceofgosa]

This is the best 5 minutes of comedy ever written & performed on US network TV.

[@MotownGuitarJoe]

I am completely in love with CJ's laugh.

[@artemartem1134]

"Helena Hodworth Hooter Tooter of Braintree" - I'm fucking DEAD. I need to know how many takes that took to nail it without laughing.

[@HellHammerThrash]

Rest in Peace Helen Slayton-Hughes

[@jjstraka1982]

"Is this a hazing"?? LMAO

[@mjs6767]

It not. It’s not. It’s NOT

[@jdmullen78]

@@mjs6767”there are olives in my jacket again.” 😂

[@arm7987]

The wink from a knowing Mr Thomas at the end is what gets me. Those subtle little things one has to look out for that makes this show special. Although Allison Janney will always be one of my all time favourites... Everything she is in is gold.

[@antourte1]

Oh my god I never noticed the wink, dark lighting on his face I guess. That's brilliant :D

[@windfury1980]

@@antourte1 My god, I've watched this scene a dozen times and I've never seen that either, always watching Will in the back. That is even better and I now can't unsee it! Also, good on Will for helping Amy out here, tough first day.

[@joshhummel9819]

@@windfury1980 I had not noticed it either! Just lost somewhere in the 8 pixels.

[@dwells37]

Oh man, thank you for pointing that out! I never noticed it! LOL

[@almostfm]

I went back and rewatched, just concentrating on his reaction to the whole thing. He was starting to figure it out when Amy first mentions the award. By the time Amy mentions it was to be a surprise, he's got that look that says "You're just winging it, and you're actually gonna pull it off-well done." The smile and the wink were just his chef's kiss.

[@wadsworthaaron]

I've seen this scene (and episode) over a half dozen times... it's one of my favorite Allison Janney moments in the entire series. She is just brilliant (^,^)

[@antourte1]

The way she gives those two deliveries of "It's real; it's *real."* is just perfect 🤣Trying to take it down a notch each time but you still can't get the laughter out of your breath

[@john_northrup]

My other favorite would be her doing The Jackel

[@TheHomesteadingHobbit]

Is this a hazing? Am I being hazed? Her demeanor is on point and I cannot keep myself from watching this and laughing more every time I watch it.

[@scbluesman13]

Love the way the humorous tension is built up in this scene. As soon as C.J. stops in front of the door, you know it's not going to end well...

[@TheStuport]

Since seeing this hilarious scene so many years ago, I still smile whenever I hear or read the word Pirate....and then I think of Dear, Sweet Marion Coatsworth Hay and I immediately bust out laughing just as CJ did....and this is even when my Game Face is actually on!🤣 One of The Best West Wing Moments Ever! Cheers WW Fans!

[@maineboy1979]

4:26 Two decades after this episode aired, I’m STILL wondering where Will got that shiny brass skeleton key from 😂

[@imcallingjapan2178]

Probably in his other pocket, like the olives. Because hazing

[@amwfan88]

Helena Hodworth Hooter-Tooter. I wonder how many times they had to film that scene - I could not say that with a straight face if I tried.

[@antourte1]

of Braintree. Which I still cannot believe is a real place despite riding on Boston's red line train many times now.

[@almostfm]

I've done a couple of movies. By the time you've learned your lines well enough that you can actually shoot the shot, it stops being funny to you unless something unexpected happens while you're shooting.

[@briansmith8898]

Honestly, the idea that Abby was descended from a pirate is kind of cool. Might help to freshen up a stodgy old ladies club like the Daughters of the American Revolution.

[@richardcarlson127]

A Privateer, not a pirate!

[@Snowshowslow]

I thought the DAR was a joke invented by the Gilmore Girls writers 😬 This actually exists?

[@OrangeCat1992]

@@Snowshowslow it very much does.

[@tejaswoman]

​@@Snowshowslow Really? Are you perhaps from another country, or maybe just young? I can't even think how far back I've been hearing about the DAR. FWIW, there is, unfortunately, a similar organization for the Confederacy; my mother and I qualify at least three times over, but you can bet we would never dream of claiming that non-honor.

[@Snowshowslow]

@@tejaswoman I am from outside the US, yes :) And denouncing that indeed seems like the right thing to do 😆

[@mannykinx7914]

RIP Ms. Slayton-Hughes.

[@capchemist]

What has to happen for Ethel Beavers to go from being a prominent member of the DAR in Massachusetts to working as a court stenographer on the fourth floor?!

[@OrangeCat1992]

They’re distant cousins. 😉

[@tejaswoman]

What did I miss here?

[@capchemist]

@@tejaswoman the actor who plays MC-H also plays a character on Parks & Rec.

[@jessmorgan6732]

The name "Coatsworth" is the most Sorkin-y surname I've ever heard. Most of his characters sound like they disembarked from the Mayflower that very day.

[@RectanerTreadway]

Haha yes - Seaborn and Sherborn , McAvoy and McHale

[@marcopl17]

I LOVE AMY. I wish she would've had a bigger role

[@cwildeman]

Am I being hazed? Is this a hazing? To this day I still use this when I suspect my friends are fucking with me.

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

A pirate, a pirate! Oh, yes, a pirate, he!

[@RectanerTreadway]

I tried to google this exact phrase - is it Gilbert & Sullivan? I didn't find the lyric , if so 😖

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

@@RectanerTreadway a loose paraphrase of the finale of Pirates of Penzance: Girls: "The pirates, the pirates! Oh despair!" Pirates: "Yes we're the pirates, so despair!"

[@66zebulon]

The only thing that would have made this scene better is if the lady with the accent had said "Helena Hogsworth Hooter Tooter" using the same accent, in an extended drawl. Comedic gold!

[@maryallen7961]

"I did...I did put olives in his jacket again. But this is on the level." Allison Janney is a national treasure!

[@tcapella70]

I crack up EVERY.SINGLE.TIME!! As someone else mentioned ABSOLUTE PERFECTION!

[@justinroth8851]

"You put olives in my jacket again!"

[@nofirstgonzalez7888]

Yes, yes I did. I did put olives in his pocket again.

[@yahmartay]

Will walks out backwards and bows…lol…like he’s just had an audience with the Queen…and the Francis Scott Key key…maybe the funniest scene in the series…

[@stealahb]

CJ laughing is what i needed today.

[@survivor648]

My favorite CJ scene. It cracks me up 😅

[@douglassauvageau7262]

Allison Janney was the 'secret-sauce'. 😀

[@jamessimmons3645]

My favorite scene of the entire series

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

That actress' name is Helen Slayton-Hughes and the absolutely KILLED IT.

[@almostfm]

Whenever I need a placeholder name in something, I always use Helena Hodworth Hooter-Tooter

[@alestorcrowley]

Is this a hazing? No this is real, its real

[@roxanneperdue1288]

This is such a tremendous scene! Everyone bravo

[@jeffglass5771]

that's the same actress on Parks and Rec...she is hilarious

[@Person1865]

Ethel Beavers!

[@theolamp5312]

That's a great save.

[@ariochiv]

"Oh yes, a pirate, he."

[@fifthbusiness1678]

Oh, I love CJ’s laugh!

[@WalterThomasMcCarty]

“A pirate, a pirate, oh yes a pirate he”

[@sands7779]

You know what happened? I didn't have my game face on 🌝

[@tejaswoman]

I should find a way to use this line sometime.

[@almostfm]

I like how Mr. Thomas gives Amy a little smile and a wink at about 4:45. He knows she's just spitballing, and he's not going to tell Marion Coatsworth-Hay.

[@carolinewhiteside3631]

Mr Thomas isn’t paid enough

[@arnisteingrimursteinunnars4489]

Reminds me of Life of Brian scene where Biggus Dickus and his wife were topics of interest.

[@tejaswoman]

We all dearly love this little story line and how marvelously the actress plays Mrs. Coatsworth-Haye and all that, but am I the only one who thinks it's odd that they're addressing this guy and not her for the first several interactions of the meeting? After all, _she's_ the one with the complaint, yet when they first walk in, CJ greets *him* first - OK, maybe that part's because Carol spoke to him on the phone and not DAR lady - and then when she does the introductions, she revert to introducing the other two people to HIM without even looking at her. I've always found that aspect of the scene a bit puzzling given that this isn't like, for instance, the woman who spots her father's Nazi-looted artwork on the wall and returns with her son because English isn't her first language.

[@asal345]

I think the point of this is that CJ tries not to say the woman's name because it makes her laugh. That's why she prefers to address her secretary.

[@tejaswoman]

​@@asal345excellent point, highly plausible theory. Appreciate your assistance. 😊

[@angelrios5897]

"She was saaaahduhhhnnnned? That dozen't sounndd like Abuhgaillll". Whoever plays Helena Hotworth Marblehay of Brainhead, does a fantastic job.

[@casmatt99]

"Helena Hotworth Hooter Tooter of Braintree" Pretty sure I saw her at Dunks the otha day

[@samhersch9609]

I'd like to see both the Francis Scott Key Key and the Francis Scott Kiki.

[@SissySlaveStables]

gotta say the Francis Scott Key key was clever

[@antmagor]

So this is the woman who wants to kick the first lady out of said organization from being descended from a pirate. And this woman looks, and talks like she just gave birth to Jack sparrow. Yeah I’d be laughing too, and probably a lot louder.

[@mmouse18]

Ethel Beavers did it!!!

[@kasterborous1701]

It's Cotesworth-Haye.

[@Angus_Gibson]

Marion, is that you?

[@DETROIT1948]

The Key 🗝️

[@jtgd]

3:11 😂

[@geoffrose9647]

The same actress played Ethel Beavers on Parks & Rec. Always a scene-stealer.

[@Venumus9]

Rest in peace

[@kimberlyakin8908]

Yep that is How problems are Handled Just to Make them Bigger damn problems .

[@Marcus.Robinson]

Eventually evolved to "Helena Hodworth Hooter Tooter" LMAO

[@kossttamojaan]

this scene is absolute gold. Not only did it give us "Helena Hodworth Hooter Tooter of Braintree" but also brought us "It's a key. Francis Scott Key. It's the Francis Scott Key key." I lose my breath laughing not only at the scenes but even moreso in realizing that in TWW universe these people are running the US government. Nothing in any TWW episode will ever top the scenes of CJ bursting out laughing then doing her utmost to keep her hysterical laughing on mute (Janney's laughing face is just comic insanity).

[@MikelosM]

Mrs Marblehay Helena Hodworth Hooter-Tooter of Braintree

[@payampakravan5148]

"Is this a hazing?"

[@carolion48]

Oh my god this is so fucking funny!

[@MotownGuitarJoe]

The Francis Scott Key Key

[@SN-sz7kw]

Mrs Marble Hay 😂😂😂

[@anoknskyle2243]

A Francis Scott Key Key? Seriously?

[@alertgasper]

and stuffing Will Bailey's pockets with olives was a nice touch. among what else is going on, Amy is justified in believing this is all a hazing.

[@Circa1628]

That ladys name is absolutely NOT funny until that old lady said it like that. I wonder why they thought it was funny to begin with??

[@tejaswoman]

THANK YOU. Everybody always talks as if this name is inherently funny, and it just isn't apart from the way the woman bursts into the conversation to introduce herself after she's already been presented.

[@terrygracy8345]

Is this a hazing?

[@SwordVirtue]

You put olives in my jacket again!

[@MikelosM]

It's on the level.

[@dansmodacct]

It’s real it’s REAL 😂😂

[@aidanwalsh2545]

One day I'll win the Francis Scot Key key.

[@indroneilbiswas]

Ethel beavers!

[@theo-jamesmoulton2000]

*Cackles*

[@PresidentBarackbar]

I hear she likes Diagnosis Murder and skin flicks

[@NinoNiemanThe1st]

Why does Marion Coatsworth Hay have a British accent when she's supposedly a Daughter of the Revolution ie. been in the US for hundreds of years? See doesn't even have a North-Eastern old money American accent either. A rare continuity error by Sorkin on this one, and hyphenated names are common now too: they've become mostly a lower middle class way of joining mother-father surnames together. But they're easy to detect (Babbington-Smythe might be a real old name, Schutt-Jabawonga is not lol). Lastly, re DAR: I'd rather be the descendant of a pirate than a puritan - their streak on America continues, and not in a good way.

[@almostfm]

That kind of accent is surprisingly common for "old line" New England people.

[@Austin8thGenTexan]

This is hilarious, but it's the reason I don't join any ancestral affinity group. I could join anything from the Magna Carta Barons' Descendants on up to the (more modern) Sons of Confederate Veterans. What do you do? Pay for a certificate suitable for framing, hang out with people who say my ancestor's more important than yours? Go to meetings all the time? (Have already gone through two sets of "the chairs" in the Masons). No thanks. ☺️

[@JR-bj3uf]

The West Wing is an engaging show, well acted and with get dialog however, whenever I watch it I get the feeling that I am watching Democrats writing a scrip of what they wish they were like.

[@1800aubrey]

I can’t believe this show is legal. The smug-smart writing is peak cringe.

[@leobigelow7021]

Yeah, exactly. They're writing it for themselves. This really doesn't age well.

[@gordol66]

@@leobigelow7021 Yeah. Smart shows don't age well when the new audience isn't educated enough to understand it.

[@tejaswoman]

Oh, poor little humorless thing. Good luck with life.

[@1800aubrey]

@@tejaswoman you say something? keep watching your programming

[@jbfarley]

You're one moronic clown

[@lornarobertson8698]

Anyone else here after hearing about the bridge all day? 🫢