Channing Dungey finds the Hollywood stories worth fighting for

Channing Dungey brought favorites from \

Channing Dungey is one of USA TODAY’s 2026 Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and beyond. Meet this year's honorees here. 

Channing Dungey loves stories. It started with books ‒ she was reading at age 2 ‒ and blossomed thanks to Saturday nights with her mom.  

“I grew up with a mom who loved old movies,” she says. Channing, her mom, Judith, and her little sister, Merrin, would gather around the TV on weekends. They’d put M&Ms in a blue bowl and cuddle up in front of “Roman Holiday” or “Sabrina.” “It was that thing we would do together,” Dungey says.  

The family would go to the multiplex, too. Sometimes they’d divide and conquer, like the time her mom took Merrin to an animated film, while Channing and her dad, Don, went to “Blade Runner,” her first R-rated movie.  When she was old enough to go on her own, she’d catch films like “The Outsiders,” which she saw three times in one afternoon.  

Despite their affinity for movies, her parents limited TV time for the two girls, so Channing and Merrin used their allotted hours wisely. “We’d get the fall TV guide and circle the shows,” she says. “We’d plan out our viewing for the week.”