Bartlet4America News Archive

‘West Wing’-ers honored by Phoenix for abuse recovery

By BORYS KIT
The Hollywood Reporter

Humanity's capacity for renewal was saluted Monday night as "The West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin and actors John Spencer and Martin Sheen received the Phoenix Rising Award for their personal victories over substance abuse and talked about their roads to recovery.

The Phoenix House, a national drug and alcohol abuse treatment, education and prevention agency, handed out the awards, in the shape of a large crystal bowl, at a fund-raising dinner attended by more than 300 people at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Sorkin, whose credits include creator/writer/executive producer of ABC's "Sports Night" and screenwriter of the 1992 film "A Few Good Men," recalled the time he checked himself into a treatment center for his cocaine addiction a little more than five years ago. It cost him $15,000 for a 28-day stay. He said he did what a lot of people do when they're sick and go to the hospital: He filed a claim with his insurance company — and had his claim rejected.

"And the reason they gave for rejecting it was that they did not feel that my condition was serious enough to warrant the treatment I sought," he said. "And all I could think was, 'They must be doing an awful lot of blow at Blue Cross and Blue Shield if they think my condition isn't serious.'

"My point is that I had $15,000; most people don't (have that kind of money). And those are the people who usually wind up in jail instead of (a treatment center). And that's why it's just wonderful that there are nights like tonight where we can raise money for organizations like Phoenix House."

Sorkin choked up as he spoke about how drugs could have prevented him from enjoying fatherhood with his 12-week-old daughter.

Spencer — who plays Leo McGarry, the White House chief of staff with a history of substance abuse on "West Wing," and stars as an alcoholic in the play "Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine" at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles — said he hit a turning point 11 years ago.

"It was 11 o'clock in the morning, I had already finished a fifth of vodka, I was sitting on the floor of my New York apartment, and I thought I had two choices," Spencer said. "I thought if I could stop everything, perhaps I could get a grip on my life and start again — or stop everything and just stop and die. Luckily, I made the first one. I was given a gift that day — I was given the gift of life."

Spencer said the greatest thing about recovery is the concept of second chances and new beginnings. "The fact that no matter who you are, no matter what you've done, no matter the amount of fear ... there is a chance for a new beginning," he said. "Anyone can have it. We can all have it. We can have it once we make a decision. And this is a remarkable thing."

Sheen was out of town Monday night. Accepting on his behalf was his son Ramone (sic) Estevez.

Presenters included Susan Dey ("L.A. Law"), Dule Hill ("West Wing") and producer Llewellyn Wells. Former NBC honcho Grant Tinker presided over opening and closing remarks, and speeches by Phoenix House president Mitchell Rosenthal, counselor William Smith and Sarah Kipp, a graduate of the program, rounded out the event.

Guests included "West Wing" actors Allison Janney, Emily Proctor, Elizabeth Moss and Melissa Fitzgerald with husband Noah Emmerich, "West Wing" writer-producer Lawrence O'Donnell, "West Wing" co-executive producer Kevin Falls and "Traffic" producer Laura Bickford. "Traffic" actors Luis Guzman and Erika Christensen also made appearances. The evening also included video speeches by Harrison Ford and NBC West Coast president Scott Sassa.