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July 24, 2002
Actor Rob Lowe Leaving 'The West Wing'
By Steve Gorman
Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Martin Sheen's fictional U.S. President Josiah Bartlet may be getting a new secretary, but he's about to lose his speech writer.
A day after NBC announced that comedian Lily Tomlin is joining the cast of the Emmy-winning political drama "The West Wing ( news - web sites)" as Bartlet's new secretary comes word that actor Rob Lowe is leaving his role as White House deputy communications director Sam Seaborn.
Lowe's character will appear in 16 new episodes of "The West Wing," which begins its fourth season in September, then "amicably depart" the series in March, the show's producers at Warner Bros. Television said on Wednesday.
No reason was given for his impending exit, but sources close to the situation said Lowe, who reportedly earns $75,000 an episode, decided to leave after producers refused to even discuss his bid for a salary increase.
A separate statement from Lowe himself offered few clues to his departure but contained a note of bitterness.
"As much as it hurts to admit it, it has been increasingly clear, for quite a while, that there was no longer a place for Sam Seaborn on 'The West Wing,"' he said. "However, Warner Bros. has allowed me an opportunity to leave the show as I arrived -- grateful for it, happy to have been on it and proud of it. We were part of television history and I will never forget it."
"The West Wing," which focuses on the political battles and personal intrigues of a White House staff in the fictional Bartlet administration, has become one of the most watched, and most acclaimed, shows on television. The show won the Emmy for best dramatic series for the past two years, and earned 21 [sic] more nominations this year, including another nod for best drama.
STANDING DIMINISHED WITH TIME
Lowe, 38, the only major "West Wing" co-star passed up for an Emmy nomination this year, originally was the biggest name among the leading cast members, apart from Sheen, when the show debuted in 1999. But as the series evolved and grew in popularity, Lowe's relative standing has diminished as he became more of an equal among the other players.
Still, the role marked a major career step for the "Brat Pack" alumnus following a period of off-screen antics, most notably his appearance in a privately made 1988 sex video with two women.
NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker shrugged off the news of Lowe's upcoming exit. "He'll be in 16 of 22 episodes this season," he said. "Listen, he's stayed on longer than most people stay in the real White House."
Sources said Lowe was unhappy that producers rebuffed his attempts to negotiate a more lucrative deal, leaving him the only cast member to remain at his first-season salary.
"This isn't about him leaving to do films," one source told Reuters. "They gave him no sense of value with continuing on the show."
Nevertheless, Lowe's current pay scale surpasses the package negotiated last season by the show's four other principal supporting players -- Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer and Bradley Whitford -- whose salaries all were doubled to $70,000 per episode, according to Daily Variety.
The loss of Sam Seaborn is not the only personnel change facing "The West Wing." NBC announced this week that Tomlin, who made a guest appearance on the show last season, would return this fall as a series regular. Also, Mary-Louise Parker, a recurring character last season as women's lobbyist Amy Gardner, a love interest for Whitford's character, will join the regular cast this year.
The show begins its fourth season with a two-hour premiere on Sept. 25.
Posted by MorganG at July 24, 2002 02:29 PM