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February 26, 2003
So long, Sam
Tonight marks Rob Lowe's departure from the West Wing.
By BILL BRIOUX
FYI Winnipeg
Remember Rob Lowe?
The guy has been AWOL on The West Wing for weeks. He surfaces tonight in the episode, Red Haven's On Fire (CTV, 7 p.m., NBC, 8 p.m.).
Lowe's character, White House deputy communications director Sam Seaborn, has been shuffled off to the California congressional campaign. Toby (Richard Schiff) gives him some campaign tips tonight.
In real life, as much as the producers tried to deny it, Lowe wanted out of West Wing almost from the start after Martin Sheen stole the show right out from under him as righteous prez Josiah Bartlet.
He had a much-publicized showdown with the producers over money last summer and when a raise wasn't forthcoming, he negotiated a way off the show. After three-and-a-half seasons, his character will vanish for good next month.
Lowe has already moved on to a new series, Lyon's Den. The pilot, about a family law firm, is being shot this month and could land on the NBC schedule next fall.
I always thought Lowe's best moments on this series came right in the pilot when his character stumbled into an affair with a hooker. When I mentioned this last month in L.A. to executive producer Thomas Schlamme, he let me in on a little secret.
Lowe was the one who shot that down.
"Truthfully, and this is probably talking a little out of school, Rob wasn't that comfortable with that storyline," said Schlamme.
Remember Lowe's notorious home video? Still bruised by that sex-tape scandal, Lowe wanted to distance himself from his own tawdry past and talked the West Wing producers out of pursuing the shady story line.
"By season three, he would have loved to sleep with a hooker," said Schlamme. But Lowe felt the timing was wrong that soon out of the gate.
Too bad. It would have afforded him all kinds of fun as an actor and added some sizzle in a show that could use a little more heat.
Posted by MorganG at February 26, 2003 10:50 AM