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May 15, 2006
Backstage at the White House
And now, a look at some of the fine men and women who've been running NBC's fictionalized America for seven seasons
By Ray Richmond
Hollywood Reporter
Martin Sheen
In Character: Josiah "Jed" Bartlet
Sheen almost certainly is the only "West Wing" castmate whose next role will be as a student -- and a real one at that. At age 65, he'll be a collegiate man for the first time, enrolling this fall at the National University of Ireland, Galway, taking English literature, philosophy and oceanography courses. It's hardly the typical thing to do for a veteran performer coming off a seven-year stint playing the president of the U.S. But Sheen has little left to prove in his chosen craft and presumably has enough money socked away thanks to a job that has paid him upward of $300,000 per episode.
"Trust me, we had no idea when we started out that we'd be around this long," Sheen says. "We just didn't know if you could sell cars and insurance in primetime by projecting images and politics and issues. We were a show that had no fistfights or car chases, no bullets, no explosions. And we were confined mostly indoors with a lot of dialogue. But -- surprise! -- we pulled it off."
Timing surely helped, Sheen agrees, as the show premiered at the tail-end of the Clinton administration. "I think that gave us more freedom to project a vision of what we might hope for in our leaders and public servants," he believes. "We got to explore an awful lot of socially relevant issues, and you don't get to do that in TV terribly often. So all that I'm feeling right now is tremendous gratitude to have been able to play with this kind of team."
Stockard Channing
In Character: Abbey Bartlet
Channing remembers the first time she came into contact with "West Wing." Not yet hired for the show, she was watching the pilot episode in a hotel room and thought the show was "fabulous." Getting the call three weeks later to be on the series was a no-brainer. So, while the actress only was a recurring player during the drama's first two seasons, she finally would become a regular in Season 3.
"It may be a crappy thing to say, but I never thought the show would last," Channing admits. "I figured it was just too good. But it just goes to prove you should never underestimate or talk down to an audience. The production values on this show consistently remained so extraordinarily high that we all used to kind of marvel at it even as we were shooting it."
Most recently, Channing has been working in London as one of the recurring players in a production of Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's "The Exonerated" and has shuttled back to Los Angeles for the finale. And while she'll be busy in the future, it's not the same as having a steady role on a long-running quality drama. "Even though we were expensive, we really earned our keep," she believes. "With economics in this business the way they are, it's going to be tough ever to achieve what we were able to achieve again."
Allison Janney
In Character: Claudia Jean "C.J." Cregg
No member of the "West Wing" cast -- and few series actors, period -- have been honored as regularly and resoundingly as has Janney. As Press Secretary-turned-White House Chief of Staff C.J. Cregg, she has been nominated for Primetime Emmys in five of the show's six seasons and has won four -- twice as lead dramatic actress and twice for supporting. Janney isn't shy about saying it: This show has been an utter revelation for her.
"This role, this show, will always be something I consider one of my proudest achievements," Janney says. "I had never won anything as an actress before this. To get the recognition has been incredibly overwhelming. But the true reward is to have been part of such a magical collection of writers and actors and directors."
Although Janney will be heard -- if not seen -- in a film that opens next Friday, Paramount and DreamWorks Animation's animated release "Over the Hedge," in which she supplies one of the voices, she admits, "Now, I'll have to go out and look for a steady job again. But the truth is, I'm kind of tired, and I have a home, a relationship and a dog to help me recharge my batteries before I find out what's next."
Bradley Whitford
In Character: Josh Lyman
It's easy to tell from chatting with Whitford that his emotions are running all over the map as "West Wing" ends.
"Everybody is very sad," says Whitford, who portrayed Deputy White House Chief of Staff-turned-presidential campaign manager Josh Lyman during all seven seasons. "It's so hard to unglue all of these years of intimacy. But you know, this show is too special to stretch the taffy too thin. It's time. That became clear after John (Spencer) passed away (last year). We all felt strongly that we didn't want to go on without John."
Whitford, a political animal in his personal life as well, emerges from this "greatest creative experience" he has ever had with a particular sense of pride about two things. One is his belief that the writers, producers, cast and crew never got to the point where they were simply going through the motions and mailing it in. The second is Whitford's contention that they all did some of their finest work during the difficult transition following the departure of executive producers Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme after Season 4.
"The expectation was that we always had to care a lot to make this show work," says Whitford, who has a role in the Sorkin-Schlamme pilot for NBC, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." "That level of dedication never fell off, from what I saw. Our reward is to be able to go out on our own terms."
Richard Schiff
In Character: Toby Ziegler
Until signing on to play White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler in 1999, Schiff had carved himself a nice little niche as a steadily employed stage thespian and film and TV character actor. But that part of his career life has been hindered by dint of his working as a regular on such a demanding series throughout its seven-year run.
"Not that I'm complaining," Schiff points out.
"For the most part, I've loved working with this cast. It's a great ensemble. I got to direct a few times. I won an Emmy. When you spend more waking hours with a group of people than you do your loved ones, they really do become your surrogate family. We'd be together 15-18 hours a day sometimes. It helps that I love all of those with whom I shared the trenches."
Yet, as much as he is grateful for the high-profile job and the doors the show has opened in terms of people wanting to work with him, Schiff is just fine with moving on.
"The truth is that I wanted to leave earlier," he says. "I'd been doing fine in the movies when 'West Wing' came along. A job this time-consuming obviously limits you greatly, though I was able to do (2004's) 'Ray' and (2002's) 'I Am Sam' during hiatus. I loved this. But seven years is a long time in a person's life. I'm ready to get back into warrior mode and relearn how to hunt."
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Alan Alda
In Character: Arnold Vinick
As if "West Wing" already didn't enjoy enough cachet as television's most-honored series, it earned an extra boost when it signed Alda in 2004 for his first regular TV role since "M*A*S*H" left the air in 1983.
"I never really thought about it in terms of going back to TV," Alda says. "The material I got to do on 'West Wing' was as good as anything I've done in film. The actors, the directors, the writing, the production values -- they're all first rate. And it was fun coming onto a moving train. We made the same thing on 'M*A*S*H,' adding people, replacing people. It always gave us a shot in the arm."
Is this the right time for the show to leave the air? Alda figures that it is, arguing that "everybody wants to go out before they run out of steam. And I think we still have plenty. There's almost no end to the stories you can tell about the White House." But that doesn't mean he won't miss it. "I got to work with such sensational people. It was an honor. But, you know, weekly TV takes a lot out of you. My plan now is to sleep for three months."
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Jimmy Smits
In Character: Matthew Santos
Although he was a part of the "West Wing" cast only for the past two seasons in the memorable role of Congressman (and President-elect) Matthew Santos, Smits boasts a claim to fame that might just be unprecedented. He has been a regular on three different primetime hours -- "L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue" and now "West Wing" -- that have won Emmys for outstanding drama series.
"Well, that's just luck, pure and simple," Smits says. "They didn't need me. They had a deep bench. But I'm proud to have been able to contribute."
It piqued Smits' interest to work on a show in which he would have a chance to run a presidential campaign, and he believes it "really upped my game as an actor."
And now, it's time to say goodbye, which Smits is none too pleased about. "I'm not sure what it says about the TV landscape when a topical show that hasn't lost its luster at all is forced to drift away. But I'm glad we're ending on a high note. This show surely deserves it."
Alan Alda
In Character: Arnold Vinick
As if "West Wing" already didn't enjoy enough cachet as television's most-honored series, it earned an extra boost when it signed Alda in 2004 for his first regular TV role since "M*A*S*H" left the air in 1983.
"I never really thought about it in terms of going back to TV," Alda says. "The material I got to do on 'West Wing' was as good as anything I've done in film. The actors, the directors, the writing, the production values -- they're all first rate. And it was fun coming onto a moving train. We made the same thing on 'M*A*S*H,' adding people, replacing people. It always gave us a shot in the arm."
Is this the right time for the show to leave the air? Alda figures that it is, arguing that "everybody wants to go out before they run out of steam. And I think we still have plenty. There's almost no end to the stories you can tell about the White House." But that doesn't mean he won't miss it. "I got to work with such sensational people. It was an honor. But, you know, weekly TV takes a lot out of you. My plan now is to sleep for three months."
Jimmy Smits
In Character: Matthew Santos
Although he was a part of the "West Wing" cast only for the past two seasons in the memorable role of Congressman (and President-elect) Matthew Santos, Smits boasts a claim to fame that might just be unprecedented. He has been a regular on three different primetime hours -- "L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue" and now "West Wing" -- that have won Emmys for outstanding drama series.
"Well, that's just luck, pure and simple," Smits says. "They didn't need me. They had a deep bench. But I'm proud to have been able to contribute."
It piqued Smits' interest to work on a show in which he would have a chance to run a presidential campaign, and he believes it "really upped my game as an actor."
And now, it's time to say goodbye, which Smits is none too pleased about. "I'm not sure what it says about the TV landscape when a topical show that hasn't lost its luster at all is forced to drift away. But I'm glad we're ending on a high note. This show surely deserves it."
Posted by Jo at May 15, 2006 02:47 PM