Photo credit: Courtesy of the authors
Picture this: It’s been 25 years since President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his team graced our screens in “The West Wing” TV series, yet the essence of “The West Wing” still endures. It’s a reminder of the power of good governance, the complexities of politics and the importance of a well-timed witty remark. “The West Wing” may have wrapped up its original run, but its impact and its heart are still very much alive.
So, what’s next?
To mark the anniversary, cast members Melissa Fitzgerald (Carol Fitzpatrick, Assistant to the Press Secretary) and Mary McCormack (Kate Harper, Deputy National Security Advisor) have written a love letter to the show, the people who made it, the fans who loved it and the service it inspired with What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service which was celebrated at Sixth & I with special guests Martin Sheen and Richard Schiff, in conversation with Kevin Walling.
Mary McCormack, Martin Sheen, Melissa Fitzgerald
The book features over 100 interviews with cast and crew, writers, directors, producers, and famous fans of the show. From the making of the pilot episode to the filming of the series finale, What’s Next pulls back the curtain on Aaron Sorkin’s departure, the sudden death of John Spencer, and details about favorite episodes, among other never-before-told stories. The book also emphasizes the show’s commitment to service and spotlights causes near and dear to the cast and crew.
A behind-the-scenes look into the creation and legacy of The West Wing as told by cast members Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack, with compelling insights from cast and crew exploring what made the show what it was and how its impassioned commitment to service has made the series and relationships behind it endure. This intimate, in-depth reflection reveals how The West Wing was conceived and spotlights the army of people it took to produce it, the lifelong friendships it forged, and the service it inspired.
Hollywood on the Potomac sat down with the two stars as they reminisced about life on The West Wing.
“I’d been acting for a while and I did some ER episodes and then I went off to do a show with Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney called K Street, a political show in Washington DC,” Mary said. “I got a call from John Wells through my agent saying that they would love it if I would join ER permanently. And I thought, well, that’s a fun job, but unfortunately I’ve just taken this other job. I was spoken for so I couldn’t do it. But when I finished with K Street, I got another call from John Wells saying, ‘Would you join The West Wing?’ So I was thrilled that they tried me again and I was a huge fan of the show, so I couldn’t believe it. It worked out great for me since I was a massive West Wing fan.”
“It worked out great for all of us. Mary was a huge addition to the show and also to our friend group. I can’t imagine our friend group without Mary and I wouldn’t have wanted to write this book with anybody else either,” said Melissa. As for how she got involved with the show? “Well, I read the pilot for The West Wing and Sports Night at the exact same time. And it was a year before The West Wing came on the air because it didn’t come on immediately. I really wanted to be part of it, so I pursued it and I got an audition. Aaron Sorkin had seen me in a couple plays and I knew him. I felt like it was a show that was the best written thing I’d ever read and it also had social significance. And so I auditioned and got called back and then got to have a small part in it. And I feel incredibly blessed that that happened.”
Martin Sheen and Richard Schiff
Q: Take the significance of West Wing and bring it up to date with what we’ve been seeing for the past couple of days, the theory of hope and everything with the Democratic Convention. Does that all ring true to what you were trying to portray? And if so, how?
A: “Well, I think it rings true to what was portrayed, absolutely. Mary and I had nothing to do with the writing of the show, but Mary and I have talked about this a lot with each other and we speak about it a lot in our book. We’re here in Washington, DC and the government is filled with good people trying to do the most good for the most people and really lifting up communities. And we’re seeing that resurgence and that patriotism of who we are at our best. And The West Wing did appeal to the better angels of our nature. I just feel that we were so fortunate to be part of it. We were so fortunate to be able to write this book and really to meet this moment that we are in right now.”
“If there’s ever criticism of The West Wing, it’s always like, oh, it’s too aspirational or it’s too optimistic, it’s not realistic. But I think right now it really is lining up with what’s happening in America. And I think it’s because for so long there’s been so much despair,” added Mary. “People are sick of it. People have had enough. People don’t want that vitriol anymore. They don’t want the toxicity. They want kindness. Everyone’s exhausted.”
Fans
On relationships and behind the scenes:
“Close,” said Mary. “We were close then. And I always say this – there were no cell phones then and it really did deepen friendships in a way that doesn’t happen on sets now, which is sort of sad. I think our friendships have even deepened because we always get together for events. We’re all on a text chain together and there’s not a day that goes by where we don’t get lit up with The West Wing text chain and someone’s asking for someone to co-host something or we’re saying, ‘Hey everybody, I need you to post this.’ Everyone rallies around each other’s organizations.”
“In our book,” concluded Melissa, “we highlight each of the actors charities that they care about. That was critical to Martin and me. Of course, we wanted to do a fun behind the scenes insiders look at The West Wing, which we do here. But we really wanted to shine a light on the service that we do together, the issues and causes we care about. That was critically important to us. We wouldn’t have done the book if not for that because that has been the through line of our friendships for 25 years. And I think we also have to credit Martin Sheen in part for that because his march towards social justice has inspired us. It has kept us together. He’s been supportive of all of our things. Like I’m at an office right now at All Rise and we do justice system reform for individuals impacted by substance abuse and mental health disorders. Martin got me involved in that organization like 12 years ago, and every single member of the cast has shown up and Mary so much at conferences on Capitol Hill to advocate for our issue. Martin and I did a play at our conference this year. Mary and I did a presentation on service in our book this year. So we really do support each other and love each other.”
