Then a friend walks by. It was eventually decided that the last episodes would be rescripted by John Wells. [2] Like the character, Spencer was a recovering alcoholic, and said he found he could relate to McGarry because "Leo's in recovery, too. Spencer is best known for his character Leo McGarry, the … Afterwards, he reveals to Annabeth that he had been the one to leak his failed debate prep news to lower expectations. Some of his inspirations include "Big Block of Cheese Day," where groups that would normally not be considered for White House attention get to have meetings with senior staffers, and a plan to make the staffers submit two-page reports on policy issues or get ignored. Can you help me out?" As President Bartlet's top advisor, McGarry has an office adjacent to the Oval Office and sits in with the President in the Situation Room. Can ya help me out?" Also, when Josh Lyman goes to see C.J. The situation worsens when the news is leaked to the press. He is resuscitated, survives, and later returns to work after Bartlet's last State of the Union address in a new role as Senior Counselor to the President. However, he points out to her that Josh's departure has left a significant workload that requires a new Deputy White House Chief of Staff on a permanent basis. Stand For? "The West Wing had an extraordinary company of actors. The role earned Spencer the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2002. Leo McGarry on The West Wing John Spencer worked extensively from the 1960s on, frequently playing tough and world-weary cops, lawyers, soldiers, and sundry other authority figures. In crafting the character of Leo McGarry, series creator Aaron Sorkin said he envisioned John Spencer in the part but had not imagined he would be available. [10] He also worked for Cultico, a chemical-agribusiness firm that was blamed for a disaster in Haryana, India, in the 1980s. [5][6] He divorces from his wife of several decades, Jenny, in the first season as his workaholic attitude is shown to take a toll on his personal life, with McGarry admitting that he considers his job in the White House more important than his marriage. Spencer has played Leo McGarry, White House Chief of Staff, since The West Wing launched in 1999. In the episode "Running Mates", McGarry is being prepared for the only vice-presidential debate against West Virginia Governor Ray Sullivan. Share. Oct. 6 (UPI) --This is Us actor Sterling K. Brown takes over the role of White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, who was played by the late John Spencer, … References "[3], In an earlier draft of the pilot script, dated February 6, 1998, McGarry is called "Leo Jacobi" and is described as being aged 55 and "professorial". This week I have had the privilege of talking to Eli Attie, who was a Supervising Producer and Writer on The West Wing. C.J. Looking for more? The script showing Santos winning was written long before the death of John Spencer. Leo also leads an attempt to open negotiations between the US and Cuba to lift the blockade and reestablish diplomatic relations, an issue which faces significant opposition from Republicans, Democrats, and the intelligence community. Leo McGarry speculates at the time that Baker might not want to face off against Senator Arnold Vinick of California, who is then seeking the Republican Party's presidential nomination. Possibly for a […] Due to John Spencer's death, Leo McGarry was portrayed by Sterling K. Brown in tribute. Ahead of the West Wing particular reunion episode on HBO Max, here is what you have to learn about how he died and what they did on the show when it occurred. He is President Josiah Bartlet's best friend and a father figure to the senior staff, particularly White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman. Although C.J. As Senior Counselor, Leo encourages staffers to present new ideas and resurrect old policy initiatives that have been abandoned out of political necessity, insisting that they could "accomplish more in one day in the White House than in a lifetime" once they leave. Broadway Plays Washington on Kennedy Center Tonight, Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Hollywood Follies, The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People. Sidney Poitier was the first choice for president; Bill Clinton was a fan; and Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme created a show "about democracy run by a … McGarry is a recovering alcoholic and Valium addict. "Hey, Joe, it's me. 7:00 PM PDT We replay an interview from April 2000. The West Wing is often regarded as one of the best television shows of all time, praised for its excellent ensemble cast and rapid dialogue. However, on the night of the debate, Leo proves not only his debating skills but easily wins the debate against Sullivan. on The character's death was written in response to the death of the actor, and McGarry is discovered dead offscreen in his hotel room. The character of McGarry, a former Secretary of Labor, begins the series as the White House Chief of Staff. McGarry amassed significant wealth during his time in the private sector as a member of the board of directors of a defense contractor with his friend Ken O'Neil, Mueller-Wright Aeronautics, for ten or twelve years. Having persuaded Bartlet, McGarry becomes his campaign manager and general chairman of the "Bartlet For America" campaign, hiring Josh Lyman, Toby Ziegler, C.J. Still, he is moreover President Bartlet’s decent friend and a father symbol to the White House faculty — particularly to White House Deputy Chief of personnel Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford). Just as Leo McGarry acted as a mentor to the younger members of the fictional Bartlet administration, so did Spencer mentor the junior actors on set. on Now we're both down here." He is best remembered for his television roles as White House Chief-of-Staff 'Leo McGarry' from the NBC drama series The West Wing, and as defense attorney 'Tommy Mullaney' from L.A. Law (1990-1994). On more than one occasion, it is made known that he is the wealthiest member of the staff - worth even more than the President himself. McGarry is succeeded as Chief of Staff by his personal recommendation, C. J. Cregg, who previously served as the White House Press Secretary. Allison Smith's career started on Broadway at the age of nine, in the original production of "Evita", quickly followed by her landing the title role of "Annie" on Broadway in the musical "Annie" at the age of ten. ', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leo_McGarry&oldid=1010948142, Fictional United States Air Force personnel, Articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction from December 2020, All articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction, Articles that may contain original research from February 2021, All articles that may contain original research, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles with incomplete citations from September 2011, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Josephine McGarry (sister), Elizabeth (sister), This page was last edited on 8 March 2021, at 05:31. later sees the similarities herself between Cliff and Josh and convinces him to take over as his replacement. ", Spencer described his character's relationship with Lyman as a mentoring one, with McGarry seeing Lyman as a younger version of himself: "a workaholic, a person devoted to government service." Here's what he had to say about John. The new trailer for HBO Max's upcoming The West Wing reunion special shows the first look at Sterling K. Brown as Leo McGarry. Cregg, and Sam Seaborn as advisors. [17], Leon Panetta, a former White House Chief of Staff under Bill Clinton, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Secretary of Defense under Barack Obama, was impressed by the character, telling actor John Spencer that "Any administration that would have Leo McGarry as a White House Chief of Staff would be very, very fortunate. The debate prep is a disaster, and the Santos campaign worries that Leo will be defeated by Sullivan. In a sad parallel to life, Spencer's character suffered a … In the aftermath of Josh's departure to run Matt Santos's presidential campaign, Leo begins taking on some of the assignments from Josh's portfolio at C.J. Despite McGarry's death, the Santos-McGarry ticket narrowly wins the election over the Vinick-Sullivan ticket by a 30,000-vote margin in Nevada and McGarry posthumously becomes the Vice President-elect after Santos' victory. Minutes after the conversation, McGarry suffers a near-fatal heart attack and collapses while walking alone in the grounds. She was the longest-running and youngest star of a Broadway musical at that time, playing the role for over 1,000 performances; nearly ... Mon, Apr 26 The Democratic Party's eventual presidential nominee, Congressman Matt Santos, selects McGarry as his vice-presidential nominee, a move that both Josh and Bartlet strongly endorse. Second Bananas — Fictional U.S. Vice President Portrayals, TV Characters Who Weren't Supposed to Stay on Their Shows. McGarry left the job after -- and this is creepy -- he had a massive heart attack. Spencer played Leo McGarry, the savvy and powerful chief of staff to President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet (Martin Sheen). [1] Although Spencer had recently decided he did not want to do another TV drama series due to the long hours, he was so impressed by the pilot script that he took the part. [11] He went to the University of Michigan. Leo isn’t simply the White Home Chief of Employees. Cregg just before the Santos inauguration during the final episode, Lyman asks if she ever stopped thinking the office of the White House Chief of Staff as McGarry's office. Actor John Spencer’s broadly outstanding role may well have been Leo McGarry, It was further his final. The Cabinet member says yes on all counts. His father was also an alcoholic, who committed suicide. Check out the full list of winners. Leo McGarry was his masterpiece. On Thursday, Oct. 15, HBO Max is presenting The West Wing reunion particular that includes practically each member of the present’s major forged studying by “Hartsfield Touchdown,” an episode from Season 3. And another small-screen genius, “The West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, figured out that Spencer was the only actor who had the gravitas to give life … Allison Smith, Actress: The West Wing. The writing team had to scramble to adjust the story line to account the loss of a major series character, Democratic VP nominee Leo McGarry. On Election Night, it is said that McGarry has gone up to his hotel room in Houston to take a nap before the results come in. And the friend jumps in the hole. McGarry's death comes ninety minutes before the polls close in California and other Western states, thus giving some voters this information prior to casting their vote. [13] When President Bartlet is giving instructions to the Cabinet member who is appointed the designated survivor during the State of the Union address, he asks the man if he has a best friend, if that friend is smarter than he is, and if he could trust that friend with his life. He is rushed to the hospital, where he is pronounced dead. Avowedly against school prayer, and is forced to withdraw from consideration for a position with the Department of Education when Leo finds out she ordered the arrest of students who were praying and arranging for the arrest to be publicized. Leo isn’t only the White House Chief of Staff. It was additionally his final. Characters similar to or like Leo McGarry. He is of Irish and Scottish ancestry, and has at least two sisters, Elizabeth and Josephine, the latter serving as a school district superintendent in Atlanta. Seeing similarities with Josh, Leo champions lobbyist Cliff Calley to take over strategic planning and legislative affairs. Despite renewed efforts by Josh and Lou, they are unable to make Leo any better at debating. He also speaks fluent Spanish. "[16][full citation needed] Governor Eric Baker (D-Pennsylvania), played by Ed O'Neill, was written in as Leo's vice presidential replacement, as chosen by President Santos. President Bartlet, President-elect Matt Santos, Josh Lyman, Charlie Young, former DNC head Barry Goodwin, and McGarry's unnamed son-in-law serve as pallbearers. The tragic death of John Spencer occurred during filming of the final season of The West Wing. The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole, and moves on. In season six, during a Middle East peace negotiation at Camp David, McGarry finds it impossible to support Bartlet's position about sending thousands of American soldiers to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as part of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, and Bartlet and McGarry come to an agreement that McGarry will resign at the first available opportunity. McGarry is very involved in the formation of policy and the day-to-day operations of the White House and its staff. [7] He and his ex-wife have one daughter, Mallory O'Brien, who teaches fourth grade. Leo McGarry may well have been actor John Spencer’s most memorable role. [12], In 1997, Leo travels to New Hampshire in an attempt to persuade his old friend Governor Josiah Bartlet to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Actor The West Wing Leo McGarry (1999-2006) Trinity Simon McCallister (1998-1999) The Outer Limits Col. Wallis Thurman (1999) McGarry's funeral is held at the Washington National Cathedral, though the funeral was actually filmed at The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore, Maryland. Leo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by American actor John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. Leo McGarry is similar to these characters: Sam Seaborn, Josh Lyman, Toby Ziegler and more. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, "Hey you! If you happen to’re something like us, you instantly teared up upon watching the primary couple seconds of the trailer. Bradley Whitford describes him as a … Leo McGarry was a stalwartly presence throughout the West Wing’s run, maintaining a fatherly relationship with the likes of Josh and C.J. He is President Josiah Bartlet's best friend and a father figure to the senior staff, particularly White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman. In 2020, the surviving members of the cast reunited to film a special encore of 'Hartsfield's Landing' in celebration of the election and to encourage voting participation. John Spencer was always getting better, as an actor. Relive the most surprising wins, inspirational speeches, hilarious dance breaks, and more highlights from the 2021 Academy Awards. The role earned Spencer the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2002. McGarry appears in two of the five episodes which had been filmed, but not yet aired, at the time of Spencer's death on December 16, 2005. Fictional character played by American actor John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. John Spencer was an Emmy-winning actor finest recognized for taking part in Chief of Staff Leo McGarry on The West Wing from 1999 to 2005. It was also his last. "[18] John Podesta, another former White House Chief of Staff, also praised Spencer's performance, saying, "John plays this role in a calm, thoughtful, kindhearted, and loyal manner"[19] although he has commented that Leo is not mean enough. On more than one occasion, McGarry is said to be the man who "runs the country" and is treated with great respect by people on both sides of the aisle. Bartlet then says, "That's your Chief of Staff," not aware McGarry has heard him in the next room and broken into a smile, visibly moved. Actor. The character of McGarry, a former Secretary of Labor, begins the series as the White House Chief of Staff. Leo isn’t just the White House Chief of Staff. Vinick and Baker are old friends; Baker was a staffer for the Senate Judiciary Committee when Vinick was a freshman senator. Spencer played Leo McGarry, the savvy and powerful chief of staff to President Jeb Bartlet (Martin Sheen), on the NBC series. Leo would later discover that O'Neil broke conflict of interests laws making millions of dollars. Leo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by American actor John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. John Spencer was an Emmy-winning actor best known for playing Chief of Staff Leo McGarry on The West Wing from 1999 to 2005. McGarry's last screen appearance occurs in the episode "The Cold". But McGarry allows Santos to make a closing speech that was so impressive that it helped put him over the top and become the party's presidential nominee. A hard-line Republican strategist wants to bring up McGarry's death to benefit the Republican presidential nominee, Senator Arnold Vinick, but the visibly disgusted senator tells her that he has been friends with McGarry for decades and will do no such thing, win or lose. The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Spencer, a veteran actor who appeared on The Patty Duke Show in the 1960s, received an Emmy for his role as White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry on The West Wing in … John Spencer, the actor who plays politician Leo McGarry in NBC television's The West Wing, has died of a heart attack at 58. TBS (041), Mon, May 03 McGarry answers with the character's last words on screen, "Yeah.". KCBSDT2 (1255), Video: Rachel Bay Jones, Eden Espinosa, Liz Callaway, Melissa Benoist, and Many More Stars Perform at Concert For America, RZA & Eric Roberts Join ‘Hard Luck Love Song’, It's 'A Different World' When You're 'Grown-ish'. Allison Smith's career started on Broadway at the age of nine, in the original production of "Evita", quickly followed by her landing the title role of "Annie" on Broadway in the musical "Annie" at the age of ten. and regularly serving as … John Spencer played White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry on all seven seasons of The West Wing. In the show's final scene, Bartlet opens the gift to find the napkin with the words "Bartlet For America", which McGarry had written to introduce to Bartlet the idea of running for president. John Spencer (December 20, 1946 – December 16, 2005) was an American actor. [2], Though he is not seen again onscreen, apart from the opening credits, after his death, McGarry's presence is felt in the series finale when his daughter presents a gift to President Bartlet that she found in his possessions. on it, meaning "What would Leo do?". is at first reluctant to hire the Republican to fill Josh's position, Leo convinces her that Cliff is a good man who once saved him and the Bartlet administration from being humiliated. The actor died in hospital in … He is characterized by the story he tells Josh Lyman in the second-season episode, "Noël":[14], This guy's walkin' down a street when he falls in a hole. However, he rebounds and becomes integral to the campaign, unofficially taking on the role of statesman. Josephine McGarry (Deborah Hedwall): Leo McGarry's sister, who works as an educator (Season 2). His friend and fellow air force pilot Ken O'Neill carried him on his back in the jungle for three days. March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. Topic. Our guy says, "Are ya stupid? Cregg replies "No." Eventually, Governor Bartlet, who was considered to be an insurgent candidate by the media, defeats Senator John Hoynes of Texas for the nomination, and goes on to win the presidency, appointing McGarry as his Chief of Staff.[8]. He is also President Bartlet’s best friend and a father figure to the White House staff — especially to White House Deputy Chief of … [8], McGarry is an Air Force veteran who achieved the rank of colonel and served in the Vietnam War. Leo McGarry could nicely have been actor John Spencer’s most memorable function. It is implied in the episode "And It's Surely to Their Credit" that McGarry is an attorney. 's request. The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out. The actor died on Dec. 16, 2005, at age 58. [20], BBC "President Hollywood" for BBC4, Jonathan Freedland, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective, Learn how and when to remove this template message, A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote, Vice President-elect of the United States, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, John Spencer chatted about life as Leo McGarry, Hail to the chief (of staff): Leo McGarry, aka John Spencer, ' 'West Wing' Writers' Novel Way of Picking the President. The walls are so steep he can't get out. What Does the Abbreviation W.W. The show's producers decided to let those episodes air in his memory. 3:00 PM PDT This is particularly ironic, because McGarry had earlier insisted that Santos drop out of the race for the sake of party unity to allow a less impressive candidate (Vice President Robert Russell) to take on the nod. Among these initiatives are a serious attempt at health care reform, new foreign policy approaches in Latin America, and trying to convince Congress to enact an earned income tax credit (called by Charlie Young and Annabeth Schott a 'poor tax' to make it easier to defend). The initiative is eventually endorsed by President Bartlet in a televised address to the nation, vindicating Leo's efforts and allowing him to accomplish what he had failed to do as Labor Secretary at a summit in 1995. Leo McGarry. She then hands Lyman (the incoming White House Chief of Staff) a note with "WWLD?" Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole; can you help me out?" However, the death of Spencer forced him and his colleagues to consider the emotional strain that would result from having Santos lose both his running mate and the election.