Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • The Guardian

    We got Obama elected! West Wing stars relive the parties, pranks and power games

    Racist hate mail, late-night booze-ups, 9/11 hysteria and a visit from Prince Andrew … 20 years after its launch, Aaron Sorkin and his team recall the epic TV drama that changed US politics
    by Interviews by Kate Abbott Sep 20, 2019 8 minutes
    Team Bartlet … from left, Abbey Bartlet (Stockard Channing), Donna Moss (Janel Moloney), Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe), President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen), Leo McGarry (John Spencer), Charlie Young (Dulé Hill), Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), CJ Cregg (Allison Janney) and Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff). Photograph: James Sorensen/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

    The beginning

    Aaron Sorkin (creator and writer) I dreamed up the show at a time when you didn’t talk about politics and religion at the dinner table and you definitely didn’t do it on TV. We talked about both in the first 10 minutes. I didn’t think there was going to be a second episode.

    John Wells (executive producer) Not many people thought it was the right time for a political drama. It was around the time of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. I think the scandal ended up being very useful, because we could remind the audience of what kind of integrity should be expected of our leaders.

    Richard Schiff (communications director Toby Ziegler) When I auditioned, I saw Allison Janney sitting there. I thought: “Oh my God, if they cast her, these guys know what they’re doing. But they’ll never be smart enough to.”

    ‘The cast were like my family’ … Allison Janney as CJ.
    ‘The cast were like my family’ … Allison Janney as CJ. Photograph: Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

    Allison Janney (press secretary CJ Cregg) I kept seeing Richard at my callbacks. Neither of us thought we’d get the roles. I wasn’t even sure I was ever going to do television. So to then get the part was mind-blowing. These people almost became more my family than my family.

    We were already picking a difficult [deputy comms director Sam Seaborn] on board.

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from The Guardian

    The Guardian4 min read
    ‘Everyone Owns At Least One Pair’: $75bn Sneaker Industry Unboxed In Gold Coast Exhibition
    What was the world’s first sneaker? Was it made in the 1830s, when the UK’s Liverpool Rubber Company fused canvas tops to rubber soles, creating beach footwear for the Victorian middle class? Or was it a few decades later, about 1870, with the invent
    The Guardian4 min read
    Lawn And Order: The Evergreen Appeal Of Grass-cutting In Video Games
    Jessica used to come for tea on Tuesdays, and all she wanted to do was cut grass. Every week, we’d click The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’s miniature disc into my GameCube and she’d ready her sword. Because she was a couple of years younger than m
    The Guardian4 min read
    ‘Almost Like Election Night’: Behind The Scenes Of Spotify Wrapped
    There’s a flurry of activities inside Spotify’s New York City’s offices in the Financial District. “It’s almost like election night,” Louisa Ferguson, Spotify’s global head of marketing experience says, referring to a bustling newsroom. At the same t

    Related Books & Audiobooks