Now in its sixth season, the sophisticated, one-hour drama series stars Emmy winner Martin Sheen ("Apocalypse Now"), Emmy winner John Spencer ("L.A. Law"), Emmy winner Bradley Whitford ("My Fellow Americans"), Emmy winner Richard Schiff ("Deep Impact"), Emmy winner Allison Janney ("American Beauty"), Emmy nominee Dule Hill ("Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk!"), Emmy nominee Janel Moloney ("Sports Night"), Emmy winner Stockard Channing ("Six Degrees of Separation"), Joshua Malina ("Sports Night") and Mary McCormack ("Private Parts"). Gary Cole ("Midnight Caller") began a recurring role last season, as new Vice President Russell. Newly added recurring characters also include Emmy winner Jimmy Smits ("NYPD Blue," "L.A. Law") and Emmy winner Alan Alda ("M*A*S*H").
"The West Wing" holds the record for most Emmys won by a series in a single season (its first). Other awards include a Peabody Award for Excellence in Television, five Golden Globe nominations and one Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series, and three Television Critics Association Awards.
At the opening of the 2004-05 season, Democratic President Bartlet (Sheen) and his impressive team have managed to hammer out a major peace plan for the Middle East. The president's Chief of Staff, Leo McGarry (Spencer) suffered a major heart attack which forced him to abandon his post, and Bartlet appoints C.J. Cregg (Janney) in his stead.
Among Bartlet's other loyal staffers are Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Whitford), a skilled strategist, and his sarcastic assistant, Donna Moss (Moloney), who is often there to take the wind out of his sails. Toby Ziegler (Schiff), is the president's rumpled, cynical Communications Director. Rounding out the team is the president's astute personal aide (who is now an assistant to the Chief of Staff), Charlie Young (Hill) and Will Bailey (Malina), a speechwriter who now serves the Vice President. Kate Harper (McCormack) advises the president on matters relating to national security and First Lady Abigail Bartlet (Channing) continues her role as a dedicated doctor and mother who is opinionated but staunchly supports her husband.
"The West Wing" is from John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. Wells serves as the executive producer. Aaron Sorkin is the creator.
Mary McCormack stars as Kate Harper on NBC's award-winning program, "The West Wing." She last starred in Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney's political series for HBO, "K Street," as well as in the USA Network mini-series, "Traffic," for director Stephen Hopkins ('24') and the feature film comedy "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," opposite David Spade.
McCormack's breakout performance opposite Howard Stern in "Private Parts" won her universal critical acclaim. She followed that film with a highly successful run opposite Alan Cumming as 'Sally Bowles' in the Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall-directed Broadway production of Cabaret for the Roundabout Theater Company.
McCormack's additional feature film credits include the following: "K-PAX," opposite Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey; "Madison," opposite Jim Caviezel and Bruce Dern; "High Heels & Low Lifes," with Minnie Driver; "Mystery, Alaska," written by David E. Kelley and starring Russell Crowe; "Other Voices," with Stockard Channing and Campbell Scott; "The Broken Hearts Club," opposite John Mahoney and Timothy Olyphant; "The Big Tease," opposite Frances Fisher and Craig Ferguson; "Gun Shy" with Sandra Bullock and Liam Neeson; "Getting To Know You" with Bebe Neuwirth; the Clint Eastwood film, "True Crime"; Mimi Leder's "Deep Impact"; "The Alarmist," opposite Stanley Tucci; "Father's Day"; and "Miracle on 34th Street."
Additional stage credits include the acclaimed London stage production of Neil LaBute's play, "Bash," opposite Matthew Lillard, and the David Warren-directed productions of "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine" and "A Fair Country."
McCormack's previous television appearances include her critically-acclaimed performance as 'Justine Appleton' on the Steven Bochco series, "Murder One."
Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, McCormack is a graduate of Trinity College and resides in Los Angeles. Her birthday is February 8.
Versatile character actor and Emmy Award winner, John Spencer plays Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, on Aaron Sorkin and John Wells' three time Emmy winning NBC drama "The West Wing." His work on the show was rewarded with an Emmy Award win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series both in 2002 and nominations in 2000, 2001 and 2003.
With scores of television, film and stage credits, Spencer began his career as an actor on "The Patty Duke Show." However, he is best known to television audiences as the tough and funny New York attorney Tommy Mullaney on the hit series "L.A. Law" (1990-94). Spencer also appeared in one of NBC's most highly rated television movies, "The Tangled Web" and starred in Joseph Wambaugh's "A Jury of One." He has also guest-starred on NBC's "Law & Order," and "Miami Vice," as well as "Spenser: For Hire," "Early Edition," "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" and "Tracey Takes On..."
Spencer's film credits include the thriller "The Negotiator," with Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey, "Twilight" with Paul Newman and Susan Sarandon, "Copland" with Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel, and "The Rock" with Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery and Ed Harris. Spencer also appeared in the comedies "Forget Paris" with Billy Crystal, "Green Card" with Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell, and "Albino Alligator," with Matt Dillon and Faye Dunaway.
Spencer's work on Broadway and off-Broadway earned him an Obie Award for his performance in "A Still Life." He received critical acclaim plus a Drama League Award for his portrayal of Dan White in the Broadway production of "Execution of Justice." Also, he received a Drama Desk nomination for his role in "The Day Room." Other stage appearances include "LakeBoat," "Amulets Against the Dragon Forces," "Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune," "Good as New" and "Pera Palas." Spencer recently appeared in the Broadway production of "Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine."
A native of New Jersey, Spencer now resides in New York when not working on "The West Wing." His birthday is December 20.
Lily Tomlin has received numerous awards including six Emmys, a Tony for her one-woman Broadway show "Appearing Nitely," a second Tony as Best Actress, a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics' Circle Award for her one-woman performance in Jane Wagner's "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," a CableAce Award for Executive Producing the film adaptation of THE SEARCH, a Grammy® for her comedy album, "This Is a Recording," as well as nominations for her subsequent albums "Modern Scream, And That's the Truth" and "On Stage," and two Peabody Awards--the first for the ABC television special "Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noel" and the second for narrating and executive producing the HBO film, "THE CELLULOID CLOSET."
Tomlin made her feature film debut in Robert Altman's "NASHVILLE" for which she received an Academy Award nomination and was voted Best Supporting Actress by the New York Film Critics and National Society of Film Critics.
Tomlin's other feature film credits include Robert Benton's "THE LATE SHOW," "MOMENT BY MOMENT," "9 TO 5," "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN," "ALL OF ME," "BIG BUSINESS" and "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES."
Tomlin also starred in the film adaptation of "THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE," Woody Allen's "SHADOWS AND FOG" and Robert Altman's "SHORT CUTS."
She previously worked with David O. Russell in "FLIRTING WITH DISASTER." Additional film credits include "GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER," "KRIPPENDORF'S TRIBE" and the Franco Zeffirelli film "TEA WITH MUSSOLINI." She most recently starred with Bruce Willis in "THE KID" and appeared in a cameo role in "ORANGE COUNTY."
Tomlin made her television debut in 1966, and in 1969 joined the cast of the top-rated "Laugh-In" immediately rising to national prominence. When "Laugh-In" left the air, Lily went on to co-write with Jane Wagner and star in six comedy television specials, for which she won three Emmy Awards and a Writers Guild of America Award. Tomlin also starred in the HBO special "And the Band Played On" and played the boss for two years on the popular series "Murphy Brown."
She is also heard as the voice of the science teacher Ms. Frizzle on the popular children's animated series "The Magic School Bus," for which she was awarded an Emmy, and has a recurring role on the hit series "The West Wing." She was the 2003 recipient of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in Washington DC.
Emmy Award nominee Janel Moloney reprises her role for the fifth season as Donna Moss in NBC's award-winning drama, "The West Wing." As Donna, she plays the spirited, quick-witted assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Josh Lyman, played by Bradley Whitford.
In describing Donna, Moloney says, "If she's not having a good time, something's wrong. She enjoys what she does." And about the incredible chemistry between Donna and Josh? "Donna couldn't have been created without Josh. He brought her out. Brad is hysterically funny and one of the best people I've ever met."
Previous to "West Wing," Moloney guest-starred on the Christmas episode of the television series "Sports Night" - where she met the "Sports Night" (and "The West Wing") executive producers Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme.
After her "Sports Night" experience, Moloney was called in to audition for the role of "The West Wing" press secretary C.J. Cregg, but was ultimately cast as Josh's sarcastic, but lovable, secretary,
Moloney's film credits include appearances in the critically acclaimed independent feature "The Souler Opposite," as well as "Desperate Measures" and "Til There Was You." Moloney appeared with Tom Cavanagh (NBC's "Ed") and Ben Foster in the Showtime film "Bang, Bang You're Dead!" Her additional television credits include roles on NBC's "ER," which introduced her to "The West Wing's" other executive producer, John Wells. She also appeared in the television movies "Then She Was Gone" and "To Save a Child."
Moloney also lends her time to various charities including Children's Action Network, P.S. Arts and Voices in Harmony.
Moloney resides in Los Angeles. Her birthday is October 3.
Kristion Chenoweth plays Annabeth Schott on "West Wing." Acclaimed for her distinctive comedic gifts as well as her wide-ranging musical abilities, Kristin made her Broadway debut in a production of Moliere's Scapin starring Bill Irwin, followed in the spring of 1997 by the Kander and Ebb musical Steel Pier, for which she won a Theatre World award. The next season, she appeared in the City Center Encores! production of Strike Up the Band and the Lincoln Center Theater production of A New Brain. During the 1998-99 season, she created the role of Sally in the first Broadway production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, sweeping the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards as the season's "Best Featured Actress in a Musical." Next, she starred in the Broadway comedy Epic Proportions, followed by acclaimed appearances in the ABC television adaptation of the musical Annie (as Lily St. Regis) and in the leading role of the City Center Encores! production of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Chenoweth has also performed leading roles at the Goodspeed Opera House and the Guthrie Theatre, and she was chosen by the late Jerome Robbins as the guest soloist in his West Side Story Suite of Dances at New York City Ballet. On television, Chenoweth also starred in her own series Kristin, for NBC.
A native of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Kristin studied at Oklahoma City University, earning a bachelor's degree in musical theater and a master's degree in opera performance, performing a number of roles in the lyric coloratura category. She performed in the stage revue at Opryland and won a "most talented up-and-coming singer" award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, which resulted in a full scholarship to Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts. En route to Philadelphia, she auditioned for an Off-Broadway show and got the part. She decided to forgo her scholarship to pursue a career on Broadway; a short time later, she was accepting a Tony Award.
