Aaron Sorkin Had One Rule When It Came To Casting The West Wing
Hailing from Aaron Sorkin, "The West Wing" more than solidified itself as the benchmark for on-screen representation of life in the White House. From its snappy dialogue scenes to the culturally relevant themes, the series handled the volatile sociopolitical landscape with grace. A big part of what made "The West Wing" work so well is the ensemble cast that filled it out. Led by Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet, the series went as far as its actors could go, which was very, very far. And, as it turns out, Sorkin and co. had a rule when it came down to casting the main crew.
Looking back at "The West Wing," every casting choice seems like a no-brainer. Allison Janney is irreplaceable as C.J. Cregg, while John Spencer is career-defining as Leo McGarry. The rest of the supporting cast feel intrinsically connected to their characters as well. Even Rob Lowe doesn't feel out of place, a testament to the show's commitment to portraying the White House staff as a regular, functioning machine. Of course, this doesn't happen without some strategy in mind. When it came down to it, there was a true method to assembling the cast.
'Wonderful people'
In an interview with Empire Magazine to commemorate "The West Wing" turning 15 years old in 2014, Aaron Sorkin talked about the process of finding the right actors for the show. He humbly claimed that he and the series' other creatives were lucky enough to hire a group of "wonderful people" that "liked to pass as much as they liked to shoot." Much like the characters the cast portrayed, the series was a group effort from top to bottom. You can't pull off what its actors did without being selfless in that manner, especially when it comes to the extensive back-and-forth conversations.
That being said, "The West Wing" producer John Wells revealed there was a prerequisite that cast members had to satisfy:
"We felt strongly that it needed to be a terrific group of talented actors who were not your standard television leading men and women. We wanted them to look real, we didn't think it was the appropriate place for a lot of people who could also appear on the cover of Vogue."
In contrast, NBC apparently wanted to cast more conventionally attractive stars (whatever that means), and hiring Rob Lowe proved helpful to their cause, according to Wells. Ultimately, "The West Wing" boasted an all-around great-looking cast, so mission accomplished, I suppose? Either way, the logic is sound. The characters in "The West Wing" needed to come off feeling more mundane than idolized, and I think the final product hits all the right notes.
It may be a bit too idealistic in today's climate, but that is a part of what makes the series appointment viewing. All seven seasons of "The West Wing" are available to stream on HBO Max.