Death of Leo McGarry, Dec. 17, 2005 by Emily Wolkowicz

From MemoryArchive

Who: Emily Wolkowicz
What: Death of John Spencer (Leo McGarry)
When: Dec 17, 2005
Where: Washington DC

It has been said that here at American University, the season premier of the "West Wing" is the equivalent of the Super Bowl. When John Spencer, who played chief of staff Leo McGarry on the "West Wing", died suddenly of a heart attack, I think we at American felt the loss in a special way.

Ben Swindon of the UK said "An extraordinary actor on an extraordinary show. Spencer achieved more with a facial expression than most dramatic actors could convey with a monologue. His private life was beset with similar problems to his character’s, and that made him a heartbreakingly honest spokesperson for the issues of alcoholism, addiction, and being grateful for his life."

We are all slaves to our Capital Hill internships and long for the leadership and brilliance of someone like Leo. I think that's why we all watch the show and when we bring the humility of John's character to work with us we are better people for it. Since we all watch the DVDs of season 1-4 non-stop, I can confidently say that John Spencer will not be forgotten, though he will be sorely missed.