A Sad Loss

Actor John Spencer, who played former Chief of Staff and current Vice Presidential Candidate Leo McGarry on THE WEST WING, has died of a heart attack at age 58.

I first came to enjoy Spencer's work when he joined the cast of L.A. LAW as Tommy Mullaney, and he has been one of my favorite cast members on WEST WING. Politics aside, over the years THE WEST WING has been a very well-executed, consistently entertaining show which won me as a viewer despite the liberal political views frequently espoused by the characters. Spencer was one of the actors I most enjoyed on the program. Ironically, Spencer's WEST WING character had a near-brush with death due to a heart attack. The show seemed likely to end after this season, and with Spencer's death hugely impacting the current election storyline, that seems to me more certain than ever.

Spencer was a greatly talented man who has died far too young. He will be missed.

Update: This article includes quotes from some of Spencer's WEST WING colleagues.