The West WingCast: Where Are They Now?

Mar. 15, 2025

The cast of ‘The West Wing’.Photo:NBC/Everett

NBC/Everett

Aaron Sorkin’sThe West Wingshowcased his penchant for long monologues, zippy “walk and talks” and the well-timed swelling of dramatic music.

The show has left a long-lasting impact, which is why formerWest Wingstars Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack co-authored the 600-page bookWhat’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service, which —per Fitzgerald— features “insight from cast and crew exploring what made the show so special, and how its impassioned commitment to service has made the series and relationships behind it endure.” The book just hit shelves on Aug. 13.

Ahead, catch up with the actors who made up President Bartlet’s dedicated staff and supportive family throughoutThe West Wing’s seven celebrated seasons.

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Martin Sheen as Josiah Bartlet

Martin Sheen on ‘The West Wing’; Martin Sheen attends the L.A. premiere of ‘Apocalypse Now: Final Cut’ on Aug. 12, 2019.BCU Photo Bank/Getty Images; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Martin Sheen had already portrayed an Aaron Sorkin-penned West Wing denizen in 1995’sThe American President(playing the chief of staff toMichael Douglas' president) when he was tapped to star as the idealistic, paternal president prone to giving speeches onThe West Wing.He stayed on the series for its duration, though he stepped back in the last season as the show focused on the presidential race for his replacement.

Sheen (born Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez) has been married to actressJanet Templetonsince 1961. Together, they have three sons —Emilio Estevez,Charlie SheenandRamón Estevez— and a daughter,Renée Estevez.

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Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg

Allison Janney on ‘The West Wing’; Allison Janney attends the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 7, 2019.NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images; Michelle Quance/Variety/Shutterstock

Allison Janneyplayed the frazzled but unimpeachable press secretary, a role for which she won four Emmys during the show’s run.

“Yeah, there’s a big text chain with all of us on it,” Janney told PEOPLE in March 2024. “And there’s always a conversation going on, and it’s always hysterical between[Bradley] Whitfordand Josh[ua Malina]. They always spar and jab at each other, which is endlessly amusing to all of us. And we see Martin [Sheen] a lot and go out to have lunch with him. We really are a family and have stayed one.”

She even wrote the foreword forWhat’s Next, andexpressed in a statement via Melissa Fitzgeraldthat “This is the bookThe West Wingdeserves.”

03of 13

Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn

Rob Lowe on ‘The West Wing’; Rob Lowe attends the 2018 Visionary Ball benefiting the UCLA department of neurosurgery in Beverly Hills.Courtesy Everett Collection; JC Olivera/Getty Images

Already a big star at the time the show started thanks to hisBrat Packdays,Rob Loweportrayed the White House deputy communications director until 2003, when heleft over differences with the show’s writers and producers. He briefly returned in 2006 for the final episodes.

Additionally, Lowejoined his formerWest Wingcostars for a 2020 HBO Max specialto encourage voting in the presidential election. “When the cameras rolled, and it was just Martin Sheen and I sitting down as Sam and President Bartlet, it felt like it was yesterday, and everybody was as good as I remembered them,” the actor told PEOPLE at the time. “It was like a great, classic rock band that hadn’t lost a step.”

In 1991, Lowe tied the knot with former makeup artistSheryl Berkoff, and theywelcomed two sons: Matthew and John Owen (whofrequently roast him on Instagram).

04of 13Bradley Whitford as Josh LymanBradley Whitford on ‘The West Wing’; Bradley Whitford attends NBC’s Party at the Pool on May 13, 2019.NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images; Heidi Gutman/NBCUniversalBradley Whitford won an Emmy in 2001 for his role as the brash, somewhat neurotic deputy chief of staff.He’s worked steadily in movies and television sinceThe West Wingended. Prominent roles include Commander Joseph Lawrence onThe Handmaid’s Tale(for which he won an Emmy in 2019) and Dean Armitage inJordan Peele’sGet Out(2017).Other post-West Wingtelevision appearances includeBrooklyn Nine-Nine,Shameless, Transparent(winning an Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series in 2015) andLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit— a show he’sprepared to have a crossover withThe West Wing.“I’m ready,” Whitford told PEOPLE in February 2023. “Any time. Let’s do it. We’ll get [Allison] Janney. We’ll get Martin [Sheen] in there. I was just texting with Martin. Not texting, emailing.“After divorcing actress Jane Kaczmarek in 2010, WhitfordmarriedTransparentstar Amy Landecker(who also has a role onThe Handmaid’s Tale) in July 2018.

04of 13

Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman

Bradley Whitford on ‘The West Wing’; Bradley Whitford attends NBC’s Party at the Pool on May 13, 2019.NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images; Heidi Gutman/NBCUniversal

Bradley Whitford won an Emmy in 2001 for his role as the brash, somewhat neurotic deputy chief of staff.

He’s worked steadily in movies and television sinceThe West Wingended. Prominent roles include Commander Joseph Lawrence onThe Handmaid’s Tale(for which he won an Emmy in 2019) and Dean Armitage inJordan Peele’sGet Out(2017).Other post-West Wingtelevision appearances includeBrooklyn Nine-Nine,Shameless, Transparent(winning an Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series in 2015) andLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit— a show he’sprepared to have a crossover withThe West Wing.

“I’m ready,” Whitford told PEOPLE in February 2023. “Any time. Let’s do it. We’ll get [Allison] Janney. We’ll get Martin [Sheen] in there. I was just texting with Martin. Not texting, emailing.”

After divorcing actress Jane Kaczmarek in 2010, WhitfordmarriedTransparentstar Amy Landecker(who also has a role onThe Handmaid’s Tale) in July 2018.

05of 13

Richard Schiff on ‘The West Wing’; Richard Schiff attends the IMDb Studio during day 3 of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images; Rich Polk/Getty Images

Richard Schiff earned an Emmy for his role as the serious, principled White House communications director.

Since the show ended,Schiffhas worked steadily on-screen, notably having roles on series likeBallersandThe Good Doctor, as well as in films such asMan of Steel(2013) andBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever(2022).

06of 13Janel Moloney as Donna MossJanel Moloney on ‘The West Wing’; Janel Moloney attends the FYC event for ABC’s ‘American Crime’ in L.A. on April 29, 2017.Ron Jaffe/Warner Bros./Getty Images; Tibrina Hobson/Getty ImagesJanel Moloney’s character Donnatella “Donna” Moss started the show as Josh Lyman’s assistant and ended it as both the chief of staff to the incoming First Lady and Josh Lyman’s girlfriend.Post–West Wing, Moloney was part of the main cast ofThe Leftoversfrom 2014 to 2017 and has appeared in episodes ofAmerican Crime,The Undoing,Bull,FBIandLaw & Order: Organized Crime, among other shows.Moloney shares two sons, Julian and Fernando, with composer Marcelo Zarvos — to whom she’s been married since 2010.

06of 13

Janel Moloney as Donna Moss

Janel Moloney on ‘The West Wing’; Janel Moloney attends the FYC event for ABC’s ‘American Crime’ in L.A. on April 29, 2017.Ron Jaffe/Warner Bros./Getty Images; Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images

Janel Moloney’s character Donnatella “Donna” Moss started the show as Josh Lyman’s assistant and ended it as both the chief of staff to the incoming First Lady and Josh Lyman’s girlfriend.

Post–West Wing, Moloney was part of the main cast ofThe Leftoversfrom 2014 to 2017 and has appeared in episodes ofAmerican Crime,The Undoing,Bull,FBIandLaw & Order: Organized Crime, among other shows.

Moloney shares two sons, Julian and Fernando, with composer Marcelo Zarvos — to whom she’s been married since 2010.

07of 13

Dulé Hill as Charlie Young

Dulé Hill on ‘The West Wing’; Dulé Hill attends a special screening of ‘Sleight’ in L.A. on April 6, 2017.NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images; Lucianna Faraone Coccia/Getty Images

Since then, Dulé Hill had starring roles onPsych,SuitsandThe Wonder Yearsreboot. He married actressJazmyn Simonin 2018 and the twowelcomed a son, Levi, in May 2019.

08of 13John Spencer as Leo McGarryJohn Spencer on ‘The West Wing’.NBCU Photo Bank/Getty ImagesJohn Spencer’s take on the president’s warm, wise chief of staff made the character a fan favorite and earned him an Emmy.Spencer died of a heart attack in 2005, a few episodes into the final season. As the character had coincidentally experienced a heart attack in season 5, the writers incorporated Spencer’s death into the plot line, but kept his name in the opening credits until the show ended.

08of 13

John Spencer as Leo McGarry

John Spencer on ‘The West Wing’.NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

John Spencer’s take on the president’s warm, wise chief of staff made the character a fan favorite and earned him an Emmy.

Spencer died of a heart attack in 2005, a few episodes into the final season. As the character had coincidentally experienced a heart attack in season 5, the writers incorporated Spencer’s death into the plot line, but kept his name in the opening credits until the show ended.

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Stockard Channing as Abbey Bartlet

Stockard Channing on ‘The West Wing’; Stockard Channing on ‘Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen’.NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images; Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

After four marriages and four divorces, Channing had a long-term relationship with cinematographer Daniel Gillham, staying together from 1990 until his death in 2014.

10of 13NiCole Robinson as Margaret HooperNiCole Robinson on ‘The West Wing’; NiCole Robinson’s professional headshot.Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo; IMDBAfter playing quirky secretary to John Spencer’s Leo McGarry for the show’s duration, NiCole Robinson took a role onAll My Childrenbefore stepping away from acting in 2014 and mostly staying out of the spotlight since.In 2008, Robinson and her (now ex) husband Craig Snyder created the 3 Angels Memorial Fund in honor of their son and two of Snyder’s children from a previous marriage, who died in infancy of Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia (ACD).

10of 13

NiCole Robinson as Margaret Hooper

NiCole Robinson on ‘The West Wing’; NiCole Robinson’s professional headshot.Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo; IMDB

After playing quirky secretary to John Spencer’s Leo McGarry for the show’s duration, NiCole Robinson took a role onAll My Childrenbefore stepping away from acting in 2014 and mostly staying out of the spotlight since.

In 2008, Robinson and her (now ex) husband Craig Snyder created the 3 Angels Memorial Fund in honor of their son and two of Snyder’s children from a previous marriage, who died in infancy of Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia (ACD).

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Elisabeth Moss as Zoey Bartlet

Elisabeth Moss on ‘The West Wing’; Elisabeth Moss on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ in 2019.Eric Liebowitz/NBC; Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images

She marriedFred Armisenin 2009, though they divorced two years later. In January 2024, Mossannounced she was expecting her first child.

12of 13Melissa Fitzgerald as Carol FitzpatrickMelissa Fitzgerald on ‘The West Wing’; Melissa Fitzgerald attends ‘Change Begins Within: Healing the Hidden Wounds of War’ benefit dinner in N.Y.C. on Oct. 18, 2017.Mike Ansell/NBCU Photo Bank; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesAfter her stint playing the unflappable assistant to Allison Janney’s C.J. Cregg, Melissa Fitzgerald continued to act a bit (including a role onGrey’s Anatomy) before stepping away to focus on leadership and public policy.In 2007,she won an essay contest in theNew York Timesabout the genocide in Darfur. In 2013, she became the senior director of Justice for Vets, an organization that advocates for and provides resources to veterans in the justice system.Despite retiring from acting, she still has off-screen relationships with her formerWest Wingcastmates. She worked alongside Mary McCormack (who played Kate Harper) to co-author the bookWhat’s Next, which hit shelves in August 2024. She also remains friends with Janney, evenInstagramming a selfie of herself, McCormack and Janney posing with a copy ofWhat’s Nextin January 2024.

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Melissa Fitzgerald as Carol Fitzpatrick

Melissa Fitzgerald on ‘The West Wing’; Melissa Fitzgerald attends ‘Change Begins Within: Healing the Hidden Wounds of War’ benefit dinner in N.Y.C. on Oct. 18, 2017.Mike Ansell/NBCU Photo Bank; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

After her stint playing the unflappable assistant to Allison Janney’s C.J. Cregg, Melissa Fitzgerald continued to act a bit (including a role onGrey’s Anatomy) before stepping away to focus on leadership and public policy.

In 2007,she won an essay contest in theNew York Timesabout the genocide in Darfur. In 2013, she became the senior director of Justice for Vets, an organization that advocates for and provides resources to veterans in the justice system.

Despite retiring from acting, she still has off-screen relationships with her formerWest Wingcastmates. She worked alongside Mary McCormack (who played Kate Harper) to co-author the bookWhat’s Next, which hit shelves in August 2024. She also remains friends with Janney, evenInstagramming a selfie of herself, McCormack and Janney posing with a copy ofWhat’s Nextin January 2024.

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Mary McCormack as Kate Harper

Mary McCormack on ‘The West Wing’; Mary McCormack attends the Family Equality Gala — ‘L.A. Impact: There’s No Place Like Home’ — in L.A. on Oct. 14, 2023.Mike Ansell/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Mike Ansell/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

After earning roles onMurder OneandER, Mary McCormack joinedThe West Wingfor the last three seasons as the deputy national security adviser, Kate Harper.

The actress revisited herWest Wingroots in 2024, co-authoring a book about the political drama with her former costar, Melissa Fitzgerald.

“It’s an oral history of what went into the creation and making of the show, with tons of stories and interviews with the cast and crew,” McCormackdescribedWhat’s Nextin an Instagram post. “It’s a look at what made the show so special, and how its impassioned commitment to service has influenced so many of the people who made it.”

In 2003, McCormack married director and producer Michael Morris, with whom she shares three children.

source: people.com