Very sad news for all West Wing fans. John Spencer, who played Leo McGarry, died on Friday from a heart attack. I met John a couple of years ago when he was in London doing a West Wing promotional appearance. What a nice guy. I think back to the episode when he suffered a major heart attack. He really put his all into it and said afterwards that it was a very painful episode to film. The fact that in real life he went the same way goes to prove that life imitates art I suppose. Here are a few classic Leo quotes..."We're the only super power left you can conquer the world like Charlemagne. But you better be prepared to kill everyone and you better start with me, 'cause I will raise up an army against you."
"There are two things you never want to let people see how you make 'em: laws and sausages."
"This is the time of Jed Bartlet, old friend. You're gonna open your mouth and lift houses off the ground. Whole houses, clear off the ground."
"The President likes smart people who disagree with him. He wants to hear from you. The President's asking you to serve... and everything else is crap."
"I'm an alcoholic, I don't have one drink. I don't understand people who have one drink. I don't understand people who leave half a glass of wine on the table. I don't understand people who say they've had enough. How can you have enough of feeling like this?"
"I'm not prepared to think about politics while we're under terrorist attack. The republic comes first."
"Men died for us. We had a responsibility to live our lives with integrity and honesty to honor their sacrifice."
Very sad news - at only 58 as well. I have been enjoying the seventh series of the show downloaded from the US, where Leo has taken on a new role. He will be missed.
ReplyDeleteYes. Very sad, Iain. I met him in the UK, too, probably at the same C4-organised gathering. He struck me as a very decent person.
ReplyDeleteI don't think 'laws and sausages' is a McGarry original, but Bismarck.
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