1. Okay, this 1 is not truthful overmuch a secret, but Martin Sheen has called his 7 seasons arsenic the eloquent, principled President Josiah Bartlet "the astir satisfying happening I've ever done successful my acting career," telling Entertainment Weekly successful August 2020, "I ever deliberation of it with gratitude and humility."

And the avowed Democrat would consciousness that aforesaid reverence if his change ego had been a conservative. "I'm often asked would I person done it if the president had been a Republican. I responded adjacent contiguous to that question the mode I did 20 years agone and said, 'If Aaron Sorkin wrote him, I would play it.' Because the main portion of the quality that I responded to and I deliberation is projected successful astir each occurrence is simply a level of humanity, a level of compassion, a large consciousness of curiosity and self-effacement."

2. The full conception of the Bartlet medication was conceived during a cigaret break. Fresh off 1992's A Few Good Men and 1995's The American President, Sorkin "had ne'er thought of doing television," he admitted to Empire in a 2014 oral history. Until his cause suggested helium conscionable with ER producer John Wells. "The nighttime earlier the meeting, immoderate friends were implicit for meal and Akiva Goldsman and I slipped downstairs to the basement truthful we could sneak a cigarette," Sorkin continued of his screenwriter pal. "He said, 'You cognize what would marque a bully tv series? That.' And helium was pointing at The American President poster."

A effect was planted. "The adjacent time I walked into the edifice and instantly saw this wasn't what I thought it was going to be," Sorkin shared. "This wasn't conscionable a 'hello, however are you?' meeting, due to the fact that John was sitting with a mates of agents and workplace executives from Warner Brothers. Right aft I sat down, helium said, 'So what bash you privation to do?' And alternatively of saying, 'I deliberation there's been a misunderstanding, I don't person an thought for a tv series,' which would've been honest, I said 'I privation to bash a tv bid astir elder staffers astatine the White House'. He said, 'Okay, you got a deal.'"

4. Convinced to determination guardant aft seeing underrated 1998 sitcom Sports Night, execs astatine NBC and Warner Bros. were inactive wary of the concept. (Yes, they've since had to beryllium determination successful their wrongness and beryllium wrong.) But Sorkin was determined to craft the fantastical satellite of authorities we've travel to cognize and love. 

"The full thought behind The West Wing was that successful popular culture, our elected officials are portrayed either arsenic Machiavellian oregon dolts," helium explained to EW. "So I wanted to make this precise antithetic workplace: the White House wherever the radical who enactment determination were arsenic competent arsenic the doctors and nurses connected a infirmary amusement oregon the detectives connected a bull amusement oregon the lawyers connected a lawyer show. And they were going to suffer arsenic overmuch arsenic they were going to win. And they were going to gaffe connected banana peels from clip to time, but we were going to beryllium definite of 2 things: One, they're hyperconfident; and two, they aftermath up each greeting reasoning astir however to bash thing better."

5. Sorkin and Wells ignored a fig of strategies en way to filming their pilot. In occurrence one, as Deputy Communications Secretary Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) and Deputing Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) were moving to rescue a radical of Cuban refugees, "The enactment from NBC was, 'We request to get Sam and Josh successful the water,'" Whitford shared.

Another thought that was floated was to exemplary Bartlet aft then-Minnesota politician and erstwhile wrestler Jesse Ventura. "The web kept saying, 'We don't privation to bash thing astir a wide Democrat. We request a populist, idiosyncratic who's a wrestler oregon a contention car operator oregon a shot subordinate coming successful from the extracurricular and shaking things up,'" said Wells. "We chose not to bash that."

6. It took a infinitesimal to assemble the furniture of stars. For a moment, with producers unsure if Lowe would motion on, the portion of Sam was really offered to Whitford. "I got a telephone telephone saying that I was successful the amusement but I was playing Sam," Whitford told Empire. "I retrieve I was successful a state presumption successful Santa Monica and I had nary close not to beryllium thrilled but I called Aaron and I said, 'I'm not Sam! I'm not the feline with the hooker, I'm the feline bashing the Christian right!'"

7. But Sorkin realllllly didn't privation to formed Lowe. "While it was each close with maine that the president was being played by a movie star, I thought having 1 play Sam would propulsion the equilibrium of the formed retired of whack," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2014 of his desired ensemble cast. "And past helium work the archetypal of 3 scenes he'd prepared. I don't retrieve the 2nd oregon the 3rd due to the fact that he'd already gotten the portion a leafage into the first, and I was reasoning of stories for a quality who has nary thought helium looks similar Rob Lowe. 'Pay him immoderate helium wants,' I said."

9. And, astatine the time, it wasn't the lead relation we cognize it arsenic now. "When I started it was conscionable a peripheral character—the absorption was to beryllium connected the staff, not the First Family," Sheen explained to Empire about signing connected for "maybe 3 oregon 4 episodes each season." Then they changeable the last country of the aviator that saw the commandant successful main simply demolish his adversaries with 1 code and an acquisition to get their "fat asses" retired of his White House.

"Aaron's full happening was that helium didn't privation the pomposity of the presidency. He didn't privation everybody to bash precisely what, successful the last scene, everyone does, which is basal inactive and beryllium respectful and conscionable perceive to what the President has to say," manager and enforcement producer Thomas Schlamme noted. "But erstwhile we formed Martin and we realized Martin's unthinkable accessibility, thing felt pompous oregon aloof. If the amusement is astir each the planets, let's extremity it with the sun."

Plus, arsenic Wells shared with The Hollywood Reporter, "Martin was the highest-testing quality successful the pilot, by far. The web said, 'We astir apt privation to person much of him.'"

10. Just retired of view successful that scene: Richard Schiff (Ziegler) trying desperately to support his composure. "That was 1 of the past scenes we changeable and it was the archetypal clip I had met Martin," helium explained. "When I archetypal saw him coming to rehearsal for his entrance, some of his cheeks were similar a chipmunk: afloat of nutrient and greasy. He had a portion of chickenhearted successful his manus and helium was chewing. He conscionable cracked maine up laughing. Then helium does his large entrance, 'I americium the Lord your God!' and I could inactive spot the grease the make-up radical didn't get disconnected his face! I was conscionable gone. 

During each take, erstwhile the camera panned disconnected him, he'd tally 2 sets implicit and effort to tamper down his giggles. "That was my archetypal time of moving with Martin," helium reflected, "and I don't deliberation determination was a time successful the adjacent 7 years that I didn't bask arsenic overmuch arsenic that with him."

12. With the accidental to renegotiate his declaration erstwhile it was wide helium was going to beryllium a regular, Sheen made 2 demands. "That they marque Bartlet a Catholic—because I wanted him to signifier each of his opinions from a motivation framework of notation and arsenic a Catholic myself, that's the mode I framed each of my actions," Sheen told Empire. "And I besides asked that helium beryllium a postgraduate of the University of Notre Dame. Aaron agreed to some of them and they became a staple of the character."

13. His character's aggregate sclerosis diagnosis, meanwhile, was arsenic astonishing to him arsenic it was to the voters that enactment Barlet successful office.

At a 2016 ATX Television Festival panel, Sorkin revealed that the large crippled constituent came astir simply due to the fact that helium wanted to bash an occurrence astir the president taking a sick time and helium needed a concern terrible capable to bring the First Lady, Dr. Abigail Barlet, rushing backmost to his bedside. 

"Whatever he's got, whether it's the acold oregon the flu, should besides grounds signs of thing other that Abbey is disquieted about," Sorkin explained. Not agelong aft helium made his prime did helium recognize however heavy helium was in. Days later, astatine a TCA presentation, helium recalled, "All kinds of hands went up and said, 'Aaron, wherever are you going with the full MS storyline? What's going to hap now?'"

14. The NBC bid wasn't conscionable a plum gig for an actor. A slew of Washington D.C. insiders—Clinton property secretary Dee Dee Myers, George H.W. Bush press secretary Marlin Fitzwater, Clinton economical adviser Gene Sperling, and Ronald Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan—served arsenic consultants and others adjacent earned a spot successful the writer's room.

With Jimmy Carter staffer Pat Caddell and Al Gore speechwriter Eli Attie on hand, "It was an intimidating country to beryllium in, and I was precise tense my archetypal day," co-executive producer Kevin Falls told THR. "Some of these radical answered to American presidents and astir the lone taxable I could code with assurance was erstwhile we'd interruption for lunch."

15. Given the portion of Josh's adjunct Donna Moss aft her audition for C.J., Janel Moloney initially didn't discontinue her time job. Warned hers would beryllium much of a recurring impermanent part, "I was hostessing astatine an Italian edifice successful Beverly Hills called Il Pastaio, and I kept my occupation astatine the edifice astatine first," Moloney told The Hollywood Reporter. "But by the 3rd episode, I knew that they were ne'er going to get escaped of me."

16. She besides called Donna's aboriginal romance with the brag good earlier the play 7 payoff. "The full ground of my character, earlier I adjacent started connected time one, was 'Donna is drop-dead, head-over-heels, 100 percent would dice for Josh," she described at the 2016 ATX Festival. "Every record I signed, each argumentation I asked about, the subtext was 'I conscionable emotion you truthful much, I would bash thing for you astatine immoderate moment.'"

17. With governmental operatives often approaching Janney to share that watching her arsenic C.J. Cregg changed the absorption of their career, the actress told EW, "She is my favourite quality I've ever played due to the fact that she's idiosyncratic that I aspire to. She's a fantastic character, she's not acrophobic to talk information to power. She's a pistillate successful a traditionally male-populated arena successful the White House and she was fixed the president's ear. And it's a large relation to champion women. She's specified an astonishing character. She's the 1 I astir privation to beryllium similar and who I'm astir not like."

18. Because, actually, mastering Cregg's mouthfuls of dialog wasn't ever the easiest task for the seven-time Emmy winner. But "The Jackal"? That she had down cold. "Richard Schiff and I would perpetually deliberation of unspeakable ways to walk our clip waiting to work," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "We started doing conscionable ridiculously silly things successful my trailer similar playing aerial guitar and lip-syncing to brainsick songs. We made Aaron travel successful to spot america bash 'The Jackal,' and past helium enactment it successful the show."

22. Moloney loved a bully walk-and-talk arsenic overmuch arsenic the remainder of us. They were "the easiest scenes to do, due to the fact that you don't person to act," she recalled to EW. "All you person to bash is accidental [your lines] and not tally into the cameraman and it's conscionable similar you're brilliant." 

For Janney, Schlamme's invention offered a peculiar thrill each time. "I f--king loved it!" she told Empire. "You were successful a relay contention and if you had to travel successful connected the 3rd hallway walk and you f--ked up, it was like, 'Oh my God!' It was this truly exhilarating crippled and the cleanable mode to support a amusement astir authorities active, breathtaking and fast-paced."

23. Having lowered their rates to instrumentality connected the project, astir of the main formed were anxious to renegotiate aft 2 palmy seasons.

But overmuch similar their web companions implicit at Friends, "It wasn't each antheral for himself," Sorking recalled to THR, revealing that John Spencer (chief of unit Leo McGarry), Janney, Whitford and Schiff "wanted to negociate arsenic a group, and they each wanted to beryllium paid the same. Brad said, 'I don't privation to beryllium doing a country with Allison and cognize that I'm getting paid much than she is due to the fact that I person a erstwhile punctuation and she doesn't.'"

24. Lowe's departure pursuing play 4 ("It was 1 of those moments that I deliberation radical person wherever you tin enactment static oregon you tin put successful yourself, and some choices are morganatic choices," he explained to THR) was a blow. But it opened the doorway for Joshua Malina's Will Bailey (and paved the mode for his and Hrishikesh Hirway's eventual instrumentality favourite podcast, The West Wing Weekly.)

Having worked with pal Sorkin on Sports Night, "I sent [Aaron] an email, the contents of which fundamentally were: 'What astir a little well-known, little good-looking histrion who would enactment for little money?'" Malina told THR. "It was shameless, but to my surprise, Aaron's effect suggested that helium had already talked to Schlamme astir the idea. I drove to conscionable him astatine the Four Seasons for lunch, and helium said, 'Here's the quality I'm reasoning of for you.'"

25. Then Schlamme and Sorkin followed Lowe retired the door, with Sorkin telling THR, they "knew that it was clip to bash immoderate we were going to bash adjacent and springiness the amusement to caller legs."

The announcement was devastating, Janney recalled, "We each felt kicked successful the stomach. We felt similar we were being abandoned by our parents. We didn't recognize it, we didn't privation it to hap and determination was thing we could bash astir it."

27. For each of their endless fond memories from filming, the day-to-day process was really hard AF. "The hours connected that amusement were truthful bad. I mean, conscionable horrible," Whitford recalled to THR. "I retrieve going to Tommy and saying to him, 'The invisible carnage of the unf--ked wives and the children not being work to is conscionable wafting out.'"

29. Or the clip Falls accompanied Sheen to the 2000 Democratic National Convention successful Los Angeles. "So we spell downtown, and we person to locomotion a quarter-mile to Staples Center, and arsenic we're walking, everyone recognizes Martin—hard hats, delegates, everybody—and Martin is embracing it," helium shared. "Martin thinks he's president. He's waving, signing autographs. It was surreal."

30. Or erstwhile they changeable the epic, engrossing play 2 treble episode "Two Cathedrals" astatine the actual National Cathedral. 

"During rehearsals determination were a fig of clergy lasting astir watching," Sorkin shared. "I walked up to a clergyman who was lasting adjacent and said, 'Excuse me, Father? I deliberation you should cognize that successful the country we're astir to bash Martin Sheen is going to curse astatine God.' He smiled and said, 'I know, it's gonna beryllium great.'"

31. But, yeah, the weren't ever the astir businesslike bunch. Months successful advance, Sorkin had conceived his thought for the play 2 opener and, moving backwards, came up with play one's jaw dropper of a cliffhanger.

He conscionable hadn't rather figured retired it was [redacted] that would extremity up changeable successful the melee pursuing Bartlet's event.

And truthful Schlamme was tasked with shooting the chaotic exterior country successful Virginia—in which achromatic nationalists effort an assassination—"in specified a mode that it wouldn't disqualify anyone," shared Sorkin. "And alternatively of shooting some the past country of the past occurrence and the archetypal country of the archetypal occurrence each astatine once—which would person made sense—Tommy had to spell backmost and re-create each quadrate ft of each framework successful the scene." Leo's hyper-organized adjunct Margaret would never!

32. Yes, they did. Jimmy Smits' 2005 crook arsenic improbable victor Matt Santos was, indeed, inspired by a rising legislator by the sanction of Barack Obama.

"We spoke to governmental consultants astir what a number run would look like," Wells told Empire. "They said, 'Well there's this young legislator retired of Illinois that radical are talking astir a small bit,' which turned retired to beryllium Barack Obama. They fundamentally laid retired for america what they thought the run strategy would person to beryllium for him to ever tally for president, though they kept telling america the full time, 'It'll ne'er happen, of course.'" 

34. Even down to the improbable ending, it turned out. With erstwhile main of unit and enactment elder Leo McGarry arsenic his moving mate, Santos was inactive meant to suffer retired to likable California legislator Vinick.

Then Spencer died midway done the play successful December 2005. "Up until his death, the Republican was going to triumph the election," Sheen told Empire. "Jimmy Smits would beryllium defeated and that fantastic histrion Alan Alda would win. But with John's decease they said nary and, against history, the Democrats would continue."

35. An eighth season—focusing connected the aboriginal days of the Santos medication with Bartlet popping successful arsenic advisor—was imaginable arsenic well. "But erstwhile John died, they folded the tent," said Sheen. "It was over, and we thought, 'No, we tin ne'er spell backmost there.'"

Instead they paid tribute to Spencer and McGarry with play seven's "Requiem," a slew of erstwhile impermanent stars returning for the enactment giant's funeral. "The occurrence wherever we really had to transportation his casket due to the fact that his quality had died," Hill told THR, "it was an bare casket, but it wasn't an bare casket."

36. After departing the bid pursuing play four, Sorkin genuinely ne'er looked back. Kinda. 

"Larry David had left Seinfeld a fewer seasons earlier the amusement ended and helium called maine and said, 'You tin ne'er watch The West Wing again. Either the amusement is going to beryllium large without you and you're going to beryllium miserable, oregon the amusement is going to beryllium little than large without you and you're going to beryllium miserable,'" helium recounted to Empire. "I thought, 'Well, this is Larry David; he's benignant of professionally miserable.' So I had them nonstop a portion of the archetypal occurrence that I didn't do. I enactment it successful the VCR and I don't deliberation I got 15 seconds successful earlier I leaped up and slammed it off! It felt similar I was watching idiosyncratic marque retired with my girlfriend."

He did marque 1 instrumentality home, though, appearing connected signifier astatine Santos' inauguration successful the bid finale. So, again, we ask: What's next?