Aaron Sorkin and Martin Short celebrate at the West Wing White House event
Fresh off their reunion at Sunday night’s 76th Emmys, some of “The West Wing”‘s top stars and producers are heading to the White House for a party hosted by First Lady Jill Biden.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Warner Bros. TV’s “The West Wing” (which premiered on NBC on September 22, 1999), the Office of the First Lady will hold an event at the White House to mark the occasion. The festivities will be attended by creator/executive producer Aaron Sorkin and director/executive producer Thomas Schlamme, as well as stars Martin Sheen, Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney, Emily Procter, Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack.
“Twenty-five years ago this week, we wondered if NBC would give us a full season,” Sorkin said in a statement. ‘I speak for John [Wells] and Tommy [Schlamme]the cast, the crew and the producers, we are extremely honored to be invited to the White House.
Channing Dungey, Chairman/CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group and Brett Paul, president of Warner Bros. Television, will join “The West Wing” team.
“The impact of ‘The West Wing’ is still strongly felt 25 years after its premiere,” Dungey said. “The show has inspired countless people to pursue careers in the public sector and get involved in their communities. It’s a true testament to the legacy of “The West Wing” that after more than two decades, it continues to motivate new viewers and fans to action. We are pleased and honored to see the show recognized by President Biden and Dr. Biden.”
President Biden will not be able to hold the ceremony and celebration, but Dr. Biden will deliver her remarks as part of the event.
At the Emmys, Sheen, Hill, Moloney, Schiff and Allison Janney appeared on a replica of “The West Wing” oval office set and presented the award for best drama series. They also poked fun at the modern political climate.
“It’s hard to believe that just 25 years ago, Aaron and the writers had to use their imaginations to create interesting storylines for ‘The West Wing,'” Janney joked. Schiff added: “Unlike today, where storylines could be plucked directly from the news – storylines that writers 25 years ago would have considered a bit far-fetched, if not downright ridiculous.”
“The West Wing” starred Sheen as President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet, Hill as Bartlett’s personal assistant Charlie Young, Moloney as senior aide Donna Moss, Schiff as communications director Toby Ziegler, Procter as associate White House adviser Ainsley Hayes, Fitzgerald as Carol Fitzpatrick (assistant to press secretary CJ Cregg) and McCormack as deputy national security advisor and ex-CIA officer Kate Harper.
Other stars who could not attend the White House event included Janney as Press Secretary CJ Cregg, Bradley Whitford, as Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman, the late John Spencer as White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry and Rob Lowe as Samuel Seaborn , deputy communications director. .
“It’s been over twenty years since the first episode of ‘The West Wing’ hit our television screens, and I can’t tell you how many people continue to quote this legendary series to me to this day,” Dungey added . “That’s thanks to the power of storytellers like Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme, John Wells and so many others behind the scenes who brought the Bartlet administration into our homes week after week.
‘The West Wing’, from John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. During its run, “The West Wing” won 27 Emmy awards from 98 nominations. It also received six Screen Actors Guild awards and twenty nods; two Golden Globes from 20 nominations; three Directors Guild Awards, four Producers Guild Awards; five Television Critics Association awards and many, many more. The series ran for seven seasons between 1999 and 2006, culminating in season 3, which averaged 17.2 million viewers.
