Full Version: RIP John Spencer
John Spencer died this morning of a heart attack.
He's had a pretty long career but his recent fame came from playing Leo McGarry on The West Wing.
This was pretty unexpected according to what I've read so it'll be interesting to see how the show handles it from a plot perspective since he was about to take over the campaign from Josh Lyman.
Rest in peace.
He's had a pretty long career but his recent fame came from playing Leo McGarry on The West Wing.
This was pretty unexpected according to what I've read so it'll be interesting to see how the show handles it from a plot perspective since he was about to take over the campaign from Josh Lyman.
Rest in peace.
When I read your post CJ I was shocked to hear this. 
He played his character well and the whole cast worked well together. He will be missed, I thoughts go out to his family.
He played his character well and the whole cast worked well together. He will be missed, I thoughts go out to his family.
John Spencer played strong characters. My favorite was his role as Leo McGarry on the West Wing.
I will miss him a great deal. May his survivors find peace in this difficult time.
I will miss him a great deal. May his survivors find peace in this difficult time.
My thoughts, too, are with his family and friends. I first became aware of Spencer in the film adaptation of Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent, in which he was excellent. But, like most, I will remember him most as Leo McGarry on West Wing. Few other actors could have got away with this sort of exchange with such authority and conviction:
May he rest in peace.
QUOTE
Leo (on hearing that the president wants a disproportionate response to an American plane being shot down): Do you think that increasing the body count is going to act as a deterrent?
President Bartlett: You're damn right I do.
Leo: Well then, you're just as stupid as these people who think that capital punishment will act as a deterrent to drug kingpins. As if drug kingpins didn't live their day to day lives under the possibility of execution - and their executions are a lot less dainty than ours, and tend to take place without the bother and expense of due process. So, my friend, if you want to start using American military strength as the arm of the Lord, you can do that. We're the only superpower left. You can conquer the world, like Charlemagne. But you better be prepared to kill everyone. And you had better start with me, because I will raise up an army against you - and I will beat you.
President Bartlett: You're damn right I do.
Leo: Well then, you're just as stupid as these people who think that capital punishment will act as a deterrent to drug kingpins. As if drug kingpins didn't live their day to day lives under the possibility of execution - and their executions are a lot less dainty than ours, and tend to take place without the bother and expense of due process. So, my friend, if you want to start using American military strength as the arm of the Lord, you can do that. We're the only superpower left. You can conquer the world, like Charlemagne. But you better be prepared to kill everyone. And you had better start with me, because I will raise up an army against you - and I will beat you.
May he rest in peace.
I remember that exchange Wertz, The West Wing is quite possibly one of the best shows on TV right now and I really will miss him. He's made quite a mark during his time, if we all could be so lucky.
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