'West Wing's' Whitford Talks in the Oval Office

[Brett Ferino]

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - It's late on a Thursday, and "The West Wing" star Bradley Whitford has come in on his day off to do an interview. It wasn't originally his day off, but the production schedule was pushed back and back until it became his day off.

All in all, it's a typical day on the NBC drama about a Democratic president, which recently saw the departure of creator and chief scribe Aaron Sorkin and principal director Tommy Schlamme after four seasons.

The series ends its current season on Wednesday, May 14, at 9 p.m. ET, with an episode called "25," in which President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) must take drastic measures in the middle of a crisis.

But on this April afternoon, all that is still in the future, and Whitford drops onto a striped couch in the Oval Office set to praise his character and his bosses -- both on-screen and off.

Regarding his character, Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman, a political savant with a wretched personal life, Whitford says, "He's an emotional cripple, that's true, and a fool. He has many good qualities. He's very passionate, and I think he's willing to go through the unsexy, unglamorous work of partisan politics, where you're faced, every episode -- and for him, every day -- [with the question of], 'How do you get your feet dirty without disappearing in the mud in order to get an inch of what you really want done?'"

"That's one thing I love about this show, and that's one thing I love about this guy. There's a lot of standing on the sidelines and finger-pointing at politicians and horror when they compromise. You really have to look at it on a case-by-case basis."

"I always thought it was very easy for Ralph Nader to point and mock. The guy's never held elective office, and of course, you have a clean uniform."

"But aside from the political stuff, I love that he's unable to connect with these women."

Regarding Sorkin, who came to TV after a career as a playwright ("A Few Good Men" ) and screenwriter ("The American President" ), Whitford says, "I met him during 'A Few Good Men' on Broadway. I was probably his biggest admirer before this show began, and I never imagined he could pull this off."

"But I have to say, we're a step above carnival barkers. I'm an actor. I'm a desperate extrovert. Aaron has a desperate need to entertain. That's what we went into this with. The reason this show works, more than any other political show, is because Aaron is not somebody who has any political agenda. Aaron's a floppy guy who really wants to be entertaining."

"He's taken what has previously been seen as dry material ... but each decision has huge consequences, which makes it really dramatic. But it's not Aaron trying to serve anybody their vegetables."

While "The West Wing" has remained a critical and Emmy favorite, its ratings have been slipping. Some credit this to the success of ABC's reality show "The Bachelor," while others point to Sheen's political activism, including his vocal opposition to the recent war with Iraq.

Whitford has a unique perspective. "There is this premium that is set on this intangible thing," he says, "does somebody seem presidential? It's the question you assume that undecided voters are asking after each debate, before they go into the booth, 'Do they seem presidential?'"

"All of Martin's activities recently and for about 30 years come directly from his [Roman Catholic] faith, which is genuine and a very real part of his life. I've felt very protective of him. I was raised as a Quaker, stood next to Martin and introduced him at two events in Los Angeles."

"Martin, as interested as he is in these humanitarian issues -- which is the way he looks at them, not political issues -- Martin will be the first to admit that he would be a lousy president. Within five minutes of spending time with him, you would know that."

"But apparently Martin seems presidential, and I'm here to tell America that -- and I love Martin, I swear to God I would let him raise my children -- but he'd be a lousy president."

"And the relationship between seeming presidential and what I really believe is the capacity to be a great president, that relationship is so casual, it's wearing cutoff dungarees."

Asked what he'd wish for Josh in the coming year, Whitford says, "OK, maybe we can't do it in the nonfictional world, but at least in the fictional world, I'd think it'd be great if we could make sure all children are insured. That's all I'm saying. That's my policy wish."

"For my character, I would just like to see him go into the bedrooms of as many beautiful women as possible."

As to what his wife, "Malcolm in the Middle" star Jane Kaczmarek, thinks of that, Whitford says, "Jane loves to see me on television in romantic situations. She thinks it reflects very well on her, because she got me, which she did."

[EricIdlefan]

Even though Rob Lowe was the star at first then Martin Sheen, I think that the show is told from Josh's viewpoint and he is moving up from the third bannana to in-between first and second because the show is seen through his eyes.

[EricIdlefan]

I don't know about you all but I stopped watching the show when Rob Lowe left!!

[Rhiannon]

I try to watch season 5 but it's just so boring it's almost impossible.