John Spencer, 1946 - 2005

John Spencer was an actor, trained in the theatre, rewarded with a lengthy career in television and film. Recently, I happened to see John play a minor part in the 1984 movie War Games, but mostly I've known him, as I suspect most of us have, as Leo McGarry on The West Wing. That role was complex - powerful, political, street-wise, witty, vulnerable and deeply human. Leo was an unusual man in a powerful position and yet he harbored familiar frailties - skeletons in his own closet.

Such a role demands a skilled, accomplished actor to deftly carry it off, to carefully craft a character over time until we feel we know him well, know him perhaps as a father or a brother. I'm certain the humanity John brought to Leo was a reflection of his own complexities and grace. In a tragic twist of fate, John succumbed to a heart attack, only weeks after shooting an episode in which Leo experienced the same thing. The performance reflects the player. Art reflects life and vice versa.

I didn't realize before how much I cared about Leo. But now that he's gone, I'm moved by how much I miss John - and how much I wish I'd known him better. The West Wing is now more poignant, somewhat bittersweet. I'm sure the show will carry on brilliantly as before, but for me, a familiar cornerstone has been lost and it certainly can't be the same.