♪♪
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.
WE'RE BACK WITH THE CREATOR AND CAST OF "THE WEST WING," ALLISON
JANNEY, RICHARD SCHIFF, MARTIN SHEEN, AARON SORKIN AND
BRADLEY WHITFORD.
HOW MUCH DID THE ACTORS THEMSELVES INFLUENCE THE
CHARACTERS?
YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND, RICHARD, YOU MADE SOME CHOICES.
I UNDERSTAND RICHARD MADE SOME CHOICES THAT WOULD SOMETIMES BOX
YOU IN A CORNER.
>> YEAH.
IT WAS WHILE WE WERE SHOOTING THE PILOT, MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE
DAYS IN.
I NOTICED HE WAS WEARING A WEDDING RING.
AND I WENT TO HIM BETWEEN TAKES AND SAID, ," YOU KNOW, I JUST
HADN'T THOUGHT THAT TOBY WAS MARRIED."
AND RICHARD SAID, "YEAH, ME NEITHER."
I SAID, "YOU'RE WEARING A WEDDING RING."
HE SAID, "YEAH, I WAS GOING TO LET YOU FIGURE THAT OUT."
>> OKAY, I HAVE TO TELL MY VERSION OF THE STORY BECAUSE
IT'S FASCINATING HOW WE REMEMBER THINGS.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> BECAUSE-- BECAUSE AARON CAME UP TO ME, KIND OF DESPERATE,
ACTUALLY, AND A LITTLE FRANTIC.
"YOU'RE WEARING A WEDDING RING."
AND I WENT, "YEAH."
AND HE GOES, "ARE YOU MARRIED?" AND I WENT, "NO."
WHAT I SAID WAS, "TONE IS A-- I DECIDED THAT HE WAS A WIDOWER,
WHICH IS WHY HE'S SO MUCH-- SO INTENSE AND SO FOCUSED AND MAYBE
A LITTLE BIT SAD AND GAVE HIM SOME DEPTH, THAT HE LOST SOMEONE
VERY CLOSE TO HIM."
YOU REMEMBER IT AS "YOU FIGURE IT OUT" BECAUSE YOU WERE
THINKING, "DAMN, I HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT NOW," BECAUSE
YOU HAD WRITTEN MY EX-WIFE.
>> RIGHT, RIGHT, I GUESS YOU'RE RIGHT.
BUT MORE TO THE POINT, YES, OF COURSE THE ACTORS INFLUENCED THE
CHARACTERS AS WE WENT.
THAT'S-- IT'S ONE OF THE REALLY NICE THINGS ABOUT DOING SERIES
TELEVISION, ABOUT STAYING WITH SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, I STAYED WITH IT FOR FOUR YEARS, THAT YOU'RE KIND OF
ON YOUR OWN WITH THE PILOT, AND THEN WITH THIS GROUP, STARTING
WITH EPISODE TWO, YOU KNOW, YOU START TO GET TO KNOW THEM A
LITTLE BIT, AND THEY'RE REALLY FILLING OUT THESE CHARACTERS,
AND IT JUST STARTS TO WORK.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT WE HAD SOME VERY GOOD EPISODES IN THE FIRST
SEASON, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT TOOK US THE FIRST YEAR TO LEARN HOW
TO DO THE SHOW.
SHOW.
>> Stephen: ALLISON, WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE EPISODE?
.>> OH, GOSH -- >> Stephen: YOU GET THE TOUGH
QUESTIONS ON "THE LATE SHOW"."
>> IT'S HARD FOR ME TO PICK BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY
MOMENTS OUT THAT I LOVE.
ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING FOR ME AND JUST EMOTIONALLY-- AS AN
ACTOR WAS WOMEN OF KUMAR, WHICH WAS-- I BELIEVE, AARON, LET ME
SEE.
SEASON THREE, EPISODE NINE.
>> OKAY.
>> WAS I RIGHT?
OKAY, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK IT WAS THAT.
BUT I LOVED IT BECAUSE IT WAS C.J., YOU KNOW, HER PERSONAL
BELIEFS AND CONVICTIONS COMING UP-- COMING IN CONFLICT WITH
WHAT THE BARTLETT ADMINISTRATION WAS PUTTING OUT, BECAUSE THEY
WERE SELLING ARMS TO THE FICTIONAL COUNTRY OF KUMAR, THAT
WAS ABUSIVE TO WOMEN.
AND IT WAS VERY-- C.J.-- IT COST HER SOMETHING EMOTIONALLY.
SO THAT WAS A GREAT STORYLINE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HER CONFLICTED
AND SHOWING-- THAT WAS AN AMAZING EPISODE TO BE A PART OF.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, CONVERSELY, I LOOK THE SILLY THINGS I GOT TO
DO.
MAKING BARTLETT PARDON TWO TURKEYS ON THANKSGIVING, OR
WORKING WITH OTHER BARNIARD ANIMALS I GOT TO WORK WITH.
I ALWAYS LOVED DOING THE SILLY COMEDY THINGS.
BUT THEN AN EPISODE LIKE "THE WOMEN OF KUMAR" FULFILLED ME AS
AN ACTRESS.
SO IT'S HARD TO ANSWER THAT SUCCINCTLY.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU NAILED IT.
YOU NAILED IT.
MARTIN, BARTLETT WAS THE SECOND CATHOLIC PRESIDENT THE YUT EVER
HAD.
AND I THINK IT'S KNOWN THAT YOU WANTED JOSIAH BARTLETT TO BE A
CATHOLIC.
WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A PERFORMER?
>> YOU KNOW, WELL, I'M A PRACTICING CATHOLIC.
I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT RIGHT, SO I CONTINUE TO PRACTICE.
I WANTED BARTLETT TO HAVE A PERSONAL REFERENCE OF MORALITY
SO THAT IT WENT BEYOND THE NORMAL COURSE OF POLITICS OR
PUBLIC LIFE, THAT HE TOOK IT PERSONAL.
THERE WAS REWARD AND PUNISHMENT.
BUT I ALSO WANTED HIM TO HAVE A NOTRE DAME DEGREE, FOR OBVIOUS
REASONS.
I DIDN'T HAVE ONE.
SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT AARON GAVE ME BOTH.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TACK A QUICK BREAK BUT STICK AROUND
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE OF "THE WEST WING."