The West Wing: Leo's Funeral (Original) 

I had heard that they also continued to pay his family his salary until the show finished also. And why not because they made a ton of money off of the show a John was a big part of it, so a much deserved thanks to his family.

WoW I never realized that, thank you for pointing it out!

@@rabbit251 it is nice to hear that. Spencer was the rock of the show (no pun intended). A very serious and gritty character. I can't imagine anyone else but Spencer playing that role.

As they should have. It is sad he died. His death caused the rewriting of some episodes since he was such an integral character.

Who would they have paid? He didn't have any kids or wasn't married.@@rabbit251

James Rawlins I think this is either the second or the third time I’ve seen this because it hurts too much.

I agree. The other time I've felt that way was the series finale of Golden Girls. If you watch it, Dorothy (Bea) is saying her goodbye as a character, but all the words fit as if they were meant for her fellow actors (i.e. Rue, Betty, and Estelle).

@@JavierArveloCruzSantana I'm not sure I agree with you about Golden Girls. It's been well reported that Bea didn't really get along with the other actresses on the show. She also was never really thrilled about all the cracks that the show made about Dorothy (Bea's character) - she definitely felt they were "Dorothy bashing", about her size and even insinuating she was less than attractive. One of the things that irritated Bea was when Betty would go and chat with the audience - not just because Bea was kind of a private person but she believed that until the end of the day one should stay in character. Bea also came from a more theatrical background and sometimes had the impression that she was "superior" to the others in terms of acting - which really upset her when Betty won the Emmy in 1986 (the first cast member to win one - although all four ladies would eventually take home a statue). Ironically Arthur and White were friends before the show (she refused to go to lunch with McClanahan unless White was also there) but that friendship seemed to decline as the show went on. Her son did admit that his mom was kind of a loner who bristled at the fun energy the other cast had. I do think that Bea's final speech at the end was her acting ability - letting Dorothy say goodbye to both the other characters and the show's audience - but she was ready to leave by her final season, mainly because the shows quality had declined significantly by the end.

This is the forst time i ves seen this(Im working my way through reruns). and Im crying

@@jamesrawlins735 As a late-diagnosed woman with autism, I see it 100% in Bea. That, would explain a lot.

Before watching this episode for the first time, I found out that John Spencer passed away. Watching it I was crying my eyes out, but also realizing that many, if not all, of the actors were not acting this scene. These were genuine expressions of loss and every time I see this, I still cry my eyes out, because like you stated, it's a funeral and a memorial.

Hard still.

May he rest in peace

While I never agreed with half the politics..from Spencer to Lowe...it was some of thee greatest acting on a TV show you may ever see...hell i cried knowing the last episode was THE LAST

That is definitely not acting. It's real emotion at a friend's death.

Not actually acting. Sadly, he did die. It was devastating to the whole cast.

No Sam

Yeah. Emily Procter who hadn't been on the show in years, for example.

Including Tim Matheson as Hoynes, who then directed one of the show's final episodes.

@@mitchand9 prob due to his conflict, with the producer i would imagine, but sure he would of wanted to be there

they got paid for the single shot segment and it is a recent close up, a portfolio upgrade....BUT nice try!!! many of those actors were studio place holders .... waiting for parts to come up!

When a president & a president-elect are your pallbearers, you sure is heck were somebody….

1 president, president-elect

I'm sure all those tears were real

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This is the way.

Leo was a one heckva Chief of Staff but more importantly he was one hell of a friend to Millions!

pac401 yes indeed 😢😢

I watched West Wing for the first time after it was off the air, around 2010 or 2011. My friend watched the whole series for the first time last year. He texted me after watching the Election Day episode “Why did they decide to kill off Leo?” I had to explain that John Spencer passed in real life. He was heartbroken.

He may have passed in real life and had a real funeral but I think this was exceptionally respectful for his character

Yes, it was/is.

I wasn't aware are until the episode ended and I was already in floods of tears

Stockard Channing did a great job in her role. Good actor.

Gerald!!!!!

We’ve met several times.

Well, as you know, he's exceedingly stupid.

Once he met the New Gerald, he simply forgot about the Old Gerald.

sorry about the Loss of your Butler......

They gave Mallory quite a bit of coverage too.

Seriously

I was a secretary for a long time. You know a lot about your boss. In this instance, yes, of course, Margaret should have been in the final scenes.

Yes

Absolutely should have been.

Agreed

To whom are you speaking? Spencer is DEAD.

@@plucas9324 I'm quite well aware of the fact that John Spencer passed away while starring in the series, as perhaps a slightly more careful reading of my comments would/should reveal. The simple "RIP John Spencer" as opposed to "RIP Leo McGarry" might have given you a vague clue. I was addressing his memory. Hope that doesn't offend you.

@@Traveler19491 It doesn't offend me--I find it amusing that you are addressing a dead person as though he were alive. It's one of the silliest affectations of social behavior in the last 50 years.

Im crying at this.because its a man, an actor i never knew or a fictional character. Its because i lost people i care about and its them Im crying for.. One day you may have people you mourn too . Then you will understand

Notice, Josh is calling the pall bearers. Not Jed.

@@heisdeadjim Yeah I did notice that. I imagine that's because Jed, in that moment, was not the President ... just a guy mourning his best friend. The head is also the heaviest part of the casket so, traditionally, the pallbearers at that part are the strongest. Jed wasn't in the best health, so Josh would be doing most of the lifting at that part. It's moving that in this scene Jed is quiet and Josh takes the literal and figurative weight upon himself.

@@Scrappy527 Traditionally, the body is carried feet first. Leo's casket was carried head first (under the stars). That seemed like an important detail for the show to get right.

I've been a pall bearer twice. It's not as heavy as it might seem. It's a little awkward depending on where you are. It's more grueling if you have to go very far because you're taking short steps and simple maneuvers take time.

Men of that age are seldom very heavy, especially after embalming. There's a good deal gets removed. There probably isn't 250lbs between the body and the coffin. Certainly not for a man of John Spencer's size. Between six men, the hardest part is not stepping on the guy in front.

Did you know that Martin Sheen /the President was not supposed to be a regular character on The West Wing? He was only supposed to be in for a few episodes and the show is supposed to be about staffers. And rob Lowe was told he was cast at the the lead. Again tomorrow respect from him after I heard of that about that, Since he never made a Publix stink about it. But anyway it's seems shine was so perfect and the team was so perfect well We all know what happened. Also, I just heard Aaron Sorkin say he was talking with other executives and said he wanted "A John Spencer type" for Leo. They said why not get John Spencer, and he said wiwe'll never get him. Thank God they were wrong! I need a tissue

@@ellenw391 Yes I did know that. I heard they were talking about Sydney Poitier for the President at one point. So glad they got Martin Sheen, he is a special actor.

I’m glad they had him assist in the lifting of the casket

Alwayssunshine totally agree with you.

That was an amazing scene

I’m watching through it for the first time and I cried at both moments.

I didn't like that scene, since Bartlett made it all about him, and not about Mrs Landingham.

Agree

Even though he was fictional I totally agree

Josh. Toby. Sam. Bartlett. Charlie. Santos. Best pallbearers ever.

I'm irreligious, and even I would want the Bishop here to be at my funeral.

You missed Archie Bunker breaking down over Edith.

Everyone but Rob Lowe as Sam! Major and inexcusable faux pas on his part.

You are so right. I loved how Bartlet actually bowed before Leo's coffin. Never noticed that before.

M. Padilla He wasn't bowing before Leo's coffin specifically, he was bowing before the altar, it's a Catholic tradition to do so when you approach the altar

Deane Flaherty Ah good catch!

Deane Flaherty Sheen is a devout Catholic. He would know the drill. One of the things that made his rant in The Two Cathedrals episode so intense. I would image that like most devout believers, Sheen has had moments like that. Further, that rage was also directed at Daddy Dearest.

From what I have been told, the service was Episcopalian. Notice that Bartlet didn't feel compelled to make the sign of the cross, because (I believe) he wasn't in a Catholic church or cathedral.

1:46 There's a moment where Jimmy Smits is in tears and that reminded me he also starred with John on LA Law prior to West Wing.

For the same reason Sorkin had to stop doing The Newsroom.

Madam Secretary is not bad. But not the same calibre as WW.

I agree. I put something up top in comments about there are a couple of scenes that are too intense to be too "fake" in my opinion. ya know? avoidance of eye contact etc at several places. They were probably DYING on the inside

The scene was filmed within about a month of his death. John died at Christmas and this episode aired in April so it would have had to be shot around late Jan/Early Feb.

doubt they would

The wording, and the clerical vestments, we're from an Anglican funeral. The producers screwed up, given that Leo was meant to be a Catholic.

He was never that close to Hoynes, and they already had a full quota of 6 pallbearers, people that were closer to Leo than Hoynes.