TWW Top 10-Secondary/Recurring Characters 

If you can make it through Mrs. Landingham's "I miss my boys" story without tearing up, you are not human. Such understated grace and elegance.

Oliver Babbish smashing the hell out of that tape recorder has me in stitches every single time. Mrs. Landingham speaking about her boys, that hits me right in the feels. This show tackled Humor, Tragedy, and Hard Decisions and balanced all of them fabulously.

My favorite of these vignettes was Mrs. (Delores) Landingham, played by the late Kathryn Joosten, telling the story about her two twin boys, who died during the Vietnam War. She delivered the narrative entirely deadpan and yet, for me, it rates among the most poignant performances I have ever viewed. That takes some extraordinary talent!

"JOSH. Josh. HOW did you CUT your hand?" incredibly powerful scene. Stanley Keyworth deserved so much more screen timee. Thank you Adam Arkin. Amazing.

"I don't know who the world's leading expert on warfare is, but any list of the top has to include me, and I can't tell when it's peacetime and wartime anymore!" Adm Fitzwallace on target.

"And Margaret vetoing things and sending them back to the Hill!" I love this scene so much.

The “I miss my boys” scene always makes me choke up a little

Lionel Tribbey should've made this list. John Larroquette's facial reactions were golden. He rarely had to say anything. his face told you everything you needed to know.

Ainsley was awesome. The way the show introduce her was great. Wish politician / staffers really embraced "The President ask you to serve and the rest doesn't matter" mentality. It is so sad to see how great USA can be. This show has so many great characters. Yes I am here in 2021

oliver platt didn't get enough in the show. he was really exceptional in a small part

Mrs. Landingham was not in every episode so yes, she was recurring. Yet in the show she was second to none. She made every scene she was in better. Her character is directly responsible for Bartlet becoming president. It's rare to find any actor able to portray the quiet yet immense strength she did on the show. The episode of Bartlets response to her death was very well done.

It is funny because I never saw any of them as secondary. They were so integral to the show. I loved Ainsley Hayes and would have LOVED more of her. Lily Tomlin was a great addition as Federer. Fitz definitely number one.

The Mrs Landingham scene always makes me tear up, damnit. Why you gotta do me like that?

"I think the White House counsel would say that's a coup d'etat" is one of my favorite lines from the entire series.

John Amos as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace is a clear number one. The scene of John Spencer as Leo McGarry and John Amos in the Situation Room is arguably the best minutes of the entire series. Anna Deavere Smith as Dr. Nancy McNally is definitely worthy of second place. Her scene with Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg in the Women of Kumar is fabulous.

I love Danny’s line. That proved just how much he loved CJ. Just a great bit of romance.

I'm so glad that C.J. and Danny got together at the end.

"We measure the success of a mission by two things...was it successful and how few civilians did we hurt. They measure success by how many. Pregnant women are delivering bombs. You're talking to me about international laws? The laws of nature don't even apply here!" The writing on this show was incredible, and John Amos' delivery of those lines gives me goosebumps.

Leo's rapport with Margaret is just awesome.

One of the reasons that this show is tied with M*A*S*H as my all-time favorite is that all of the actors, regulars, semi-regulars and guests, ALL of them, just didn't just bring their A game, they all brought more.BTW, it's really good that somebody took the time to do this - it's well deserved.

Albee Duncan doesn't even get an honorable mention? "You lost your boat in the wrong part of the world, Mr. President."

The most brilliant writing for a network tv show ever.

Lord Marbury deserves better than honorable mention.

Leave it to Sorkin, known for his dialogue, to turn a deaf-mute into one of the most brilliant characters ever written for TV. God, I miss this show.

Scene with Danny, most touching proposal ever.

I'm so glad that they used that Fitz scene! Displays the incredible humour, intelligence and passion that Sorkin puts into his characters.

I would like to put forth CJ's foil: Bernard Thatch. British Snob extrodinare, snark king, insulted the Presidents art taste at every turn and keep his job, able to make an insult sound like a complement, chewed the ham and stole the scene in every scene he was in, secret soft heart for little elderly women that had their family legacy stolen, bested only by Charlie but not without a fight.

"... Danang, ... Christmas Eve, 1970 ..." I was in Danang on Christmas Eve, 1970 -- I went there in September -- for *1 year exactly* for my "tour of duty." At least I survived (with my own stories I could tell).

All these actors are great, but my favorite is Ainsley Hayes (get the popcorn, Sam's getting beat up by a girl). And, why didn't Lionel Tribbey at least get a mention?

Fitz was such an awesome character

The Leo-Fitzwallace scene is one of the best in all of television. Brilliant sparring, impeccable writing, magnificent actors.

"Does that come with tights and a cape?" Best line when replying to the President.

10:05 My brother, the son of an immigrant joined when his country called. In country 66-69, served DMV award the Purple Heart, watched his friends died. On leave returned home, died auto crashed into him on the Fairhaven Bridge, 2:10 a.m. December 26, 1969. Christmas left our home for many years. These writers are good!

all great clips. Love Margaret saying she can do the presidents signature. Her and Leo play off each other so well. Leo and Fitz is the best!! I wonder how many takes it took?

That Mrs. Landingham scene is a gutpunch every time I see it.

Wrong clip for Bruno- '...when it costs us NOTHING!' 2nd choice- 'Freak' to Sam.

Personally, I liked Special Agent Simon Donovan (Mark Harmon). I thought that was a really interesting arc and I would have liked to have seen more of him on the show

I cant express how much I love the scene with Margaret and the President's signature.

I loved Margaret. I can sign the President's name. During big block of cheese day when Leo said "I am sure Margaret worked hard handing out the meetings." She shakes her head and then nods exactly as Leo turns around.

Oh my, John Amos was so good as the admiral. An incredible actor.

The scene with Mrs Landingham (Kathryn Jooster) should be required material for any person wanting to be an actor/actress. She did the entire dialogue with a straight face and very little emotion, yet she pulls so many emotions from the viewer. Describing how the boys died wanting their mother... I literally envisioned her jumping from trench to trench to save them. In a single scene you feel empathy, regret, loss, grief, pride and shock.

I love Ainsley Hays! She's one of my favorite characters.

That first scene with Oliver, lol. The tape recorder

Did I miss Lionel Tribbey? Lionel and his cricket bat gifted to him by Elizabeth Windsor?

There weren’t many scenes with both Fitz and Nancy, but they were always great. “Dr. Strangelove.” “Admiral Sissymary.” 😆

This is a great Fitz clip, but I personally love the one where he helps Sam with gays in the military using blacks in the military

Mark Harmon SS character

One of my personal favorites was Cliff Calley. I wish we had gotten to see more of him as Deputy Chief of Staff.

I LOVED Fitz SO much! He OWNED that role, and you couldn't help but admire his character!

Love the idea of this video! As a huge fan of TWW, it’s great to reminisce about all the wonderful people who participated in making this show so extraordinary. Who, in what order, all that is just a pretext for coming back to this work of art.

The characterization on the West Wing was so amazing.

I like this list, if not the placement of a few characters. I would move Mrs Landingham and Debbie Fiderer up and Margaret Hooper down because the two of them were more central in several storylines. I also would drop Amy from the list, personally, and pick either Nancy McNally or Sir John Marbury (I know the Marbury character was only in a few episodes, but he was absolutely essential when he appeared). I also can't believe Cliff Calley wasn't an honorable mention. He's the only character to play both sides, first as majority counsel to the committee investigating the MS "scandal", then as a White House staffer helping Santos pass a bill.

Lionel Tribbey is a tough act to follow, but Oliver Babbish sure made a go at it!

When Kathryn Joosten (Mrs. Landingham) spoke about losing her twin sons in Vietnam, I found it to be a virtuoso performance - elegant, understated, and oh so perfectly shaped! In fact, Aaron Sorkin’s tantalizing dialogue was often delivered by towering performances - those of Martin Sheen (President Bartlett), John Spencer (Leo McGarry), and all the others at various times and in various ways. In short, The West Wing represents a watershed in television programming that informed as well as entertained, that made us better by simply having been witness to its extraordinary message. Whether you are a liberal or a conservative, you saw smart on display. Oh, sure - Republicans were often made the bad guys. However, one of the smartest characters was Ainsley Hayes, the temporary President, filled by a Republican Speaker of the House - these were smart characters, too!

The president in the car, after being shot, with Butterfield always makes emotional.

Top ten?!? Not possible with this show Fitz. Lord Marbury Ainsley Mallory. Joey Lucas

Excellent list but I think that secret service agent who was killed should be here. I can’t remember how many episodes he was in but he sure was memorable

There were so many great characters during the seven years this show aired, choosing only ten would be an exercise in futility for me. It's like somebody asking me what would be my ten favorite songs. Only ten?!

I'm a bit surprised that John Hoynes didn't get an honorable mention.

Amy was "the perfect is the enemy of the good" put into dialogue. Her motivations were pure, her actions were just stupid due to ego when she knobbled Josh's comms while he was pointing out what the opposition was going to do to her chosen policy platform if she inadvertently helped get them elected. Had she been real she would have been one of those morons loudly sounding off against DADT without having a clue why it was the policy and what had come before it. Mary-Louise Parker did a fantastic job portraying her.

I love this show and everyone in it. And that includes some of the characters who were pretty slimy. The actors and actresses who played ALL of the characters were extraordinary.

@1:16 - That's over the line. Competing is one thing, using your relationship with someone to undermine their career would, well, 'taint' my enthusiasm for the relationship.

I miss my boys still wrecks me....

I was so pissed when they killed off Fitz. I felt he could have been the next President or VP, and it would have worked well for the series to continue as such.

The fact Lord Marbury is only an "honorable mention" negates this list (except for Col. Fitzwallace)

So much great writing and performances. So many of my favorite actors appeared in this show. ❤

i love when Fitzwallace is in the room. That peace time /war time bit is always gold to me.

The slow pan in during Mrs. Landingham's soliloquy about her sons...as my heart breaks each time I watch it. Devastating.

This is one of the greatest TV series ever produced. Up there with MASH for its superb acting and writing.

Mrs. Landingham is First in my Heart. Always.

Always laugh at the Ainsley and her shock when the president walks in... and his quip "I didn't even know we had a nightclub down here..."

Kathryn Joosten quietly giving a seminar on how to own a scene.

Fitz was navy, but his use of the word soldier seems appropriate in this exceptionally poignant scene. The word's used in the broadest sense, to distinguish a civilian from someone with a military background who would have a far deeper appreciation of what the life and the job entails.

Has anyone ever done a count of how many named characters appeared in the series? How many extras for all the crowd scenes?

one of the best compilations I have ever seen

Great choice for number 1

i cry to know Brunoo and Lord John and Leo are no longer with us.

I wish that this video was split up into two lists, one for secondary characters (who were usually White House staff on the show) and the second for recurring characters (who were more like guest stars).

Great show!

What I found very surprising was that NiCole Robinson was just 27 when the show begun. I pictured her in her forties! My bad.

I just liked Mrs. Landingham. When she finally bought a new car, and was all happy & proud about it…and got in that wreck that broke my heart. I think President Walken was top 10. Love John Amos. And he got killed off in two of my favorite TV series.

I don't know if it's hearing the song often enough to know the beat, but I can time it almost right to when Ainsley drops that glass.

I love John Amos. Always have. Always will.

I still ship Ainsley and Sam after all these years. They had some chemistry, can't deny it, lol!

The Midwest airport/time zone freakout vignette was a bit of comedic genius.

My absolute favorite Danny Cancanon scene ever!!!!

Ed and Larry should be on the list.

I would have hated the job of trying to rank all of these exceptional performances. Every one was amazing

Gosh, it's like the entirety of who's who in Hollywood at the time wanted to be on this series: Adam Arkin, Oliver Platt, Ron Silver, Stephen Root, Patricia Richardson, Timothy Busfield, John Goodman, Roger Rees, John Amos, Lily Tomlin, John Larroquette, and so many more!! 💖

This was my all time favorite show. When Mrs. Landingham died, I felt like I had lost my own mother.😢

Margaret offering to forge the president’s signature… every time I see it I laugh! “Or do you think the White House Counsel’s office would say it’s a bad idea?” “I think the White House Counsel would say that’s a coup de taut!” 😂😂😂

Some great ones there. John Spenser and John Amos is next level acting, but all 10 are excellent. Mrs. Landingham's episode was phenomenal.

15:12 ... Agent Coulson! :D

Great show

Fitzwallace is my top choice. :)

Great list

All great, Mrs Landingham hands down.

Where's Simon???

whats the song in the background on the first clip?

Sorkin is a great writer if not politically naive. But he sure created a lot of great characters.