West Wing

Background:

“They (his parents) wanted me to be educated; a doctor or a lawyer. They weren't happy that I chose the arts. They wanted me to have a good life. It's ironic that I made the leap in a different way.” John Spencer

Emmy Award-winning American actor John Spencer, born in 1946, died in 2005, had already established himself on the New York stage, most notably his OBIE winning turn in the 1981 off-Broadway production of “Still Life,” before making his feature debut in 1983's “WarGames.” The capable character actor went on to receive attention as Harrison Ford's sidekick in the critically and commercially hit “Presumed Innocent” (1990). Other film credits include “Sea of Love” (1989), “Black Rain” (1989), “Café Society” (1995), “Forget Paris” (1995), “The Rock” (1996), “Albino Alligator” (1996), “Copland” (1997), “Twilight (1998), “The Negotiator” (1998) and “Ravenous” (1999).

However, Spencer was best known for his TV roles in “L.A. Law” (1990-1994), as Tommy Mullaney, and Leo McGarry on “The West Wing” (1999 to his death in 2005). The latter brought the actor his Emmy Award, two SAG Awards, a Viewers for Quality Television Award as well as Golden Globe and TV Guide nominations. He also had acted in soap operas, television films and in a number of TV series as a guest star.

As for his personal life, Spencer lived with his long-time girl friend, actress-choreographer Patricia Mariano. They had been together since 1990. An avid gardener, as a child he received several 4H awards for the tomatoes he grew. He also collected art & antiques. Spencer participated in such charities as the New York and L.A. AIDSWalk.

Lone Boy

Childhood and Family:

John Spencer was born John Speshock on December 20, 1946, in New York, New York, to blue-collar parents John Speshock, an American-Irish truck driver, and Mildred Bincarowski, a Ukrainian-American homemaker and occasional waitress. An only child, John was raised near Paterson, New Jersey, but returned to New York at age 16 to enroll at NYC's prestigious Professional Children's School, where among his schoolmates were Liza Minnelli and violinist Pinchas Zukerman. After a recurring gig on TV, he attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, New Jersey, but quit before earning a degree. He then studied at New York University, but again dropped out to pursue acting more professionally. In 1968, John married an actress, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1975.

An alcoholic, John became sober after undergoing therapy. He quit smoking in 1999, which he identified as “hell on earth.” On December 16, 2005, 58-year-old John passed away following a heart attack in a hospital in Los Angeles. At the time of his death, “West Wing” cast mate Stockard Channing was visiting him at the hospital. He was buried at Laurel Grove Memorial Park in Totowa, New Jersey. At his funeral, Kristin Chenoweth, another “West Wing” cast member, performed the musical number “For Good” from the hit Broadway musical Wicked

Presumed Innocent

Career:

Growing up in a working-class Roman-Catholic family, John Spencer developed a love for live theater as a young boy. As a student, he directed and starred in his own production, “My Fair Lady,” when he was 12, and moved to New York four years later to pursue an acting career. It was during this period that he dropped his last name and adopted the stage name of “Spencer.” Later that same year, he made his TV acting debut with a recurring role on the ABC comedy series “The Patty Duke Show,” playing Henry Anderson, the love struck boyfriend of Cousin Kathy. After it ended, he returned to his education, but quit to return to acting.

Spencer got his start in regional theater in the early 1970s and soon earned a reputation as a fearless actor. He was an understudy for the leading role in a touring production of “Butterflies Are Free” in 1970 and again served as an understudy in the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of “Boom Boom Room” (1973), by David Rabe. He went on to work with companies like the Barter Theatre in Virginia, the Studio Arena Theater in Buffalo, New York, and the Cincinnati Playhouse, and between 1974 to 1980 acted in such productions as Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie,” Don Delillo's “The Day Room” and David Mamet’s “Lakeboat.” Spencer, however, did not get his breakthrough stage role until 1981 when he was cast as a troubled Vietnam veteran in the off-Broadway drama “Still Life,” by Emily Mann. For his fine acting, he was handed an Obie for Best Actor.

When “Still Life” came to Los Angeles in 1983, director John Badham hired Spencer to star in the summer hit “War Games,” which eventually became the actor's feature debut. Among his costars in the Oscar nominated thriller were Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood and Ally Sheedy. The same year, Spencer made his TV film debut with the O.J Simpson vehicle “Cocaine and Blue Eyes” (NBC). A series of small roles in motion pictures followed, including Bakey in “Hiding Out” (1987, starred Jon Cryer), a lieutenant in Al Pacino's “Sea of Love” (1989) and Oliver in Ridley Scott's “Black Rain” (1989, with Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia). Between 1987 and 1988, he could also be seen in three soap operas: “One Life to Live” (as Evan Sutton), “Another World” (as Mr. Julian) and “As the World Turns” (as Don West). The stage trained actor maintained his stage presence by starring as Dan White, the murderer of San Francisco mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk, in the Broadway production of Emily Mann's “Execution of Justice” (1986) and debuting in a stage musical in “Carousel” (1987) at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

After appearing in the independent film “Simple Justice” (1990), Spencer got his landmark role in the Alan J. Pakula directed thriller “Presumed Innocent,” where he was cast as Dan Lipranzer, a detective and allegedly supporter of Assistant D.A. Rusty Sabich (played by Harrison Ford). The film put the actor on the radar of producer David E. Kelley who soon invited him to join the cast of the long-running legal drama “L.A. Law” in the recurring role of aggressive, street-smart defense attorney Tommy Mullaney. His character proved popular enough that he finally joined the cast as a regular the following year. He remained with the series until it came to an end in 1994.

In the meantime, Spencer also acted in the TV films “In the Arms of a Killer,” “When No One Would Listen” and “From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One” (all 1992). He returned to feature films in the mid-1990s with the acclaimed “Café Society” (1995) and “Forget Paris” (also 1995), where he played the basketball referee friend of Billy Crystal. He costarred with Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris as an FBI agent in “The Rock” (1996) and played Jack in Matt Dillon's “Albino Alligator” (1996). He then supported Harvey Keitel in “Copland” (1997). Other film credits include “Twilight (1998), “Lesser Prophets” (1997), “The Negotiator” (1998) and “Ravenous” (1999).

After “L.A. Law,” Spencer revisited the small screen as a series regular in the short-lived NBC drama “Trinity” (1998), playing the patriarch of an Irish Catholic family. It was in the following season, however, that Spencer booked his most outstanding role with the ensemble cast of the NBC drama series “The West Wing.” As Leo McGarry, the actor was handed five consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and won one in 2002. He also shared two SAG nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2001 and 2002), and picked up a Viewers for Quality Television Award, a Golden Globe nomination and a TV Guide for Best Supporting Actor.

In the process of wrapping up the show’s final season, Spencer suffered a fatal heart attack that led to his death in December 2005. At the time of his death, he had already appeared in two of the five “West Wing” episodes in post-production. Subsequently, the incident was written into the show by having McGarry die of a heart attack on the eve of election night.

Awards:

• Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, “The West Wing,” 2002

• Screen Actor Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, “The West Wing,” 2002

• Screen Actor Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, “The West Wing,” 2001

• Viewers for Quality Television: Q Award, Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series, “The West Wing,” 2000