John Spencer

John Spencer plays Leo McGarry, the White House chief of staff in The West Wing. Leo is the person expected to turn a collection of urgent demands into a working day. Spencer gives him the necessary authority without making it look inexhaustible. You can see the concentration, the judgement and the fatigue.

His scenes with Martin Sheen are especially good. Leo can speak to Bartlet as a friend while remaining aware that he is also speaking to the president. Spencer makes those adjustments feel instinctive. He won the supporting actor Emmy for the role in 2002.

Before The West Wing, Spencer played lawyer Tommy Mullaney in L.A. Law. His film credits include Presumed Innocent, The Rock and The Negotiator. Much of that work uses his ability to give a professional character a convincing life beyond the immediate scene.

Spencer died in 2005. Leo remains the performance most closely associated with him, and for good reason: the character provides a steady centre without ever feeling like a device placed there to keep everybody else in line. There is a person doing a difficult job, and Spencer keeps that person visible.