'West Wing' cast celebrates 25th anniversary with White House visit: NPR

This week some of the stars of the political drama The western wing celebrated the 25th anniversary of the series and couldn't have found a better venue.

In a small ceremony held Friday in the White House Rose Garden, First Lady Jill Biden welcomed the actors and creators who brought the fictional President Jed Bartlet and his administration to the screen.

The event began with a brief address by the First Lady, who delivered a welcoming message from President Biden, who is hosting a diplomatic summit at his home in Wilmington.

“Although Joe is in Delaware hosting the leaders of Australia, India and Japan, he wanted to make sure President Bartlet and his staff had the opportunity to see the Oval Office again,” she said.

“I am so grateful to everyone on stage for taking the time to be here, because their work has inspired so many to step forward and serve our country.”

The First Lady was followed by President Bartlet himself, or rather the actor who played him, Martin Sheen, who passionately recited a poem by the poet Rabindranath Tagore that dealt with patriotic themes:

“Where the heart is without fear,
And the head is held high
where knowledge is free
Where the world is not divided into fragments by narrow domestic walls
Where words come from the depths of truth
And tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not been lost in the desolate desert sand of dead habits
Where the spirit is led by you to ever more comprehensive thinking and acting in that heaven of freedom
Dear Father
Let our country awaken.”

In addition to Sheen, actors Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney, Emily Procter, Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack, as well as director and executive producer Thomas Schlamme were also present, according to the White House.

The same was true of “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, who ended the ceremony by saying that his show about a principled fictional US president was “idealistic, sophisticated and romantic”.

“Over the years, I've noticed that in times of heightened political tension, pundits warn us not to expect a 'West Wing moment,'” Sorkin said. “They say we shouldn't expect a selfless act of statesmanship. We shouldn't expect anyone to put their country first. We shouldn't expect anyone to reach for the stars.”

Sorkin added, however, that there are “West Wing moments” every now and then.

“We saw the evidence of this on the morning of July 21,” Sorkin said, referring to the day President Biden announced his decision not to run for a second term.

“That was the kind of thing we tell stories about.”