Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney Recall Near-Death Storylines Across Political Dramas
Actors who starred together in 'The West Wing' found themselves facing similar assassination attempts on different shows decades apart.
Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney, who first met while working on the political drama "The West Wing," have found themselves revisiting near-death experiences on screen decades later. In the recent fourth season of Netflix's "The Diplomat," Janney's character, President Grace Penn, is shot during an apparent assassination attempt, with Whitford portraying her husband, Todd Penn.
This storyline echoes a similar event from "The West Wing," where Whitford's character, Josh Lyman, was shot. Whitford described the uncanny parallel in a recent interview, noting that he and Janney had discussed the coincidence. "We realized, yeah, we both got shot," Whitford said, recalling the moment.
For Whitford, this new role in "The Diplomat" positions him as the supportive loved one of the victim, a role Janney's character, C.J. Cregg, played during the shooting arc on "The West Wing." He found playing the role of the waiting family member more challenging than being the direct victim. "It’s definitely harder to, you know, to go through that ache," Whitford shared, adding that he draws parallels to his character's concern for President Penn's well-being and her ability to process the trauma while making critical geopolitical decisions.
The show explores the complexities of how such an event, particularly when experienced by a female leader, might be handled. Whitford questioned the societal response, contrasting it with the reception of President Ronald Reagan's shooting. "When Ronald Reagan got shot, everybody was just like terrified for him and then it was all about his grit and bravery, and it brought up for me questions of how would we deal with that in terms of gender issues?" he pondered.
The season's narrative, fueled by President Penn's refusal to accept help and the ensuing geopolitical fallout, culminates in a protest at the G7 Summit. Whitford acknowledged that his character, Todd, considered joining the protest but ultimately found it an insurmountable step, describing the read of the script as impactful for the cast.
Both "The Diplomat" and "The West Wing" are available for streaming on Netflix.