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Bradley Whitford will not be in attendance at The West Wing White House celebration nor the rumored reunion possibly taking place at the 76th Primetime Emmys tonight, both of which are tied to the Aaron Sorkin show’s 25th anniversary.
“It breaks my heart not to be able to be with my West Wing family at the Emmys tonight or at the White House later this week to celebrate our 25th birthday, but I’m in Budapest on another White House set pretending to work for another administration. (I know. I need to work on my range.)” he wrote, per a social media thread he posted to X Sept. 15.
Whitford is currently in production for the upcoming Netflix drama series Death by Lightning, opposite Matthew Macfadyen, Michael Shannon, Betty Gilpin, Nick Offerman and others. The show, which is shooting in Hungary, follows the stranger-than-fiction tale of James Garfield (Shannon), the reluctant 20th president of the United States, and his greatest admirer Charles Guiteau (Macfadyen) — the man who would come to kill him. Whitford will portray Secretary of State James Blaine. Filming commenced in early July.
“My God, the writing on The West Wing,” he continued. “Those characters. Played by people I love and admire and get to be part of a family with for the rest of my life. As [costar] Janel [Moloney] said in her beautiful piece, it was, and somehow continues to be, a privilege. A gift.”
The Get Out star continued, “I’m thinking of our incredible crew. Of the hundreds of people you never saw who made this happen. I’m thinking of Aaron. Of the miracle of a brilliant writer sitting in a room and having an idea that made all of this possible. And I’m thinking of John Spencer [who died of a heart attack in 2005]. Of how much we miss him. Of what a kick he would have gotten out of tonight. The farther away from the show I get, the more grateful I am to have been a part of it. I’m proud of its ongoing legacy that celebrates hope and public service in a world that can no longer afford cynicism and despair.”
The three-time Emmy winner (who nabbed the award for his performances in The West Wing, Transparent and The Handmaid’s Tale) concluded his thread with a call to action: “So what’s next? To celebrate our anniversary, I hope you will check your voter registration and make a plan to vote!!!”
Per previous exclusive reporting from Deadline, the White House will host an anniversary event Sept. 20, with president Joe Biden ushering in the festivities alongside the series’ creators and cast. The show, which ran for seven seasons on NBC, debuted Sept. 22, 1999.
Given the Emmys penchant for nostalgia, as reaffirmed by the 75th telecast held earlier this year in January, it’s possible that a West Wing fete is in store. Stars Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, Dulé Hill, Richard Schiff, Jimmy Smits and Moloney have been announced as participants or presenters at the Emmys, though no official confirmation was given by the producing team. However, when speaking to reporters ahead of the weekend, the producers teased a secret reunion, in their bid to recreate the same “energy of nostalgia” as the previous ceremony.
