MONDO EXTRAS

David Whitford goes on to say that when he went to the studio in January to interview Brad, he hadn't seen him, except on television, for about nine months, and that it was "unexpectedly awkward" at first. He thought that Brad's hair looked redder and that his head looked bigger. He and Brad are two and half years apart; they grew up in a Quaker household. Brad is the youngest of five children (which doesn't surprise me, as a big adherent to ideas about birth order; Brad manifests what I think of as classic "youngest child" energy.) Brad was always a "cutup" and a "ham," and somehow that amazes no one who's watched Brad's many performances, but most especially those who've come to love him in the role of Josh Lyman, Deputy Chief of Staff. Whitford's equally gifted at comedy and drama, but he does seem unusually ready to provide a smirk and an offhand remark at any given moment.

David went to the Golden Globes with Brad and his wife, actor and Malcolm in the Middle star Jane Kaczmarek. He mentions that Brad held his (then) fourteen-month-old son George (named after Brad's and David's late father), and tells the reader that Brad has "always been a hugger. He doesn't know this, but as a young man in college, he once hugged my mother so tightly he broke one of her ribs." I bet Brad was probably somewhat alarmed to learn this from the article. Ma Whitford is quoted as saying, "I didn't want to mention it. It was such fun to have him do it." Still, you might want to go easy on baby George, there, Brad. They also have a three-year-old daughter named Frances. The main photograph accompanying the article is of Whitford holding a naked George, but the baby's face is turned toward Whitford, so he's not identifiable. (Many celebrities are rightly concerned about keeping their children out of the spotlight; I'm sure Whitford and Kaczmarek are no exceptions.) The baby's pale skin contrasts strongly with Brad's black clothing, emphasizing his embrace of his son. Brad is revealing the beginning of a smile; it's a sweet, appealing photo of a man who looks like he might know just how fortunate he is.