MONDO EXTRAS

Rose asks, "How many years do you want to do this?" No one rushes to answer. Schiff and Spencer chuckle. Janney says that she's having a great time and that she loves having a job -- that "for an actor to have a regular, steady job is the most glorious thing." She adds that Sorkin's scripts are of a quality she rarely sees in any movies she gets offered. Rose wonders whether playing these characters has heightened the actors' interest in politics, although they have established that the show is about family and other themes that could conceivably be played out against any backdrop. Janney says that it has for her, since she was not politically inclined at all before her involvement with the show. Schiff adds that he finds it impressive to speak to their real-life counterparts. He finds their way of thinking very impressive, mentioning that their thinking isn't just limited to their specialty. Rose says, "Great opportunity," looking at Spencer. Janney murmurs, "Yes." Spencer says very sincerely that it's the best writing he's ever had in his life: "That's the raw material for acting. You start with the words. So as long as Aaron has something to say about Leo, I'll say it. That's the thing that makes it worthwhile, the amount of work we do..."

Rose says to Sorkin, "You chose each of these actors." He wants to know at what point they came into mind for him. Sorkin says that he did choose them, and mentions how fierce the competition was, that the best actors in Hollywood were trying for these roles. Rose suggests that there was a buzz about the show, and Sorkin admits that there was. He mentions that he had known Brad Whitford for a long time, which is covered in the Esquire interview. Sorkin says he told the casting directors that, for Leo's role, they needed a "someone like John Spencer." The casting directors said, "Well, what about John Spencer?" Spencer cracks a big smile at this. Sorkin says that Schiff had to beat out ninety-three other actors for the part (and I can't tell whether Sorkin's exaggerating or giving us the exact number) and adds, "Thank God he did." Of Janney, he says, "If there's an opportunity to have Allison Janney in your thing, you do it." He remarks that casting the President was sort of "an interesting journey." Sheen didn't have to read for the role because of something slightly unintelligible, and then Sorkin mentions that you can just look at Badlands or Apocalypse Now and figure it out.