First Lady Jill Biden welcomed former President Josiah Bartlet (aka actor Martin Sheen) as he and other cast members of "The West Wing" returned to the White House on Friday to celebrate the landmark show's 25th anniversary.
With President Joe Biden away for most of the celebration, it was up to Sheen to deliver some stirring remarks in the Rose Garden.
In full President Bartlet character, Sheen called the crowd to action, asking them to "find something worth fighting for, something deeply personal and uncompromising, something that can unite the will of the spirit with the work of the flesh."
Attendees--clearly fans of the show that set the standard for politically-driven TV dramas--were treated to references to “big blocks of cheese” —based on the "Big Block of Cheese Day" episode depicting the White House staffers meeting with eccentric or off-beat characters — as well as some of the classic walk-and-talk scenes in which characters moved through the halls at high speed.
Waiters passed out bourbon-and-ginger ale cocktails called “The Jackal,” a reference to press secretary C.J. Cregg’s (Allison Janney) dance and lip sync routine in one iconic episode.
There also was a brief moment when President Biden encountered the cast.
In attendance were series creator Aaron Sorkin and cast members Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played assistant Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played the president’s bodyman, Charlie Young. Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, and Rob Lowe were all working on different projects and were unable to attend.