| Samuel Norman Seaborn | |
|---|---|
| The West Wing character | |
 |
|
| First appearance | Pilot |
| Last appearance | Tomorrow |
| Cause/reason | Actor leaving series/End of series |
| Created by | Aaron Sorkin |
| Portrayed by | Rob Lowe |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Princeton (Secret Service code name) |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Deputy White House Communications Director (Seasons 1-4), Deputy White House Chief of Staff (last episode of Season 7) |
| Nationality | American |
Samuel Norman "Sam" Seaborn is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. " Pilot " is the first episode of the American serial drama The West Wing. " Tomorrow " is episode 154 of The West Wing. It is the series finale A series finale is the very last installment of a Television series, usually a Sitcom or Drama. Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9 1961 is an American Screenwriter, producer and Playwright. Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American Actor. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American Actor. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Serials in Television and Radio are series often in a weekly Prime time slot that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a serial fashion Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. He is best known for being Deputy White House Communications Director in the Josiah Bartlet administration. The White House Director of Communications, also known as Assistant to the President for Communications, is part of the senior staff of the President of the United States Dr Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a Fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the Television serial Drama
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Creation and development
The role of Sam Seaborn was initially offered to actor Bradley Whitford, who had auditioned for the part of Josh Lyman. Bradley Whitford (born October 10, 1959) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actor. Joshua "Josh" Lyman is a Fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. However, Whitford wanted and was eventually given Josh,[1] and the part of Sam went to Rob Lowe whose audition, says show creator Aaron Sorkin, "left our jaws on the floor. Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9 1961 is an American Screenwriter, producer and Playwright. "[2]
Sam's inept performance as a White House tour guide in the pilot episode may have been inspired by former Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart, who told the Chicago Tribune that despite having to give tours on a regular basis, he did not know whether the Roosevelt room was named after Franklin or Teddy Roosevelt. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Joseph Lockhart (born July 13, 1959) served as White House Press Secretary from October 5 1998 to September 29 "I haven't gotten caught yet, but I've made up a few things. "[3]
Character biography
Sam grew up in Laguna Beach, California, and graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University. Laguna Beach is a seaside resort and artist community located in southern Orange County California, approximately southeast of the county seat of Santa Ana. Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an Academic degree was earned Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. He makes repeated references to his alma mater, especially in the earlier seasons, indicating a certain pride in his attendance there. "Princeton" is his Secret Service code name, and he mentions being the recording secretary of the Princeton Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of Librettist W
Sam attended Duke Law School and was the editor of the Duke Law Review (which, in reality, is known as the Duke Law Journal). The Duke University School of Law is the Law school and a constituent academic unit of Duke University, Durham North Carolina, United States He was a staffer for several congressmen and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (commonly referred to as the " D triple C," or the " D-Trip " is the Democratic Hill He was also a practicing lawyer, working at the law firm of Dewey Ballantine in New York City before joining the fictional Gage Whitney Pace, reputedly the second biggest law firm in New York City. Dewey Ballantine LLP was a white shoe Corporate law firm headquartered in New York City. The City of New York Sam worked there for seven years and was about to be made partner when he was recruited by old friend Josh Lyman to work as a speechwriter for New Hampshire Governor Josiah Bartlet's campaign for the Presidency. Joshua "Josh" Lyman is a Fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Dr Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a Fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the Television serial Drama After Bartlet's victory in the Election of 1998, Sam attained the position of Deputy White House Communications Director in the Bartlet Administration, often collaborating with White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler to write the President's most important public addresses, most notably States of the Union and his first inaugural. The White House Director of Communications, also known as Assistant to the President for Communications, is part of the senior staff of the President of the United States Tobias Zachary 'Toby' Ziegler, is a Fictional character played by Richard Schiff on the television serial drama The West Wing.
Sam's tragically flawed romantic relationships are something of a theme of the series. After joining the campaign, Sam broke up with his fiancée, Lisa Sherborne, whom he was planning to marry in September of that year (the joke was that her name would become Lisa Sherborne Seaborn). Sam's other romantic relationships include a "highly priced call girl" named Laurie, played by Lisa Edelstein (whom he slept with without knowledge of her profession), and Leo McGarry's daughter, Mallory O'Brien, a fourth-grade teacher. Lisa Edelstein ( "LEE-suh EDDLE-steen" born May 21 1966) is an award-winning American actress and playwright Leo Thomas McGarry is a Fictional character played by John Spencer on the television serial Drama
Sam's trademark—both his greatest strength and greatest flaw—is his unflinching idealism. In Western civilization, Idealism is the philosophy which maintains that the Ultimate nature of reality is ideal or based upon ideas values essences The so-called His unwavering faith in and love for the American political process and the positive impact that government can have in its citizens' lives define his character. Sam believes in doing the right thing simply because it is right, even when the consequences might be politically disastrous.
Another trademark of Sam is his ability as a speechwriter. After a pipe bomb explodes at a university in "20 Hours in America, Part II," killing forty-four people including three swimmers, Bartlet gives a speech, written by Sam, that includes the following:
". . . More than anytime in recent history America's destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedoms and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. Forty-four people were killed a couple hours ago at Kennison State University; three swimmers from the men's team were killed and two others are in critical condition. When after having heard the explosion from their practice facility they ran into the fire to help get people out. . . ran into the fire. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They're our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars. "
Bartlet campaign advisor Bruno Gianelli asks Sam when he wrote the last part. Bruno Gianelli is a Fictional character from the television series The West Wing played by Ron Silver, who was nominated for an Emmy Award He replies, "In the car," which prompts the response, "Freak. "
In a third season episode, Sam is awed by President Bartlet's foresight and wisdom when resolving an apparent impasse between the Chinese, the Taiwanese, and the Americans. President Bartlet predicts that Sam will run for President someday and should not be scared; Bartlet believes that he can do it. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by
For a while it seemed like Sam was taking the fast track to fulfilling President Bartlet's prediction. During the fourth season, Sam decides to run for Congress in his home district — the California 47th in Orange County, California — in a special election held after deceased Democratic candidate Horton Wilde posthumously defeated arch-conservative Republican incumbent Chuck Webb. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses California's 47th congressional district covers the cities of Garden Grove and Santa Ana and parts of Fullerton and Anaheim, in Orange Orange County is a county in Southern California, United States. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Sam suggests that Toby hire Wilde's campaign manager, Will Bailey, to replace him as Deputy Communications Director. William 'Will' Bailey is a Fictional character played by Joshua Malina on the Television serial Drama The West Wing
For three seasons, it was never revealed whether Sam won or lost the election, although a poll showed he was losing to Webb by a wide margin in the heavily Republican district during his last appearance on the show, until his return in the series finale.
Return to politics
Although Sam was mentioned occasionally following his departure (most notably calling Josh to tell him to "roll with the punches" after the latter unwittingly caused the defection of a Democratic Senator), he was not seen in the series until the final episodes of the seventh and final season, following the election of Congressman Matt Santos to the Presidency. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Matthew Vincente 'Matt' Santos is a Fictional character on the American Television show The West Wing, played by Jimmy Smits Resolving the debate over the result of the California 47th's special election, it is implied that Sam was defeated by Congressman Webb and declined a promotion to Senior Counselor to the President. California's 47th congressional district covers the cities of Garden Grove and Santa Ana and parts of Fullerton and Anaheim, in Orange A by-election or bye-election (called special election in the United States) is an Election held to fill a political office that has become vacant The Counselor to the President is the highest-ranking assistant to the President of the United States for communications and a member of the Executive Office of the President After summarily quitting politics, Sam remained in his home state of California and joined an unnamed law firm in Los Angeles which pays him a salary that would "make [Josh] puke". California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West
In a development reminiscent of his recruitment of Sam into Josiah Bartlet's campaign for the Presidency 8 years earlier(Ep 23), Josh Lyman (now Chief of Staff-designate in the incoming Santos Administration) flies to Los Angeles to offer Sam the post of Deputy White House Chief of Staff. Dr Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a Fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the Television serial Drama " In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part I " is the 23rd episode of The West Wing and the first episode of the second season The White House Chief of Staff is the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President The Deputy White House Chief of Staff is officially the top aide to the White House Chief of Staff, who is the senior aide to the President of the United States. Although initially hesitant because he is again engaged to be married, Sam agrees to accept Josh's offer on the condition that Josh take a much-needed vacation.
See also
- The West Wing
- List of characters on The West Wing
- List of politicians on The West Wing
- List of The West Wing episodes
References
- ^ Sassone, Bob (May 7, 2006). List of politicians on The West Wing The television series The West Wing is a Political drama series which was originally broadcast on NBC. The following is a list of fictional political figures that have appeared or been mentioned The following is an episode list for the NBC serial Drama Television series The West Wing. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A look back at The West Wing: Entertainment Weekly in 60 seconds. TV Squad. Retrieved on 2007-12-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of
- ^ Sorkin, Aaron (2002). The West Wing Script Book. New York: Newmarket Press. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous ISBN 1-55704-499-6
- ^ Topping, Keith (2002). An Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to The West Wing: Inside the Bartlet White House. London: Virgin Books Ltd. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
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