From left: John Spencer as Leo McGarry, Dulé Hill as Charlie Young, Stockard Channing as Abbey Bartlet, Martin Sheen as President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet, Allison Janney as Claudia Jean “C.J.” Cregg, Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman, Janel Moloney as Donna Moss, and Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler.

Tangled Up in The West Wing

On the 25th anniversary of Aaron Sorkin’s beloved political drama, Janel Moloney—who played the idealistic Donna Moss—grapples with the show’s role in her life

By Janel Moloney

The other day, an overcast but hot Sunday, I blow-dried my hair, put on makeup for once, and took my kids uptown. My husband and I were taking our 12- and 14-year-old sons to the Paley Center for Media, in New York City, where there was an exhibition celebrating the 25th anniversary of the premiere of The West Wing. The ticket guy, pale with thick round glasses and a swipe of sandy hair, asked me if I was a fan. I told him yes, I most definitely was.

As we walked into the exhibition, the boys teased me about not being recognized. I told them to stop, that it was just his job, that last week there was a Barbie show and next week was Sponge Bob, so shush, he can’t know us all.