Stars mourn West Wing's John Spencer

John Spencer, the actor who played a tough, dedicated politician who survived a coronary illness to run for vice president in TV drama The West Wing, has died of a heart attack.

Spencer, 58, died after being admitted to a Los Angeles hospital yesterday, said his publicist, Ron Hofmann. He would have been 59 on Tuesday.

He was “one of those rare combinations of divinely gifted and incredibly generous”, said actor Richard Schiff, who played Toby Ziegler on the NBC television series.

“There are very few personal treasures that you put in your knapsack to carry with you for the rest of your life and he’s one of those.”

Schiff said Spencer had been struggling with health issues but seemed to have rallied.

Spencer played Leo McGarry, the savvy and powerful chief of staff to President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet (Martin Sheen). In a sad parallel to life, Spencer’s character suffered a heart attack that forced him to give up his White House job.

McGarry recovered and was picked as a running mate for Democratic presidential contender Matt Santos, played by Jimmy Smits; the campaign against Republican Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) has been a central theme for the drama this season.

“John was an uncommonly good man, an exceptional role model and a brilliant actor,” said Aaron Sorkin, who created the series, and Tommy Schlamme, one of the original executive producers, in a joint statement.

“We feel privileged to have known him and worked with him. He’ll be missed and remembered every day by his many, many friends,” they said.

Actress Allison Janney, CJ Cregg on the series, described Spencer as a consummate professional actor. “Everyone adored him,” she said.

NBC and producer Warner Bros. Television praised Spencer’s talent but did not say how his death would affect the Emmy Award-winning series, in production on its seventh season.

Spencer, who also starred in LA. Law as streetwise lawyer Tommy Mullaney, received an Emmy Award for his performance in The West Wing in 2002 and was nominated four other times for the series.

The actor, whose world-weary countenance was perfect for the role of McGarry, mirrored his character in several ways: both were recovering alcoholics and both, Spencer once said, were driven.

“Like Leo, I’ve always been a workaholic, too,” he told The Associated Press in a 2000 interview. “Through good times and bad, acting has been my escape, my joy, my nourishment. The drug for me, even better than alcohol, was acting.”

Spencer grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of blue-collar parents. With his enrolment at the Professional Children’s School in Manhattan at 16, he was sharing classes with the likes of Liza Minnelli and budding violinist Pinchas Zukerman.

As a teenager, he landed a recurring role on The Patty Duke Show as the boyfriend of English twin Cathy. Stage and film work followed. Then his big break came, playing Harrison Ford’s detective sidekick in the 1990 courtroom thriller Presumed Innocent. That role led to his hiring for the final four years of LA Law.

His made his feature film debut with a small role in War Games. In recent years, he worked both in studio and independent films, including The Rock, The Negotiator, Albino Alligator, Lesser Prophets and Cold Heart.

Spencer, an only child, is survived by “cousins, aunts, uncles, and wonderful friends”, Hofmann said.