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West Wing actor John Spencer dead at 58 - BREAKING NEWS

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John SpencerThe West Wing star John Spencer, who played Leo McGarry, died today in a Los Angeles hospital of a heart attack, according to his publicist. Spencer played Chief of Staff to Martin Sheen's President Jeb Bartlet. On the show, ironically, Spencer's character suffered a heart attack that forced him to give up his White House gig. In a main storyline this season, though, his character had been tapped as a vice-presidential running mate for Democratic hopeful Matt Santos, played by Jimmy Smits.

I am really saddened by the news of Spencer's death. Although I haven't followed The West Wing that closely for the past couple years (really, ever since that cheesy "the president's daughter is abducted from a nightclub, but we resolve it in two episodes" thing), Leo McGarry was always one of my fave characters on the show. Spencer brought warmth, humor, and sensibility to the hard-nosed Chief of Staff; I remember watching the show its first few seasons and thinking -- wow, too bad we don't have these guys running the White House.

The West Wing with no John Spencer? I can't imagine it. What do you think will happen to the show, with one of its key actors now gone?

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