Jed Bartlet
character in The West Wing
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character from the American television serial drama The West Wing created by Aaron Sorkin and portrayed by actor Martin Sheen. The role earned Sheen the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, as well as two Actor Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.
Bartlet's tenure as a fictional Democratic President of the United States is a preeminent aspect of the series. His origin as a recurring character evolved due to Sheen's acting finesse; Sorkin and fellow West Wing writers shaped Bartlet's role within the show accordingly. The first season depicts part of Bartlet's first two years in the White House. The remainder of the series fleshes out the details of Bartlet's administration, including friction between his policies and those of the Republican-dominated Congress, his tribulations with multiple sclerosis, his reelection, and the campaign of his successor, Matt Santos. Bartlet is characterized by manifest integrity, quick witticisms, a fierce intellect, and compassionate stoicism.
Creation and development
Show creator Aaron Sorkin had not initially intended to feature the president at all. He envisioned the series as focused on the White House senior staff who execute and advise on major policy and political matters. "Then I felt that would become hokey," he said.
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This entry incorporates text from “Jed Bartlet” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.