Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. You know, if you have eyes and a heart. Her best known roles include Dolores Landingham on NBC's The West Wing from 1999 to 2002 and Karen McCluskey on ABC's Desperate Housewives from 2005 to 2012, for which she won two Primetime Emmy Awards in 2005 and 2008. Mrs. Landingham was killed off in season 2 of The West Wing, inspiring one of the show's most iconic moments (Bartlet's angry monologue at God about the cosmic unfairness of her death). Really well acted, super poignant, and really hard to watch. First in English and then Latin, Bartlet lamented life’s cruel twists, including the death of his longtime secretary in a drunken-driving accident, and reproached God. Offers may be subject to change without notice. medstar February 27, 2006, 12:33am #5. See first look at Claire Danes in Apple's, Regina Hall, Tate Taylor break down their 'mind-altering' wigs of, Watch the cast of 'Six Feet Under' dig deep into their memories of the show. Every morning she slipped it in there," and, oh, there I go, I'm crying again. Mrs. Landingham, played by Kathryn Joosten and Kirsten Nelson, is the fictional Secretary to the President of the United States in the first two seasons of The West Wing. The death scenes in Baz Lurhmann’s Romeo & Juliet differed from other filmed accounts in that Juliet and Romeo saw each other for an instant before dying. A really perfect episode, as long as you like crying your eyes out. And Charlie Young very quietly says, "Mr. President, she put the pen in your pocket. The West Wing deserves our respect and admiration and memories every single day, so come along with me while I stroll down memory lane â and definitely shed some tears along the way â with the 12 moments from The West Wing that still make you cry. The death of Mrs. Landingham was a jarring moment, one that would haunt the show for the rest of its run in one form or another, and occurred during possibly the show’s greatest episode. Her death happened 20 days after the onscreen death of her character Karen McCluskey on the final episode of Desperate Housewives. She … It was first broadcast on May 16, 2001. In Season 1, Episode 12, "He Shall From Time To Time," President Bartlet is speaking to the Secretary of Agriculture about how to select your Chief of Staff, and Leo overhears him dictating that this person should be your best friend, he should be smarter than you, and you should trust him with your life. I don't know how you do it, West Wing, but I hope you never stop. Images: Warner Bros. Television (6); Giphy. Bradley Whitford describes him as a "mentor. Spread the love with EW's Valentine's Day gift guide, administration reunite in EW's exclusive portraits. The West Wing cast has reunited for EW's new September cover story ahead of their upcoming HBO Max special, but unfortunately not all of the actors from the show are still around today. Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW. Honestly, this whole episode really gets me, but particularly President Bartlet yelling at God. Dolores Landingham is the first Executive Secretary, and a long-time assistant, to President Josiah Bartlet. After word got around the office Mrs. Landingham purchased her first new car, the president asked her to come back to the White House after picking it up so he could see it. Kathryn Joosten, Actress: Desperate Housewives. And the number one reason why her death is the best thing that's ever happened to you:. Even before her death, Mrs. Landingham had the ability to completely devastate me, as she did in Season 1, Episode 10 when she explained the death of her two sons â they were both killed in the Vietnam War on Christmas Eve. Kirsten Nelson was born in Oklahoma, USA. ", "I never got tired of watching John do more with three words than most actors could do in three scenes," says Rob Lowe. She outlines her first career, as a psychiatric nurse, and how she decided to pursue her love of acting when her marriage … (You guys it's just the best show.) When Josh gets shot in "In The Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part 1," and Toby comes around the corner and discovers him, the way Toby's voice catches in his throat gets me every time. 1 Biography 2 Bartlet Administration 3 Death 4 Relationships 5 Photos 6 Trivia 7 Notes and references Mrs. Landingham first met President Bartlet when she worked as a secretary for his father, the headmaster of his prep school. After sustaining injuries in a car crash, she died in the arms of Ryan Atwood in a very memorable and poignant scene. And although The West Wing is considered to be a political show it truly was a drama first.The show focused on the characters and their relationships and added in external shocking storylines that the characters had to face.. RELATED: 10 Best Episodes of West Wing, … Dulé Hill says. I think about that moment a lot, and it always makes me tear up. I think you’re looking for Mrs. Landingham. She believed Jed Bartlet stood in … You too, Doris Roberts, on Everybody Loves Raymond. As I recall, I was just sitting on my couch saying, "Why would they do that? Emmy winner Kathryn Joosten, whose emotional death scene as Karen McKluskey gave Desperate Housewives‘ recent series finale its biggest emotional punch, died yesterday of lung cancer in Westlake Village, CA.She was 72. The character actor best known for playing President Bartlet's secretary Mrs. Landingham on The West Wingand Mrs. McCluskey on Desperate Housewiveshas diedfrom lung cancer. The publicity resulting from Mrs. Landingham's untimely demise has been good for me personally." Mrs. Landingham got killed off ‘The West Wing’ in a car accident In a plot twist that shocked viewers, Mrs. Landingham’s time serving at the pleasure of the president ended in The West Wing Season 2 Episode 21: “18th and Potomac.” It was the first time in her life she splurged and bought a brand-new car. In her nearly three-hour Archive interview, actress Kathryn Joosten (1939 - 2012) describes her start in acting at age 42. Joosten won her Emmys in 2005 and 2008 in the Oustanding Guest Actress in a Comedy for her portrayal of Wisteria Lane’s crankiest (but still … And I'm not even just talking about one of the most iconic scenes in TV history, with devout-Christian-and-President-of-the-United-States Josiah Bartlet yelling at God in Latin, which will never not be awe-inspiring. "That is such a masterclass in acting," Schiff says. The senior staff stands in the lobby and watches the choir's performance of the song, interspersed with images of the military funeral Toby has arranged. over and over. Sheen's character is beyond distraught and seething with disbelief because his long-time assistant and friend, Mrs. Landingham, was killed. To register for the upcoming election and find other voting resources, visit When We All Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to ensuring everyone is registered to vote. For more on The West Wing cast reunion and EW's 30th anniversary, order the September issue of Entertainment Weekly now. So when you saw the characters onscreen, dealing with the death of Leo, you knew that the actors were also dealing with the death of the actor behind him, and it made it impossibly hard to watch without getting emotional. Mrs. Landingham – The West Wing Mrs. Landingham is the fiery, hilarious personal assistant to President Bartlet in The West Wing. I could cry right now just at that line. My feels, guys. After Donna Moss' vehicle gets blown up in Gaza, Josh goes to visit her in the hospital, and I feel like it's when he first starts to realize the extent of his feelings for her. I still haven't forgiven Sorkin for this one. Just all of them. Recalling Spencer's ever-changing delivery of the line, "Thank you, Mr. President," Lowe added, "he could make that mean 5,000 different things.". Joosten's death came less than three weeks after the emotional "Desperate Housewives" series finale, which saw the redemption and eventual death of Mrs. McKluskey as well. Instead, Andi drops this bomb: "You're just too sad for me, Toby.... You're just sad. August 26, 2020 at 11:45 AM EDT And then he decided the result would be so good he was just going to go with it. Why would they do that?" Even though they're hugely important characters in this alternate world that Aaron Sorkin has created, they're also normal people like you and me, with little dramas, which makes my heart hurt for them all the more. The gunshots from the 21 gun salute cause Toby and Mrs. Landingham to flinch. The iconic and fan-favorite show, The West Wing, is still relevant even after its end in 2006. Just as Leo McGarry acted as a mentor to the younger members of the fictional Bartlet administration, so did Spencer mentor the junior actors on set. It gave us "Two Cathedrals." But if you don't run because you think it's gonna be too hard or you think you're gonna lose, well, God, Jed, I don't even want to know you. A drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into Landingham's car. It comes after the death of Mrs. Landingham, when President Bartlet is expressing his sadness through grumpiness about the setup of the office, and he makes a big thing out of never having a pen when he needs one. "That still, to this day, sticks with me. Mr Buckland renamed his new pet Mrs Landingham in a nod to political TV drama The West Wing and she was rehomed to him and his family last month after being cared for by staff at … John Spencer, who played the wise chief of staff to President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen), died in 2005 before the end of the show's final season, while Kathryn Joosten, who played the president's secretary Mrs. Landingham, died in 2012 at the age of 72. "That still, to this day, sticks with me.". She is an actress and director, known for Psych (2006), The Fugitive (1993) and War of the Worlds (2005). "A Death Riles 'West Wing' Family" by David Bauder June 13, 2001 Associated Press. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Plus, there were all the connections to his behavior then and his behavior now, and how much he learned from her. Really anything to do with Leo's death makes me weep, because the plot was the result of the actor who played him, John Spencer, passing away in 2005. Mrs. Landingham walked out of the White House never to return, the show got one of its best episodes from her death—the sublime “Two Cathedrals”—and Joosten was out of a job. "Two Cathedrals" is the 44th episode and second season finale of The West Wing. In the second season of the show, she is killed by a drunk driver while on her way to the White House to show the president her new car. This relationship always has me pretty close to welling up, because I just love it so much, but when President Bartlet gave his body man Charlie that carving knife in "Shibboleth," Season 2, Episode 8, it drives the whole father-son thing home for me so hard that it squeezed a bunch of salt water out my eyeballs. It's really the friendships in this show that get me every time, like Leo McGarry coming to Josh's aid in Season 2, Episode 10, "Noël," after he was traumatized by the shootings and telling him this perfect story about friends helping friends out and promising him he always had a job. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. You bring the sadness home with you and you're â sad." Kathryn Joosten (December 20, 1939 – June 2, 2012) was an American television actress. President Bartlet is beset by memories of Mrs. Landingham as her funeral approaches. It affected me that deeply. He asked her to come show him the car, and he's deeply affected by her death. If you empathize with CJ Cregg, like I did to an insane level, this was a really tough show to watch, because she got dealt a crap hand all the time. Ouch. Because truly, you guys, I think about Mrs. Landingham's death at least once a week. Mrs. Landingham, dressed for the outdoors, asks Toby if she may accompany him to the funeral he has arranged. Mrs Landingham (Kathryn Joosten) died Kathryn Joosten Dies at 72 The actress, best known for her role on Desperate Housewives as plucky neighbor Karen McCluskey and as The West Wing's secretary Mrs. Landingham, was surrounded by family and friends in Westlake Village, Calif., at the time of her death. That scene of bleeding Carter lying on the floor looking at Lucy's face... heart wrenching. Like when things were going really well with that Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan, and then he died in "Posse Comitatus," Season 3, Episode 21? Spencer could give serious acting advice, but also brought a spirit of levity to the set. "Anytime we had anything special or unique happen, you would look over at John and he'd have this big smile on his face saying, 'this wouldn't happen if we were on a cop show!'" Mrs. Landingham is dead. Mrs. Landingham: You know, if you don't want to run again, I respect that. Meanwhile, the staff deals with a crisis in Haiti and questions from congressional Democrats regarding Bartlet's health, following his disclosure that he has … Mrs. Landingham's Death. In Season 4, Episode 21, "Commencement," Toby Ziegler buys his pregnant ex-wife Andrea Wyatt her dream home and asks her to (re)marry him, and it should be this beautiful moment. Joosten won two Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her "Desperate" role, in 2005 and 2008, and was nominated for a third time in 2010. Watch the video above, and keep your eyes peeled for more stories from EW's The West Wing reunion. I still haven't forgiven Sorkin for this one. In Season 2, Episode 21, "18th and Potomac," Dolores Landingham gets into a car accident at the aforementioned intersection and she dies. But both Lowe and Richard Schiff credit one of Joosten's own scenes, where Mrs. Landingham told Hill's character, Charlie, about how her sons died in war, as a high point of the series. Mrs. Landingham on "The West Wing" died in a … 2021 Bustle Digital Group. ... Mrs. Landingham ... A force even in death, Mrs. Landingham … LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kathryn Joosten, a character actress best known as the crotchety, yet loveable, Karen McCluskey on "Desperate Housewives" and the president's secretary on … Mrs. Landingham was killed off in season 2 of The West Wing, inspiring one of the show's most iconic moments (Bartlet's angry monologue at … Kathryn is best known for her portrayals of "Karen McCluskey" on Desperate Housewives (2004) on ABC and of " Della Reese, watch your character's back on Touched by an Angel. Oh man, it's a lot. And now, I guess I'll just go about the rest of my day with my heart just completely broken. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. In the video above, you can watch The West Wing actors and creator Aaron Sorkin remember what Spencer and Joosten brought to the show. It happened in the second season finale, right on the heels of Mrs. Landingham's death, and there were flashbacks throughout the episode to her original meeting with Jed. But The West Wing gets me in a particularly successful way, because the show presents these intelligent, flawed people who really think they're going after what they want, but sometimes get in their own way. My favorite show is The West Wing, and one of my favorite things about it is how it makes you feel all of the things. I've never felt so betrayed after an episode ever in my whole life. There are scenes from The West Wing that still make you cry, or, at least, that make me cry, because I am a leaky faucet of a human being, and nothing can stop the flow of emotion down my face. Mrs. Landingham was well-liked by everyone. Oh, I have a little Dulé Hill story: By the time they got to "18th and Potomac," they had told everyone that what was going to happen to Mrs. L. - except Dulé. The moral of the story here is “don’t smoke”—especially not with Aaron Sorkin. In Season 2, Episode 21, … Killed off in the episode " 18th and Potomac ", Landingham is a much-beloved character whose influence on politicians continued through at least 2021. Kirsten Nelson, Actress: Psych. All rights reserved. Viewers of The West Wing may think the death of presidential secretary Dolores Landingham was caused by a drunk driver plowing into her brand-new car.