Scotsman.com News - Latest News - John Spencer dies of heart problems

John Spencer dies of heart problems
Scotsman.com, Press Association Ltd, 17-Dec-05 11:07 GMT

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 on Friday, 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. Schiff revealed 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.

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."

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. His big break came, playing Harrison Ford's detective sidekick in the 1990 courtroom thriller Presumed Innocent.

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.

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