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. "We'll constantly be just missing the president. As he walks around the corner, we'll see the back of his head." The character of Josiah Bartlet was then created as a recurring figure, and Martin Sheen was signed to appear in four episodes. Alan Alda (who went on to portray Senator Arnold Vinick), Jason Robards, and Sidney Poitier were also considered for the role.Salem, Rob (January 25, 2005). Decision '05 sure to shake up West Wing . Toronto Star. Accessed on December 8, 2007. After seeing Sheen's dailies, the producers were so impressed that they asked him to join the regular cast. "They realized that people might catch on that I'd be there only once a month, so they talked to me about a longer commitment," says Sheen. The actor said that part of the reason he took on the role of Bartlet was his involvement in social issues.Topping, Keith (2002). An Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to The West Wing: Inside the Bartlet White House. London: Virgin Books Ltd.
Sorkin's main interest in writing for the character was exploring the side of the president that the public does not generally see.Schlamme, Thomas (November 11, 1999). Interview with Thomas Schlamme, Director and Executive Producer, "Sports Night" . Directors World. Accessed on December 13, 2007. Sheen described the character as being drawn largely from Bill Clinton: "He's bright, astute, and filled with all the negative foibles that make him very human," he told Radio Times. Sheen said elsewhere that he adored Clinton and was welcomed into the Clinton White House for visits during the period between the show's beginning in the fall of 1999 and the inauguration of George W. Bush as president in January 2001. Sorkin said he took some of Bartlet's characteristics from his own father, namely his "great love of education and literature [and] all things old," his "[belief] in a genuine goodness in people," and his "'Aw, Dad' sense of humor."Sorkin, Aaron (May 22, 2002). Interview with Aaron Sorkin . The Today Show. Accessed on December 13, 2007.
In the middle of the show's first season, it is revealed that Bartlet has multiple sclerosis. According to Sorkin, this was not planned; the plot came about because he wanted to write an episode in which the president was in bed watching a soap opera and the audience discovered that the first lady was a physician. "When I wrote the pilot, I didn't have any idea what was going to happen in Episode 2, much less 12," he says.
Character biography
Personal life Bartlet was born in 1942 and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. He is a descendant of Dr. Josiah Bartlett, a real-world signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
Bartlet is a devout Roman Catholic. This is due to the influence of his mother, as his father would have preferred that he be raised Protestant. His relationship with his father was often strained from parental abuse. In a discussion with his subconscious, personified by the "ghost" of Mrs Landingham, his father is described as "a prick who could never get over the fact that he wasn't as smart as his brothers".The West Wing, Episode 2.22: Two Cathedrals. Original airdate: May 16, 2001. Sorkin has stated that Bartlet's father, "obviously convinced he married some Catholic whore, treats his son terribly for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that he adopted his mother's religion." Sorkin said that Bartlet's tirade against God in the episode "Two Cathedrals" is therefore directed just as much at Bartlet's own father as it is at God. However, when his father's unkind and sometimes abusive treatment of him is mentioned by Toby Ziegler, Bartlet attempts to defend his father. Though he is long dead, Toby suggests that Bartlet is still trying to get the man to like him, hoping that "maybe if you get enough votes, win one more election," Bartlet will finally be able to earn his father's approval.The West Wing, Episode 3.12: The Two Bartlets. Original airdate: January 30, 2002.
He displays a remarkable ability for chess. Once, he engaged several members of his staff in separate matches at the same time and won.
Bartlet scored 1590 out of 1600 on his SAT college admission test. Later he retook the exam, and received the same result, something both Leo McGarry and Dr Stanley Keyworth find amusing.The West Wing, Episode 4.11: Holy Night. Original airdate: December 11, 2002, He was accepted to Williams, Harvard, and Yale, but instead chose to go to the University of Notre Dame, as he was considering becoming a priest, though decided against it after meeting Abbey, his future wife.The West Wing, Episode 2.07: The Portland Trip. Original Airdate: November 15, 2000. He graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in American studies and a minor in theology. He received a Master's and a Ph.D. in economics from the London School of Economics, as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Dartmouth College, where he was a tenured professor prior to entering politics.The West Wing, Episode 3.16: The U.S. Poet Laureate. Original Airdate: March 27, 2002. He speaks four languages, including Latin, English, and German.The West Wing, Episode 1.12: He Shall, from Time to Time. Original Airdate: January 12, 2000.The West Wing, Episode 3.08: The Women of Qumar. Original Airdate: November 28, 2001.The West Wing, Episode 3.07: The Indians in the Lobby. Original Airdate: November 21, 2001. He is a Nobel Laureate in Economics, and is generally portrayed as a macroeconomist sympathetic to Keynesian views. He was required to split his Nobel Prize with another economist, a much more conservative Japanese man whom Bartlet respects but does not particularly like. He is the author of a book entitled Theory and Practice of Macroeconomics in Developing Countries, and his research in economics is described as being focused on the developing world.
Bartlet's wife, Abigail Bartlet, is a thoracic surgeon and they have three daughters: Elizabeth Anne Westin, Eleanor Emily Bartlet, and Zoey Patricia Bartlet. There are two grandchildren from his oldest daughter, Elizabeth: Annie, who is 12 in the pilot (although she is shown as and is referenced as being much younger in later episodes), and Gus, who is about 5 in the fifth season. It is also revealed in the seventh season that middle daughter Ellie is pregnant with Bartlet's third grandchild. He is depicted as a stern but very loving and indulgent father, in contrast to his own father, who (as is seen in flashbacks) was cold and physically abusive. President Bartlet also has paternal feelings towards members of his staff, referring to Charlie Young (his personal aide, with whom he is especially close, denoted by the gift of the Bartlet family carving knife made by Paul Revere) and Josh Lyman (his deputy chief of staff) as his sons,The West Wing, Episode 2.08: Shibboleth. Original airdate: November 22, 2000. and telling C.J. Cregg (his press secretary and later chief of staff) that she is part of his family.The West Wing, Episode 3.18: Enemies Foreign and Domestic. Original airdate: May 1, 2002.
Bartlet has relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, which at one time puts the future of his presidency in doubt. He and his wife concealed his illness during his initial presidential run and would not disclose the information until well into his first term, leading to allegations of fraud. He receives a Congressional censure for covering up his MS while running for president.
Bartlet began his political career when he was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. He later served three terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing New Hampshire's 1st congressional district. Like his ancestor, Jed Bartlet served as Governor of New Hampshire, and he won re-election to his final term with 69% of the vote.
A recurring motif throughout the series is Bartlet's inability to remember the names of junior staffers, a trait taken directly from Sheen's own memory tendencies. However, in the series finale episode, he meets and thanks a long series of White House staff members and addresses them all accurately by name. Bartlet also displays an obsession with trivia, often quizzing family, friends, and staff, whether they are interested or not — generally not.
Presidency Bartlet's best friend, Leo McGarry, persuades him to run for president around the fall of 1997, writing the slogan "Bartlet for America" on a cocktail napkin.The West Wing, Episode 3.09: "Bartlet for America." Original airdate: December 12, 2001. Although initially a dark horse, Bartlet eventually defeats the Democratic frontrunner, U.S. Senator John Hoynes of Texas, whom Bartlet asks to join the ticket as his vice-presidential running mate. He defeats the Republican nominee for president, winning a close election with just 48% of the vote, 48 million popular votes, and a 303–235 margin in the Electoral College. He is sworn into his first term on January 20, 1999.
Bartlet's accomplishments as president include appointing the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice and first female Chief Justice, negotiating a peace settlement between Israel and Palestine, creating millions of new jobs, providing strong support for alternative energy, and orchestrating a Social Security reform plan (although it is never made clear whether the plan is passed by the United States Congress, the show indicates that a revolutionary agreement is achieved with bi-partisan support). He does, however, express regret at his inability to balance the budget in his eight years in the White House.The West Wing, Episode 6.17: "A Good Day." Original airdate: March 2, 2005.