Biography
John Spencer (born John Speshock Jr., 20 December 1946 – 16 December 2005) was an American actor. He was best known for portraying White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry on the NBC series The West Wing (1999–2006).
Spencer began his career with a recurring role on The Patty Duke Show in the mid-1960s. He appeared in supporting roles in films including WarGames (1983), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Rock (1996) and The Negotiator (1998), and played attorney Tommy Mullaney on L.A. Law (1990–1994). He received an Obie Award for his stage work in Still Life (1981).
His performance as McGarry earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2002, along with four additional Emmy nominations. Spencer died of a heart attack in Los Angeles.
