The West Wing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Joshua Malina’s bio on Twitter reads ‘Hi, I’m the guy that ruined The West Wing’. It’s a self-depreciating statement that is intended to be humourous, though there are large proportions of the viewer base that hold a contemptuous attitude towards his character, Will Bailey.

Much of this revolves around the 180 degree turn that his character took following the departure of Sorkin from the series. In stark contrast to the selfless individual that attached himself to a futile cause out of belief and principle, Will’s attachment to Vice President Russell in season five, jockeying to secure a senior position in his presumed future Presidential campaign, paints him as a selfish careerist.

Having worked on two Sorkin-penned films as well as Sports Night, Malina lobbied for the lead role in the writer/creator’s first post-West Wing TV project, Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip, but lost out to Bradley Whitford. He hasn’t actually worked with Sorkin since, though he has continued to appear in a number of other series, most notably as a main cast member in Scandal between 2012 and 2018.

His only credits since it ended have been one-episode appearances in a trifecta of network shows, but Malina remains strongly associated with the West Wing through his hosting of the widely acclaimed West Wing Weekly podcast with Hrishikesh Hirway, which concluded early last year.