'West Wing' Reboot: 'This Is Us' Star Sterling K. Brown Feels 'Honored' as US President
"This is Us" star Sterling K. Brown is on board the "West Wing" reboot. Creator Aaron Sorkin personally picked him to star as the President of the United States, but will the show actually come together on NBC?
Brown took to Twitter to address Sorkin about casting him as the lead in the "West Wing" reboot. The two-time Emmy-winning actor expressed that he would be honored to play such a big role.
Sorkin told The Hollywood Reporter that he's been toying with the idea of bringing back the political drama series. He revealed the premise of his reboot, where the new U.S. president, played by Brown, will call upon former President Jed Bartlet, which Martin Sheen played.
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"Sterling K. Brown as the president, and there's some kind of jam, an emergency, a very delicate situation involving the threat of war or something," Sorkin detailed. "Bartlet, long since retired, is consulted in the way that Bill Clinton used to consult with Nixon."
NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said in August that the network was looking into reviving some of its hit and critically acclaimed shows like "30 Rock," "The Office," "ER" and "West Wing." Greenblatt actually spoke with Sorkin about bringing the show back. Only, the writer and show creator is currently tied to the live production of "A Few Good Men" for NBC's summer 2018 slate.
It might be awhile before a "West Wing" reboot actually becomes a reality though. Sorkin said he still has to figure out how to bring well-loved characters back, such CJ Cregg (Allison Janney), Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) and Toby Siegler (Richard Shiff).
The former stars of the show also have other commitments, just as Brown has "This Is Us," which might cause a conflict in filming schedules. Janney is on the comedy series "Mom" on CBS, while Shiff is on "The Good Doctor" on ABC. Shiff, however, confirmed he also spoke and shared some ideas to Sorkin about the "West Wing" reboot but he also knows that putting together the show again might be a long shot.
"West Wing" originally aired on NBC from 1999 to 2006. The show won 26 awards including Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys during its run.
