Death Summary: Spencer died on December 16, 2005, four days before his 59th birthday, in an LA hospital after suffering a heart attack. Coincidentally, Spencer’s West Wing character had previously suffered a near fatal heart attack on the show.

Who was John Spencer : Spencer (born John Speshock) was an American actor, best known for his role as Leo McGarry on the series The West Wing.

Spencer grew up in New Jersey, the son of working class parents, and trained alongside Liza Minneli at Manhatten’s Professional Children's School. As a teenager he had a role on The Patty Duke Show and throughout his early career he appeared principally in theatrical roles. These included performances in The Glass Menagerie and Still Life as a Vietnam veteran.

He made his feature film debut in 1983’s WarGames and went on to appear in Black Rain, Sea of Love and The Protector. His break came with his supporting role in 1990’s Presumed Innocent, as Harrison Ford’s detective partner Lipranzer. This led to a role in the final four seasons of L.A. Law as street smart attorney Tommy Mullaney from 1990 till 1994. Further films role followed in Forget Paris, The Rock, Cop Land and Albino Alligator, alongside appearances on Tracey Takes On and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

But it was as White House Chief of Staff and later Vice Presidential nominee Leo McGarry on NBC’s The West Wing which proved to be his most memorable and indeed final role. The tough McGarry was a recovering alcoholic, just as Spencer was in real life. The role earned him acclaim and an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2002, as well as a Golden Globe nomination. Spencer played the role throughout the show’s seven seasons, from 1999 to 2006, dying during production of the seventh. His death was incorporated into the show and McGarry also dies of a heart attack on Election Night.

Categories: Actors, Entertainment.