Sam Seaborn
American TV character, created 1999 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Samuel Norman Seaborn is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. From the beginning of the series in 1999 until the middle of the fourth season in 2003, he is deputy White House Communications Director in the administration of President Josiah Bartlet played by Martin Sheen. The character departed from subsequent seasons after Lowe decided to leave the series, although he returned for several episodes in the final season when he became Deputy Chief of Staff to the new president portrayed by Jimmy Smits.
Samuel Seaborn | |
---|---|
The West Wing character | |
First appearance | "Pilot" |
Last appearance | "Tomorrow" |
Created by | Aaron Sorkin |
Portrayed by | Rob Lowe |
In-universe information | |
Nickname | Princeton (Secret Service code name), Schmutzy Pants (by Mallory) |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Deputy White House Communications Director (seasons 1-4) Deputy White House Chief of Staff (last episode of season 7) |
Family | Unnamed father |
Spouse | an ex-fiancée - Lisa Sherborne |
Nationality | American |
Alma Mater | Princeton University Duke Law School |
Series creator Aaron Sorkin originally conceived Sam Seaborn as the main character in The West Wing. The pilot episode makes him the main protagonist and he remains a focal point through the first season. However, as other characters developed—particularly Sheen's role as President and his ability to govern despite obstacles such as his previously undisclosed multiple sclerosis, his campaign for re-election, foreign policy, and terrorism—this greatly diminished the emphasis on the Seaborn character. When the series started, Lowe was the series' highest paid actor. However, due to the change in plot direction over subsequent seasons, many cast members got significant pay increases as their roles expanded, while Lowe did not see any change. Unhappy with the situation, Lowe decided to leave the series in season 4.[1]