Biography
" But it was not until he made his on-screen debut in 1983's sci-fi thriller "WarGames" that landed on Hollywood's radar, culminating in a long career as a go-to TV series actor - most famously as White House chief of staff Leo McGarry on "The West Wing" (NBC, 1999-2006).
Born John Speshock on Dec. 20, 1946, Spencer was the only child of Ukrainian and Irish-American parents. Raised in a blue-collar Roman- Catholic home, Spencer was "weaned on …
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Career Milestones
2001 | Acted in L.A. premiere of Warren Leight's revised play, now titles "Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine"; reprised role of a jazz musician in the Off-Broadway production in summer | |
1999 | Had featured role as presidential chief of staff Leo McGarry in the ensemble of the NBC drama series "The West Wing"; received Emmy (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004) and Golden Globe (2002) nominations | |
1999 | Performed in Warren Leight's play "The Glimmer Brothers" at Williamstown Theatre Festival | |
1998 | Returned to series TV as the patriarch of an Irish Catholic family in the short-lived NBC drama "Trinity" | |
1998 | Acted in "Twilight" and "The Negotiator" | |
1998 | Returned to the NYC stage in "Pera Palas" | |
1997 | Had featured role in "Cop Land" | |
1996 | Appeared as an FBI agent in "The Rock" | |
1996 | Co-starred in the acclaimed "Cafe Society" (premiered on Showtime before receiving theatrical release) | |
1990 | TV series debut as regular, played lawyer Tommy Mullaney on NBC's legal drama "L.A. Law" | |
1990 | Co-starred as a detective in "Presumed Innocent" | |
1989 | Supported Al Pacino in "Sea of Love" | |
1987 | Musical stage debut in "Carousel" at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC | |
1986 | Starred in the Broadway production of "Execution of Justice" by Emily Mann; played Dan White, the killer of San Francisco mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk | |
1983 | Feature film debut in "WarGames" | |
1983 | TV-movie debut, "Cocaine and Blue Eyes" (NBC), starring O.J. Simpson | |
1981 | Breakthrough stage role in "Still Life", a drama by Emily Mann | |
1980 | Understudied John Rubinstein in the play "Children of a Lesser God" | |
| Acted in the daytime dramas "Guiding Light" and "The Doctors" | ||
1975 | Acted in regional theater with such companies as the Barter Theatre in Virginia, the Studio Arena Theater in Buffalo, New York and the Cincinnati Playhouse | |
1973 | Was an understudy with the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of "Boom Boom Room" by David Rabe | |
1970 | Was stage manager and understudy for lead role in a touring production of "Butterflies Are Free" | |
1963 | TV acting debut in a recurring role on "The Patty Duke Show" (ABC) | |
1963 | At age 16, moved to NYC to pursue an acting career; adopted stage surname of "Spencer" | |
| Raised in Totawa, New Jersey | ||
Awards
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2005 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2003 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2002 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in The West Wing |
2002 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2002 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2001 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in The West Wing |
2000 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in The West Wing |