As you may have heard, John Spencer died of a heart attack at the age of 58 earlier this week. Spencer was best known for his work as Leo McGarry on The West Wing. In a slightly sickening irony, Spencer’s character also suffered from heart trouble on the show.
This is a real loss to the show and the industry, as Spencer was such a fine actor. I was regularly in awe of his work on The West Wing, and when I caught him in the occasional movie. He was nominated for five Emmys and won once.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Spencer’s acting style had the same affect on me as someone scratching a blackboard. And yet, it wasn’t until after a year of watching The West Wing that I said to myself, “Wait a minute! I don’t like this actor.” That’s a testiment to just how well he played Leo McGarry.
Oh, no, that’s terrible. I loved him. I also loved Leo. RIP indeed.
I think he was one of the best (perhaps THE best) assets on TWW, and I was very sorry to hear of his passing.