Gossip: In The Know

Richard Schiff has more ‘West Wing’ reunion ideas

{mosads}Perhaps learning a thing or two about leaks from his “West Wing” role, Schiff, 57, kept coy about the then-upcoming YouTube clip — which has racked up more than 600,000 views since being released last week — calling it a “reunion of sorts” for a public service announcement.

But Schiff, who’s currently starring in the Web series “Chasing the Hill,” was more forthcoming about the reaction he’s gotten over the years from lawmakers who doubled as “West Wing” fans.

He remembers years ago running into Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in a Los Angeles lobby. He says Leahy grabbed his hand as he recalled a “West Wing” episode about a homeless Korean War veteran. Says Schiff, “He started to tear up because of how moved he was by it. And I was very moved by him, and by how sweet he was, and how tender and thoughtful he was.”

The Emmy Award winner continued, “That was the first moment when I realized that, wow, there was going to be a crossfading of these two worlds, which I never really anticipated.”

Tags Patrick Leahy

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