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Start giftingWhat's Next
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Learn moreA behind-the-scenes look into the creation and legacy of The West Wing as told by cast members Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack, with compelling insights from cast and crew exploring what made the show what it was and how its impassioned commitment to service has made the series and relationships behind it endure.
Step back inside the world of President Jed Bartlet’s Oval Office with Fitzgerald and McCormack as they reunite the West Wing cast and crew in a lively and colorful “backstage pass” to the timeless series. This intimate, in-depth reflection reveals how The West Wing was conceived, and spotlights the army of people it took to produce it, the lifelong friendships it forged, and the service it inspired.
From cast member origin stories to the collective cathartic farewell on the show’s final night of filming, What’s Next will delight readers with on-set and off-camera anecdotes that even West Wing superfans have never heard. Meanwhile, a deeper analysis of the show’s legacy through American culture, service, government, and civic life underscores how the series envisaged an American politics of decency and honor, creating an aspirational White House beyond the bounds of fictional television.
What’s Next revisits beloved episodes with fresh, untold commentary; compiles poignant and hilarious stories from the show’s production; highlights initiatives supported by the cast, crew, and creators; and makes a powerful case for competent, empathetic leadership, hope, and optimism for whatever lies ahead.
* This audiobook edition has been adapted for the audio format, and the content deviates slightly from the printed version. It includes a downloadable PDF that contains a list of organizations important to the cast and crew and behind the scenes photos and images from The West Wing.
Melissa Fitzgerald is an actor, producer and social justice advocate. As an actor, Melissa is best known for her seven-year role as Carol on the award-winning television series, The West Wing. While in Hollywood, Melissa co-founded Voices in Harmony, a mentoring program that uses theater to work with historically underserved teens. She took Voices in Harmony to war-torn northern Uganda to work with former abducted child soldiers, resulting in the award-winning documentary “After Kony: Staging Hope.” She is also co-executive producer of “Halfway Home,” a film that profiles several returning veterans as they share their struggles reintegrating after experiencing the trauma of war. In 2013, Melissa left Hollywood to champion justice system reform at All Rise where she is at the forefront of engaging the public in the expansion of treatment courts and advancing justice system responses for individuals impacted by substance use and mental health disorders. She has been published in The New York Times and The Washington Post and is a recipient of the Secretary of the Army’s Public Service Medal. Melissa is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She lives in Washington, DC.
Mary McCormack is an actor, producer, and activist who played Deputy National Security Advisor Kate Harper on The West Wing. A Tony-nominated Broadway actress, she is known for a diversity of roles across film, television, and theater. Mary is an outspoken advocate for a whole host of causes, from social justice and women’s rights to veterans' issues and criminal justice reform. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters.
Melissa Fitzgerald is an actor, producer and social justice advocate. As an actor, Melissa is best known for her seven-year role as Carol on the award-winning television series, The West Wing. While in Hollywood, Melissa co-founded Voices in Harmony, a mentoring program that uses theater to work with historically underserved teens. She took Voices in Harmony to war-torn northern Uganda to work with former abducted child soldiers, resulting in the award-winning documentary “After Kony: Staging Hope.” She is also co-executive producer of “Halfway Home,” a film that profiles several returning veterans as they share their struggles reintegrating after experiencing the trauma of war. In 2013, Melissa left Hollywood to champion justice system reform at All Rise where she is at the forefront of engaging the public in the expansion of treatment courts and advancing justice system responses for individuals impacted by substance use and mental health disorders. She has been published in The New York Times and The Washington Post and is a recipient of the Secretary of the Army’s Public Service Medal. Melissa is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She lives in Washington, DC.
Mary McCormack is an actor, producer, and activist who played Deputy National Security Advisor Kate Harper on The West Wing. A Tony-nominated Broadway actress, she is known for a diversity of roles across film, television, and theater. Mary is an outspoken advocate for a whole host of causes, from social justice and women’s rights to veterans' issues and criminal justice reform. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters.
Melissa Fitzgerald is an actor, producer and social justice advocate. As an actor, Melissa is best known for her seven-year role as Carol on the award-winning television series, The West Wing. While in Hollywood, Melissa co-founded Voices in Harmony, a mentoring program that uses theater to work with historically underserved teens. She took Voices in Harmony to war-torn northern Uganda to work with former abducted child soldiers, resulting in the award-winning documentary “After Kony: Staging Hope.” She is also co-executive producer of “Halfway Home,” a film that profiles several returning veterans as they share their struggles reintegrating after experiencing the trauma of war. In 2013, Melissa left Hollywood to champion justice system reform at All Rise where she is at the forefront of engaging the public in the expansion of treatment courts and advancing justice system responses for individuals impacted by substance use and mental health disorders. She has been published in The New York Times and The Washington Post and is a recipient of the Secretary of the Army’s Public Service Medal. Melissa is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She lives in Washington, DC.
Mary McCormack is an actor, producer, and activist who played Deputy National Security Advisor Kate Harper on The West Wing. A Tony-nominated Broadway actress, she is known for a diversity of roles across film, television, and theater. Mary is an outspoken advocate for a whole host of causes, from social justice and women’s rights to veterans' issues and criminal justice reform. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters.
Melissa Fitzgerald is an actor, producer and social justice advocate. As an actor, Melissa is best known for her seven-year role as Carol on the award-winning television series, The West Wing. While in Hollywood, Melissa co-founded Voices in Harmony, a mentoring program that uses theater to work with historically underserved teens. She took Voices in Harmony to war-torn northern Uganda to work with former abducted child soldiers, resulting in the award-winning documentary “After Kony: Staging Hope.” She is also co-executive producer of “Halfway Home,” a film that profiles several returning veterans as they share their struggles reintegrating after experiencing the trauma of war. In 2013, Melissa left Hollywood to champion justice system reform at All Rise where she is at the forefront of engaging the public in the expansion of treatment courts and advancing justice system responses for individuals impacted by substance use and mental health disorders. She has been published in The New York Times and The Washington Post and is a recipient of the Secretary of the Army’s Public Service Medal. Melissa is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She lives in Washington, DC.
Mary McCormack is an actor, producer, and activist who played Deputy National Security Advisor Kate Harper on The West Wing. A Tony-nominated Broadway actress, she is known for a diversity of roles across film, television, and theater. Mary is an outspoken advocate for a whole host of causes, from social justice and women’s rights to veterans' issues and criminal justice reform. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters.
Reviews
“Mary and Melissa succeed so brilliantly in capturing what it was like to be part of The West Wing. From the casting process to the table reads to our final night of filming, What’s Next is packed full of details, anecdotes, and secrets from behind the scenes. This is the book The West Wing deserves. –Allison Janney“Dedication to service has always played a key part in The West Wing, and now it’s a key part of What’s Next. Full of a hopeful optimism, it’s a celebration of the past as well as an inspirational look to the future. What’s Next is the book we all need right now. –Dulé Hill
“Mary and Melissa have brought me back to those glorious days on the West Wing set with What’s Next. A perfect storm of talented people lucky enough to find each other in a seminal moment of television history: this wonderful book remembers the 17 hour days and 80 hour weeks and the grind and glory of the impossible pursuit of excellence. We formed a tribe that adored each other and respected each other and elevated each other to heights we could not ever reach alone. What a joy to read from the memories of all our perspectives that bring us right back to stage 23 on the Warner Bros. lot.” –Richard Schiff
“What an amazing time to take a deep dive into the Bartlet administration! Any West Wing fan will adore this book, as will anyone who admires brilliant television and all that it takes to make it. Run and buy What’s Next for all the West Wingers in your life!” –Janel Moloney
“Being part of The West Wing was more than the creative experience of a lifetime. It was a show that celebrated public service and was a reminder that we don’t just get a democracy, we have to make one every day. I’m so proud of my West Wing family who continue to use the attention the show gave us to hold this country up to its spectacular, unfulfilled promise. And I’m so grateful to Melissa and Mary for highlighting the causes that are so important to each of us and how you can help. A joy and a MUST READ for all the Wingnuts out there!!!” –Brad Whitford
“What’s Next is the highest level of access you can get to The West Wing without a background check. I co-hosted a podcast about the show and there’s tons of stuff in here I didn’t know. Mary and Melissa take you inside the writers’ room, on the cast-and-crew road trips to Vegas, and behind the scenes of the series we all love. Buy the book and skip the chapter about Brad.” –Josh Malina
"What's Next pulls back the curtain on the making of the iconic show, just in time for a pre-election rewatch." –People
“A fun and breezy read.” –LA Times
"What’s Next offers a complete look at the making of one of TV’s most acclaimed dramas.” –Parade
“What’s Next revisits beloved episodes with fresh, untold commentary; compiles poignant and hilarious stories from the show’s production; highlights initiatives supported by the cast, crew, and creators; and makes a powerful case for competent, empathetic leadership, hope, and optimism for whatever lies ahead.” –Nerdbot
"West Wing’ alums give ‘backstage pass’ to beloved drama in new book... includ[ing] behind-the-scenes cast moments, photos and anecdotes from specific episodes of the show and real-life political encounters." –The Hill
"[This] lively, engaging booktakes a deep dive into the series, including its origin, creators, casting, key episodes from itsseven seasons, and more... Fans of the series (aka “Wingnuts”) will enjoy these on- and off-camera stories, and those who have never watched anepisode will find out what they’ve missed." –Booklist
“An entertaining history of the show grounded in extensive interviews with its stars, writers, and crew…the insider stories amuse, and meditations on the show’s legacy highlight its influence on real-life politicos.” —Publishers Weekly
“The authors gained excellent access to key figures on the show… plenty of insider trivia… [a] thorough exploration of a prestige-TV standard-bearer.”—Kirkus Expand reviews