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Deborah Fiderer is a fictional character in the NBCtelevision seriesThe West Wing. She is Executive Assistant to the President, and is portrayed by actress and comedianLily Tomlin. The character first appears during the program's third season and remains until the finale.
After the death of PresidentJosiah Bartlet's previous private secretaryMrs. Dolores Landingham, Bartlet is extremely reluctant to come to terms with her death fully by hiring a permanent replacement. Finally prevailed upon to do so by his White House staff, Bartlet expresses to Charlie Young an expectation that most of the proposed candidates will not meet with his approval. Charlie knows that the person for the job will need both the character and sense of humor that the President is looking for. Fiderer is opinionated, strong willed, eccentric, and very much her own woman; Charlie knows he has the perfect fit to replace Mrs. Landingham.
Before her initial interview with President Bartlet, Deborah takes anti-anxiety medication; when it didn't seem to work, she takes another, and by the time of the interview she is intoxicated. She reveals that she has been an alpaca farmer and a professional gambler. Before that, she worked in the White House personnel office, and when President Bartlet asked what happened, she says she was "screwed with her pants on." It is later revealed that she was fired for recommending Charlie as Bartlet's personal assistant, instead of the son of a powerful Democratic Party contributor. She refuses to reveal this detail in spite of Bartlet's explicit order to, further impressing him, even as he deduces the reason. In response to the administration's position on water supplies in the Third World, she had suggested in a letter sent to the White House that arsenic should be put 'in President Bartlet's water.' Bartlet is nevertheless impressed by her show of respect for the Office of the President, remarking that she'd written President Bartlet, and concludes she is a "class act".
After the First Lady, Debbie is the character most concerned with preventing the President from being overworked in light of his multiple sclerosis, to the point of having new telephone functions installed and creating and keeping an incredibly strict schedule for senior staff. She appears to gain some infamy for knowing about crises before the President or his secret service detail; Bartlet is very amused when, in the wake of the West Wing being struck by bullets, the Oval Office is flooded with Secret Service agents before Fiderer even appears. Throughout the course of the series, the two develop a friendly rapport.
The character is initially referred to as Debbie DiLaguardia; she becomes Debbie Fiderer after a divorce. She is first referred to in dialogue during the first season episode "A Proportional Response" as the White House personnel office worker who recommends Charlie to serve as the President's personal assistant.
Debbie says that she admires Harry S. Truman. When asked her musical preference, she says she is "a Crazy Horse kind of girl." She also confesses to "a tempestuous affair with a rodeo cowboy during the Summer of Love that the Hollies played a significant role in."
In her final appearance, set on the day that Matt Santos assumes office, Fiderer is seen clearing out her desk and warning Ronna Beckman that she should never revoke the First Lady's walk-in privileges, even though the President will plead with her to do so.
Critical reception
Tomlin was nominated three times for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as Fiderer. In 2003, she received two nominations, one for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Dramatic Series and one for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Dramatic Series (shared with other West Wing co-stars). In 2005, Tomlin received another SAG nomination for Outstanding Ensemble, shared with her co-stars.
The West Wing is an American serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 1999 to May 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where the Oval Office and offices of presidential senior staff are located, during the fictitious Democratic administration of Josiah Bartlet.
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character from the American television serial drama The West Wing, portrayed by Martin Sheen. The role earned Sheen a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 2001, as well as two SAG Awards.
Leo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by American actor John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. The role earned Spencer the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2002. The character of McGarry, a former Secretary of Labor, begins the series as the White House Chief of Staff. He is President Josiah Bartlet's best friend and a father figure to the senior staff, particularly White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman.
Joshua Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. The role earned Whitford the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2001. For the majority of the series, he is White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief Political Advisor in the Josiah Bartlet administration.
Tobias Zachary "Toby" Ziegler is a fictional character in the television serial drama The West Wing, played by Richard Schiff. The role earned Schiff the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2000. For most of the series' duration he is White House Communications Director. In the final season, Ziegler is involved in a storyline around a leak of classified information, which The New York Timescompared to the leak investigation of the Valerie Plame affair.
Claudia Jean Cregg is a fictional character played by Allison Janney on the television political drama The West Wing. The role proved to be Janney's breakthrough role and earned her unanimous acclaim. For her performance, she received four Primetime Emmy Awards; twice for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series each, as well as four Screen Actors Guild Awards and four nominations for the Golden Globe Award. From the beginning of the series until the sixth season, she is White House Press Secretary in the administration of President Josiah Bartlet. After that, she is Bartlet's chief of staff. The character is inspired by Clinton's press secretary Dee Dee Myers, who served as a consultant to the show. Characterized by manifest integrity, quick witticisms, a fierce intellect, and compassionate stoicism, C.J. is widely acclaimed by critics and political commentators alike as the "most popular White House Press Secretary in recent memory".
Charles Young is a fictional character played by Dulé Hill on the television serial drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he is the Personal Aide to President Josiah Bartlet.
Zoey Patricia Bartlet is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Moss on the television serial drama The West Wing. Zoey is the youngest of President Josiah Bartlet and Abbey Bartlet's three daughters, and is featured more prominently in the series than either of her sisters.
Mrs. Landingham, played by Kathryn Joosten and Kirsten Nelson, is the fictional Secretary to the President of the United States in the first two seasons of The West Wing. Killed off in the episode "18th and Potomac", Landingham is a much-beloved character whose influence on politicians continued through at least 2021.
Kathryn Joosten was an American television actress. Her best known roles include Dolores Landingham on NBC's The West Wing from 1999 to 2002 and Karen McCluskey on ABC's Desperate Housewives from 2005 to 2012, for which she won two Primetime Emmy Awards in 2005 and 2008.
"In Excelsis Deo" is the tenth episode of the first season of The West Wing. It originally aired on NBC on December 15, 1999, as the show's Christmas special. Events circle around Toby Ziegler getting involved in the fate of a dead Korean War veteran, reactions to a severe hate crime, and the ongoing controversy surrounding Leo's past alcohol and prescription drug abuse. Written by Aaron Sorkin and Rick Cleveland and directed by Alex Graves, the episode contains guest appearances by Paul Austin and Raynor Scheine. It also earned Sorkin and Cleveland the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, as well as one for Richard Schiff.
"Two Cathedrals" is the 44th episode and second season finale of The West Wing. It was first broadcast on May 16, 2001.
"Ways and Means" is the 47th The West Wing episode and 3rd of the third season. It originally aired on NBC October 24, 2001. The episode sees the beginnings of President Bartlet's Congressional hearings, as well as negotiations over the estate tax. Written by Aaron Sorkin, Eli Attie and Gene Sperling, and directed by Alex Graves, the episode contains the first appearances by Mark Feuerstein as Clifford "Cliff" Calley. There are also guest appearances by Thom Barry, Nicholas Pryor and Miguel Sandoval.
"On the Day Before" is the forty-eighth The West Wing episode and fourth of the third season. It originally aired on NBC October 31, 2001. The episode deals with a suicide bomber in Jerusalem, as well as continued negotiations over the estate tax. Written by Aaron Sorkin, Paul Redford, and Nanda Chitre, and directed by Christopher Misiano, the episode contains the first appearances by H. Richard Greene as Congressman Robert Royce and Thomas Kopache as Assistant Secretary of State Bob "Bobby" Slatterly. There are also guest appearances by Kevin Tighe, Cliff DeYoung and Mary Mara. Janel Moloney was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in this episode.
"There's Always a Woman" is the 93rd episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It is the sixth episode of the show's fifth season and aired on November 2, 2008.
The first season of the American political drama television series The West Wing aired in the United States on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 17, 2000 and consisted of 22 episodes.
The second season of the American political drama television series The West Wing aired in the United States on NBC from October 4, 2000 to May 16, 2001 and consisted of 22 episodes.
The third season of the American political drama television series The West Wing aired in the United States on NBC from October 3, 2001 to May 22, 2002 and consisted of 21 episodes and 2 special episodes.
The fourth season of the American political drama television series The West Wing aired in the United States on NBC from September 25, 2002 to May 14, 2003 and consisted of 23 episodes.
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