Biography

Actor John Spencer was born John Speshock to a working-class family in Patterson, NJ, on December 20, 1946. He attended the Professional Children's High School in New York City, and while a student adopted the stage name John Spencer. Spencer began acting in his teens, and landed his first big break was he was cast as Henry Anderson on the TV series The Patty Duke Show. After the end of the show's run, Spencer resumed his education, enrolling at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ; he later transferred to New York University. In the early '70s, Spencer began pursuing a career as a stage actor in New York City, and in 1981, he won an Obie award for his performance in the play Still Life. In 1983, Spencer began working in film, appearing in supporting roles in two movies that year, War Games and Echoes. By the mid-'80s, Spencer was working steadily in movies and making frequent television guest shots; he was also earning increasing acclaim for his stage roles, receiving a Drama Desk Award nomination for his role in The Day Room in 1988. However, Spencer's first real brush with fame came in 1990, when he won the role of Tommy Mullany, a tough but goodhearted lawyer, on the hit TV series L.A. Law. While Spencer's regular guy looks seemed to rule him out of leading man roles, his success on L.A. Law established him as a first-call character actor, and he began scoring higher-profile roles in a variety of higher-profile films (such as Presumed Innocent, Copland, Forget Paris, and The Rock), while earning higher billing in made-for-TV movies, and appearing in stage roles as his schedule permitted. In 1999, Spencer's career received yet another boost when he was cast as Chief of Staff Leo McGarry on the acclaimed television series The West Wing; Spencer's work as part of the ensemble cast earned him a Screen Actor's Guild award in 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Filmography

Intimate Portrait: Patty Duke (2001) (TV) .... Himself
"Celebrity Dish" (2000) TV Series .... Himself
... aka "TV Guide's Celebrity Dish" (2000) (USA: complete title)
"West Wing, The" (1999) TV Series .... Leo McGarry
Ravenous (1999) .... General Slauson
... aka Voraz (1999) (Mexico)
"Trinity" (1998) TV Series .... Simon McCallister
Negotiator, The (1998) .... Chief Al Travis
... aka Verhandlungssache (1999) (Germany)
O.K. Garage (1998) .... Bill Gunter
... aka All Revved Up (1998) (USA: video title)
Twilight (1998) .... Captain Phil Egan
Lesser Prophets (1997) .... Ed
Cold Around the Heart (1997) .... Uncle Mike
Cop Land (1997) .... Leo Crasky
Albino Alligator (1996) .... Jack
... aka Albino Alligator (1996) (France)
Rock, The (1996) .... FBI Director James Womack
Cafe Society (1995) .... Ray Davioni
Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom (1995) (VG) .... Captain Hugh Paulsen
Forget Paris (1995) .... Jack
Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor, A (1994) (TV) .... Al Rhinehart
From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One (1992) (TV) .... Mike Mulick
When No One Would Listen (1992) (TV) .... Walter Wheeler
In the Arms of a Killer (1992) (TV) .... Det. Vincent Cusack
"L.A. Law" (1986) TV Series .... Tommy Mullaney (1990-1994)
Simple Justice (1990) .... Inspector Sullivan
Green Card (1990) .... Harry
... aka Green Card (1990) (France)
Presumed Innocent (1990) .... Det. Lipranzer
Black Rain (1989) .... Oliver
Sea of Love (1989) .... Lieutenant
Far from Home (1989) .... TV Preacher
Verne Miller Story, The (1987) .... George Sally
... aka Gangland (1987) (USA: video title)
... aka Verne Miller (1987) (USA: short title)
Hiding Out (1987) .... Bakey
... aka Adult Education (1987) (USA)
Protector, The (1985) .... Ko's Pilot
... aka Wei long meng tan (1985)
Key Exchange (1985) .... Record Executive
Echoes (1983) .... Stephen
WarGames (1983) .... Jerry, airman in missile silo
Cocaine and Blue Eyes (1983) (TV) .... Joey Crawford