How the famous West Wing walk-and-talk scenes came to be

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Schlamme explained that the idea of ​​following the set during the long, dialogue-driven scenes came from seeing staff members of the White House during a visit to the Clinton administration:

"I just remember looking at everyone, and it felt like there was so much going on. I was in an office and we were waiting to visiting the president with my son and my wife, and all I remember is that [Henry] Cisneros came out, [George] Stephanopoulos was moving in there, and five or six people were coming in and out of meetings, and I looked down the hall and there were more people talking. ... That memory flashed back to me when I read Aaron's pilot. That's how it should feel.< /em>"

It's almost impossible to imagine how "The West Wing" would move so smoothly without the walk-and-talk technique. The scripts of Sorkin and co. are fantastic, but they can get pretty heavy, pretty quickly. The cohesive nature of the final product is a testament to the Emmy-winning cast and crew's commitment to bringing each character to life. "The West Wing" may have leaned a little too much on the trope over the past few seasons, however, staying true to real life has never been so transporting.

If you want to delve into the past while looking to the future, watch "A West Wing Special To Benefit When We All Vote" on HBO Max.