Toby Ziegler

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.

Creation and development

According to series creator Aaron Sorkin, Schiff was cast in the role of Toby Ziegler over many other actors who auditioned, including Eugene Levy. Schiff created a backstory for the character as a widower and wore his own wedding ring, something Sorkin and fellow executive producer Thomas Schlamme, who were planning for the character to be divorced, did not notice until the show's eighth episode. "I had always imagined that his first wife had died, which accounts for his sadness, and why someone would devote himself to public service and be so singular about it", Schiff said. "But then, Aaron and Tommy threw that right out the window." Richard Schiff claimed during an interview on Britain's BBC News 24 that the character had been heavily based upon Scots-American political advisor Patrick Cohen, who was prominent in Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and is viewed as one of the key architects of New Labour.

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Latest News for: toby ziegler

“West Wing” Nostalgia Just Won’t Quit

The Atlantic 24 Oct 2024
His voice acquired a note of paternal warmth ... Bradley Whitford (who played deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman), Richard Schiff (communications director Toby Ziegler), and Mary McCormack (deputy national security adviser Kate Harper) ... The crowd cheered.

The Ominous Return of Jed Bartlett

Truth Dig 10 Oct 2024
An emblematic scene from the show’s second season finds Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) confronting a Democratic senator over his opposition to working with a Republican Congress to cut Social Security.

Luke Skywalker is helping David Pepper turn his Project 2025 book into a podcast

Cincinnati.com 27 Sep 2024
Luke Skywalker and Toby Ziegler. That means help from Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the original "Star Wars" series, and Toby ... Richard Schiff, who played Toby Ziegler on "The West Wing.".

All 150 Episodes of The West Wing, Ranked

New York Magazine 23 Sep 2024
Toby and Sam argue over a speech to an environmental group ... Toby Ziegler’s great strength, and his great weakness, is his bulldoglike inability to let things go, to keep plugging away at the problem until it’s solved or he’s beaten to a pulp.

Names and faces

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 22 Sep 2024
"When we find that, we will discover fire for the second time ... Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played assistant Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played the president's bodyman, Charlie Young ... 18, 2024.

‘We had no political agenda’: the White House hosts a West Wing TV reunion

The Observer 22 Sep 2024
The marine band struck up a familiar theme ... Read more ... Among them were Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played assistant Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played the president’s body man, Charlie Young ... .

‘The West Wing’ cast visits the White House for a 25th anniversary party

Wtop 21 Sep 2024
Asked to name his favorite character, Walsh replied ... Among them. Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played assistant Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played the president’s body man, Charlie Young.

'The West Wing' cast visits the White House for a 25th anniversary party

Pittsburgh Tribune Review 21 Sep 2024
Asked to name his favorite character, Walsh replied ... Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played assistant Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played the president’s body man, Charlie Young ... AandE .

‘The West Wing' cast visits the White House for a 25th anniversary party

NBC Bay Area 21 Sep 2024
Watch NBC Bay Area News 📺 Streaming free 24/7 ... U.S. & World ... “And Dr ... Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played assistant Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played the president's bodyman, Charlie Young ... .

Aaron Sorkin calls Biden dropping out of presidential race a ‘West Wing’ moment as cast ...

New York Post 21 Sep 2024
AP ... 'He was used to a traditional wife role'. Exclusive ... 5 ... AP ... 5 ... Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played assistant Donna Moss; and Dulé Hill, who played the president’s bodyman, Charlie Young.

’The West Wing’ cast visits White House for 25th anniversary party

Toronto Sun 21 Sep 2024
Story continues below ... THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY ... Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; Janel Moloney, who played assistant Donna Moss; and Dule Hill, who played the president’s bodyman, Charlie Young ... .

The re-reevaluation of The West Wing, a quarter century later

Colorado Springs Gazette 20 Sep 2024
Other breakout performances included Richard Schiff as communications director Toby Ziegler and Allison Janney as press secretary C.J ... Importantly, the show declined to tangle its leads romantically, adjudging that a fling between, say, Toby and C.J.

Best viral moments of the 2024 Emmy Awards revealed

The Daily Mail 16 Sep 2024
Cregg; Dulé Hill, who played Charlie Young, the president's body man and later deputy special assistant to the chief of staff; Richard Schiff, who played communications director Toby Ziegler; and ...

Stars Will Shine at 2024 North Fork TV Festival

The East Hampton Star 22 Aug 2024
The festivities will launch Tuesday at 6.30 p.m ... The actor’s long résumé includes eight years on “West Wing” as Toby Ziegler, the communications director for President Bartlet (Martin Sheen). Recent film roles have included “Black Panther ... Mr ... Ms ... Stark ... .

My ringside seat at the Nixon resignation melodrama

The Spectator 08 Aug 2024
At its peak I was invited by them to lunch in the White House Mess, where the press secretary, Ron Ziegler, persuaded me to write a letter to the soon-to-depart president ... Ziegler had joined us at our table ... ‘How profound!’ said Ziegler.

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