Nearly 20 years after it aired its final episode, The West Wing remains one of the most rewatchable TV series and inspires near-constant appeals to Aaron Sorkin for new episodes. Over the years, there haas been plenty of commentary and behind-the-scenes stories from the actors who made up Jed Bartlet’s senior staff. However, I can safely say that I wasn’t at all expecting to see Rob Lowe pull out the “Missing Person” milk carton that he apparently distributed to his colleagues when he exited the series.
Rob Lowe was one of the original stars — and easily the biggest name in the main cast — of The American President-inspired series when it premiered in 1999. He starred as deputy communications director Sam Seaborn, a vital cog in the White House machine. After a few seasons, however, behind-the-scenes tension resulted in Lowe leaving The West Wing toward the end of Season 4. Just how bad did things get for the actor? Check out his TikTok:
@roblowe From the archives…
♬ original sound - Rob Lowe
OK, first off, I’m really curious about what’s happening in this video. Is Rob Lowe having a garage sale? Is his garage just a museum of TV and movie memorabilia from a 40-plus-year career that’s strewn about so that the actor can just happen upon these old gems like the milk carton?
Secondly, we’ve got to talk about this milk carton. This may be hands-down the most petty thing I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’m not mad at it. The audacity Rob Lowe had to not only fashion a milk carton with his headshot but then to send it out to everyone involved in the show is mind-blowing.
He said in the video:
There were some difficulties. At one point they had sort of written me off the show. I didn’t feel like I had a lot to do, so I made these and I sent them to everybody affiliated with the show — the network, the studio, producers, everybody. It’s a milk carton. I sent these to everybody.
The milk carton then went on to list his height, weight and when he was last seen (Christmas episode, 2002). How’s that for communication from your deputy communications director?
However, I’m not sure it’s completely fair for Rob Lowe to say he was written off the show. It’s not like he vanished with no explanation like Mandy, though I suppose his role was reduced in his final Season 4 episodes.
Reportedly, money was the issue behind his exit, and the actor himself admitted in his book Stories I Only Tell My Friends that tensions rose between him and his castmates when he asked for a raise that producers refused to give him.
Rob Lowe allegedly signed onto The West Wing at $70,000 an episode, with the rest of the main cast making less than half of that. When the show was a success, the other actors’ salaries were reportedly raised to equal Lowe’s, and when he could not secure a bump as well, he allegedly said there was “no longer a place” for Sam Seaborn and left the series.
Regardless of how it all went down 20 years, it’s good that we can all laugh about it now, as Rob Lowe seems pretty tickled by his actions back then.
You can continue to enjoy his days as Sam Seaborn — and all the ones that came after — by streaming The West Wing with an HBO Max subscription. Soon, fans will also be able to see Allison Janney reunite with former co-star Bradley Whitford, who is set to join The Diplomat Season 3 as Janney’s character’s husband. The first two seasons can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.
