West Wing takes you inside a fictional White House. It shows daily chaos of staff working under President Josiah Bartlet. Governing United States is no easy task, right? Expect fast dialogue, complex relationships and a peek into American politics. This show snagged a bunch of Emmy Awards. Its influence on pop culture? Oh, it’s still around. So, ready to see who you are?

Meet the characters from The West Wing

Jed Bartlet

Oh man, Jed is that brilliant, slightly exasperated wise guy who somehow balances a Nobel-level brain with dad-joke energy — like he will lecture you on policy and then totally ruin a punchline. He’s principled to the bone, stubborn as a mule, and deeply humane (and yes, he reads obscure novels in the bathtub, for real). He can be theatrical and dramatic one minute and quietly ferocious the next, which makes him impossibly watchable. Also, he sometimes wanders off mid-sentence and you swear he’s remembering a line from some old play — or maybe he’s just thinking about snacks, who knows.

Josh Lyman

Josh is the adrenaline junkie of politics, always moving a half-step too fast, caffeinated, exhausted, and still somehow the guy you want leading the charge. He’s sharp, sarcastic, endlessly loyal (and possessive, honestly), and has the best panicked riffing when a plan falls apart. He’s messy in love and brilliant in crisis, and yes he mutters under his breath a lot — sometimes it’s brilliant policy, sometimes it’s just complaining about the stapler. Every office needs a Josh: incorrigible, impossible, and secretly warm under that fast-talking exterior.

Leo McGarry

Leo is the granite-rock heartbeat of the whole operation — steady, tired, moral in a practical, sometimes tired way, and he drinks like someone else is keeping time for him (not judging, just observing). He’s a fixer, a father figure, a manager who can give you a look and change your life, and also the type to have a drawer full of emergency chocolate and aspirin. He’s seen every crisis and somehow still shows up calm, though he’ll grumble about things and claim he’s “retired” every five minutes and then never actually does. There’s a gentleness under the gruff that will surprise you and also make you want to call him on Sunday.

Toby Ziegler

Toby is the curmudgeonly idealist who writes like he’s trying to carve truth into the world, all grim set jaw and cutting, precise lines — and also secretly collects old political pamphlets, which is adorable and terrifying. He’s moral, infuriating, sarcastic, and has the kind of integrity that makes everyone else either follow or flinch; he loves good writing more than sleep, sometimes in a tragic way. He can be prickly and mercilessly honest, but he’s ferociously loyal (and he does have a soft spot for badly behaved dogs or maybe it’s just metaphors). He often looks like he’s plotting revenge on the world but will quietly do something sacrificial and you’ll hate him for being right.

Sam Seaborn

Sam is the earnest speechwriter who believes language can change people and, sure, he’s annoyingly idealistic but also kind of infectious about it. He’s charming in a slightly fussy way, smiles a lot, and has an annoyingly perfect moral compass that sometimes trips him up in realpolitik situations. He’ll craft a paragraph until it sings and then get flustered if someone calls it naïve, and he probably keeps a notebook of perfect lines in the glove compartment. He’s adorable, maddening, and the person you want in your corner when you need someone to put your values into words.

CJ Cregg

CJ is a force field in heels — razor-smart, hilarious under pressure, and she can smooth, spin, or roast you depending on what the day requires (often all three). Behind the quips is a relentless worker who knows the rules and how to bend them, and she also inexplicably has a fondness for very bad coffee and worse cake at press briefings. She’s warm and tough, the friend who will speak truth to power and then text you a terrible gif to cheer you up. Also, she probably has a secret playlist of power ballads and will judge your playlist silently but generously.

Donna Moss

Donna is the quick, sassy right hand who knows everyone’s secrets and somehow keeps smiling through it all — she’s whip-smart, deeply loyal, and has the most devastating delivery when she’s had enough. She can be playful and fierce in the same breath, juggling sarcasm with a surprising professional steel, and she once dismantled a scheme with a look and a perfectly timed clip-on earring comment. She’s the person who remembers anniversaries, deadlines, and the tiny emotional weather of the office (and also inexplicably owns 17 novelty mugs). Don’t underestimate her; she will quietly run the whole show if you blink.

Charlie Young

Charlie is low-key heroic in the most non-showy way — steady, principled, and quietly unflappable, with a smile that makes you forget the chaos for a second. He’s incredibly competent, protective in a calm way, and he has this obvious moral backbone that sometimes makes him seem older than his years (and then he’ll laugh at a dumb joke like a kid). He’s serious about doing the right thing but also surprisingly into small comforts — likes clean sneakers and terrible late-night TV, probably. He’s the kind of person who shows up on time, tells you what you need to hear, and somehow makes loyalty look effortless.