Previous Post Anna Deavere Smith. She played the part already as Nancy McNally in The West Wing.

I just recently went through the entire series on DVD (last year, actually) and it reminded me that it's actually been a while since I looked forward to a regularly airing television show.

Anyway, the show did an excellent job with its recurring characters, and Anna Deavere Smith (though I didn't remember her name at all) was very good as the National Security Advisor to the President.

It's not like stealing casting from the West Wing is unheard of for a comic book movie either... I was amused to see that Clark Gregg, who played SHIELD Special Agent Phil Coulson in "Iron Man" (and apparently in the sequel, as well as "Thor") played much the same role as FBI Special Agent Michael Casper on the West Wing.