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11 Amazing Bodies of The West Wing Stars

Walking and talking is a great way to stay in shape. No wonder the West Wing cast looks so great! Bradley Whitford lifts weights while minding his knees, Moira Kelly champions the power of setting boundaries, and Kristin Chenoweth preaches the gospel of hydration for her skin. Meanwhile, Dule Hill finds solace in dance, Taye Diggs attributes his vigor to good genes and sports, Janel Moloney's determination transformed her role, and Joshua Malina navigates on-set nutrition with strategic planning. To stay in shape, remember "we will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great." Keep reading to see how these stars stay fit, happy, and grounded.

1

Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe played Sam Seaborn on the first four seasons. He shared his approach to fitness in an interview with GQ. "I'm training in a very different way than I used to. The hardest thing for me has been to train less. I would train every day if I could—and, frankly, kind of punishing myself. If I don't feel like I've just killed myself in the gym, I feel like it's been wasted time. Turns out, that's not true—it's particularly not true when you're not in your twenties and thirties anymore. So I'm really focusing on diet, rest, and being smarter and more strategic about the training."

2

Allison Janney

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Allison Janney played CJ Cregg for the entire show's run. She revealed her secrets for avoiding craft service with The Chicago Sun Times. "I really just try to put blinders on and not look at it," she says. "It's not easy, but every day we make our choices. This week, I haven't made it past the brownies every single day. I don't know why, but I decided I deserved a brownie…or two…or three. I figure that I'm working so hard that I must be burning the calories." 

3

Bradley Whitford

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Bradley Whitford played Josh Lyman on all seven seasons. He revealed his current workout routine in an interview with People. "As I've gotten older, I have to be careful with my knee. I'm doing a play right now, and so I've been going to a gym and sort of pathetically lifting weights sort of regularly, and walking, and just getting up and down counts as a squat."

4

Moira Kelly

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Moira Kelly played Mandy Hampton in the show's first season. She also appeared on One Tree Hill. Kelly did an interview with her co-stars from that show on their Drama Queens podcast. In it, she talked about the importance of setting boundaries. "You have to claim it, because they're not going to give it to you. You have to claim it and then be okay with it. You have every right."

5

Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth joined the show in the last two seasons as Annabeth Schott. She shared her skincare secrets with New Beauty. "I do all the magic potions and lotions just like everybody else, but I will tell you this: You can spend a lot of money on moisturizer, or you can spend a very little amount of money on moisturizer. To me, just moisturize! I do love the sun, and with a little bit of the Native American DNA that I have in me, I attract the sun and I tan easily. So don't forget to moisturize. You want to stay hydrated."

6

Dule Hill

Dule Hill/Instagram

Dule Hill played Charlie Young on all seven seasons. He revealed to AARP that he loves to dance, and that he turned to this during the pandemic. "I've taken the time to just enjoy the stillness, to check back in with myself, to recenter myself. Thankfully I have a dance floor in my garage. I have a Murphy [dance] floor. I pull the car out, I pull it down and I can dance. That's been a great place to practice my craft, to have an avenue of expression. I believe artists are artists, whether your expression is to a wall or a stadium full of people. Obviously, we prefer to have it reach someone but sometimes art is just for yourself to express. I'm thankful I can have my dance floor."

7

Taye Diggs

Taye Diggs played Wesley Davis in season four. He shared some of his wellness secrets in an interview with Closer Weekly. "I try to be careful with my diet but I enjoy a good meal and won't deny myself," Diggs says. "I play basketball and tennis, too. But really it's just good genes!"

8

Janel Moloney

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Janel Moloney played Donna Moss on the show. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she revealed how she made the character so important in the first season. "I made every morsel — I didn't care if Brad was handing me a piece of paper and I had no lines. I was making a choice, I was making it about something, I was throwing a detail in there. There was no way anyone was gonna send my ass home. That was my goal." This made Moloney be promoted to the main cast for the rest of the show.

9

Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar had a recurring role as Elsie Snuffin in season four. She revealed to FOX News that she eliminates a lot of unhealthy food from her diet. "I don't drink alcohol, I don't drink coffee. I stay away from unhealthy food. I don't eat sugar or gluten, not that gluten's necessarily unhealthy, I stay away from dairy. I just keep it as clean and simple as possible. I do eat meat, but very clean cuts of meat, no bacon."

10

Joshua Malina

Joshua Malina played Will Bailey from seasons 4 to 7. He shared his secrets for eating healthy while acting with Parade. "It's very easy to divide a long shoot day into 15 or 20 rounds of 'What do I eat next?' I try to fight that by bringing in my own food, and by gravitating to the more healthful choices lovingly provided by our great craft service guys Barry and Mark. I particularly dig the veggie juice bar."

11

Clark Gregg

Clark Gregg had a recurring role as Mike Casper from seasons 2 through 5. He struggles with anxiety and his mental health, and shared how he manages it with Men's Health. "Cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT] was a game-changer for me, and remains a game-changer. I find it calming to know that wherever I am, I don't have to wonder if I have a pill nearby; I just know I can do these exercises, and it's going to become manageable."

Anna Bechtel
Anna Bechtel is a freelance writer currently based in Hamden, CT. Read more
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