Alan Alda will be on "The West Wing"

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/08/23/television.alda.reut/index.html

Alan Alda joining 'West Wing' Actor to play Republican senator

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- Alan Alda is returning to series television.

The five-time Emmy winner will join the cast of NBC's White House drama "The West Wing" next season, playing a Republican from California with presidential aspirations.

Also joining the series is Marley Shelton ("Uptown Girls"), who will play a former feature reporter mentored by Danny Concannon (Timothy Busfield) who becomes White House deputy press secretary.

Mary McCormack (USA's "Traffic"), who guest-starred in several episodes last season as the brash new Deputy National Security Adviser, will return as a permanent fixture. Jimmy Smits, meanwhile, is in talks to come on board the series.

Playing a Republican senator is familiar territory for Alda. He plays Maine Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster in Martin Scorsese's upcoming Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator."

The "West Wing" role marks Alda's first major series commitment since his award-winning run on CBS' "M*A*S*H." In 1999, he did an Emmy-nominated stint on "ER," which is executive produced by "West Wing" producer John Wells.

In March, Alda will begin rehearsals for the Broadway production of David Mamet's play "Glengarry Glen Ross," which will also star Liev Schreiber.