Samuel Norman Seaborn is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing.
24 Facts About Sam Seaborn
1.
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The role of Sam Seaborn was initially offered to actor Bradley Whitford, who had auditioned for the part of Josh Lyman.
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However, Whitford wanted and was eventually given the role of Josh, and the part of Sam Seaborn went to Rob Lowe, whose audition, said show creator Aaron Sorkin, "left our jaws on the floor".
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Lowe's performance as Sam Seaborn received a Emmy nomination, two Golden Globes nominations, three Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations and a Satellite Award win.
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Sam Seaborn makes repeated references to his alma mater, especially in the earlier seasons, indicating a certain pride in his attendance there.
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Sam Seaborn can speak Spanish, as seen in Season 3 episode "Ways and Means".
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Sam Seaborn attended Duke Law School and was the editor of the Duke Law Review.
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Sam Seaborn was a staffer for several congressmen and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
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Sam Seaborn was a practicing lawyer, working at the law firm of Dewey Ballantine in New York City before joining the fictional Gage Whitney Pace, reputedly the second biggest law firm in New York City.
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Sam Seaborn worked there for seven years and was concentrating on helping an oil company with a deal that would protect them from litigation in the event of an oil spill when his "old friend" Josh Lyman comes to visit him.
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Sam Seaborn declines, explaining that he is about to be made partner and is getting married soon.
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Josh has been sufficiently inspired to abandon Hoynes' campaign and go work for Bartlet, which in turn convinces Sam Seaborn to do the same.
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Sam Seaborn becomes part of the talented team of staffers who help Bartlet to a very unlikely victory in 1998.
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Sam Seaborn believes in doing the right thing simply because it is right, even when the consequences might be politically disastrous.
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Sam Seaborn is an extremely talented writer, one of the very few people Toby recognises as an equal in his field.
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Sam Seaborn is seen in many episodes to rewrite speeches over and over, unwilling to put words in the President's mouth that he isn't completely satisfied with.
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President Bartlet predicts that Sam Seaborn will run for President someday and should not be scared; Bartlet believes that he can do it.
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Sam Seaborn first becomes familiar with the congressional race when he is sent to talk to Wilde's campaign manager, Will Bailey, on behalf of the Democratic Party, to convince him to drop the campaign.
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When Wilde does win, Sam Seaborn decides not to back out but to use this opportunity to promote a truly liberal agenda in the traditionally conservative district.
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Sam Seaborn goes to California with the blessing of Bartlet and his fellow White House staffers.
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Toby runs a thoroughly honest and liberal campaign, not until the very end of which does Sam Seaborn realize, "I'm going to lose".
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When Sam Seaborn does reappear, it is implied that Sam Seaborn lost the election to Congressman Webb, and then declined the promotion to Senior Counselor to the President that had been suggested by Toby.
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Sam Seaborn is not seen in the series until the last episodes of the seventh and final season, following the election of Congressman Matt Santos as President.
24.
Sam Seaborn accepts on the condition that Josh take a vacation after witnessing the toll of post-election stress, insisting that Josh will need to be at his best when helping govern the country.