In Martin Sheen, you have a president who is a regular guy, who can sit down with you and have a drink, ... I think the show will carry some of the influence of 'The West Wing,' or try to rebut it — insisting the female can make it.

In Martin Sheen, you have a president who is a regular guy, who can sit down with you and have a drink. I think the show will carry some of the influence of 'The West Wing,' or try to rebut it — insisting the female can make it.

Can the female juggle the family and the job at the same time? The male president can do the job because the woman is watching things domestically, but can she balance a job like this and the family? Why does she have to have the onus of having to take care of the family and the country too? Or maybe the theme will be that the family is the country.

Martin Sheen is my pinup! And Allison Janney, oh my God. They're brilliant actors.

In many cases, the Oscar has been far more a blessing than a curse. If you look at the careers of actors and directors, there are reasons why they end up going up or down or are stagnant. It's not based on mysticism.

The vast majority of these characters are portrayed as stolid, stalwart men who face various crises with a great deal of fortitude and courage. I think that will play a role: Can the woman do it, or is she compensating for some kind of emotional or sexual drive?