Rahm Emanuel: Too much for the West Wing to handle

Turns out Rahm Emanuel is just a little too much for Bradley Whitford to handle.

Although his character Josh Lyman was based on Obama's right-hand man, Whitford had to pick judiciously from the fish-sending, abuse-hurling, knife-wielding dynamo's traits:

I think that if you played Rahm Emanuel like Rahm Emanuel actually is, I don't think people would believe it. I think people would think, "Wow, I can't believe somebody is actually like that."

The New York Magazine interview reveals other tragedies in the editing process. Despite Whitford's best efforts, Josh never did get to show off his pas de deux in ballet class.