ABSTRACT
Anna Deavere Smith's small screen representation of National Security Advisor 'Nancy McNally' on the TV series The West Wing is the role that made her famous in the United States and abroad. The West Wing was not Smith's first foray into fictional presidential politics; she also appeared in the cinematic antecedent of Aaron Sorkin's television hit, The American President. By charting the parallels between Smith's investigation in and around the White House, this chapter explores how the confluence of projects contributes to people's understanding of the years of Bill Clinton's presidency. It considers the era's remodeling of real and fictional sites of presidential space in the cultural imaginary and the move to an "open concept" of representation, and examines the roles of the presidency, press, and public in the remodeling. Smith's work interrogating and performing aspects of American character is ongoing, at its best when it highlights the many shades of representation and reality that color American national identity.
