Rob Lowe leaves West Wing: From the beginning he was the most intractable star of the brilliant WW, reportedly disappointed the moment Martin Sheen agreed to do all 22 episodes of the show's first season, not just 4. Lowe, who seemed to sign on with the show on the basis of being its focal point, wanted to be the man. He's hinted at leaving earlier, so this is less than a surprise. The circumstances are quite Lowe-ian: he's pouting over getting much less dough than Sheen, although he is getting a little more than the rest of the cast--all of whom were nominated for this year's Emmy's, unlike Lowe. Lowe's character--a razor-sharp, savvy political operative who embodied the show's irony and wit--will be missed; the never-content Lowe will not.

AP writeup at my file site:
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