By Thomas Chau

In 2002, Joshua Malina became the newest member of President Josiah Bartlet's administration, where he joined the cast of "The West Wing" as a series member. He has, however, quite an act to follow, as his character Will Bailey fills in a job once occupied by Rob Lowe.

That doesn't daunt Malina, however. Malina, a graduate of Yale University's theatre program, has a tremendous history with series creator/writer Aaron Sorkin, where he has appeared in all of Sorkin's projects, ranging from "The American President" to the short-lived (but critically acclaimed) series, "Sports Night."

Malina can now be seen in theaters opposite Gwyneth Paltrow and Mike Myers in "A View from the Top" a film by Miramax Pictures. We caught up with Josh on the phone recently to talk about his new role on "The West Wing," what it is like now with the current events happening in Iraq, and also working with Mike Myers in his latest comedy.

Tom: Right now, are you still filming episodes for “The West Wing”?

Josh: We’re currently shooting 20 of 22.

And when is the season finale?

I know it airs May 14th, which will probably suggest that we’ll be shooting til May 12th. (laughs) It’s unbelievable how close to the bone they run this thing, basically because [serires creator/writer] Aaron [Sorkin] writes just about every word on the show. It’s always down to the wire, which is part of the fun.

Right now, it must be an interesting, but also stressful, parallel to play fictitious politics in L.A. but also know that something a little more serious, and a little more real, is going on in Washington D.C.

It certainly feels like it has upped the stakes of the entire endeavor, and I think Aaron actually does a very good job of not being overly topical, in terms of being “on the nose” with the stories happening in the show. At the same time, he deals with sort of parallel situations and I think sort of acknowledges world events in his own way.

Martin Sheen has definitely been vocal about his own stance but what’s the general sentiment among the cast?

You know, it’s an interesting question. I would hesitate to be the voice representing the general sentiment among the cast, because my guess is like anywhere else, there are probably as many opinions as there are people. I would say though, generally speaking, there is a pretty liberal dispense to the general flavor of political discourse on the set. Although I’m sure there is an array of political opinion among the cast and crew.

So how are people walking into work nowadays? Like is it the same as it was a year ago? Are people walking in constantly talking about what’s going on?

Yeah, I have the feeling that by the nature of the show, and of the people who make the show, that it has always been a very political set. There’s a lot of intelligent people on the cast and the crew. I think there always has been a lot of discussion about what’s going on. Now, it’s certainly not any different.

Well because Martin has made such a strong stance about his own views, do you think any of that may sort of alienate the viewers that may have different political views?

I certainly think it’s possible. If you’re really talking about the ratings of the show, I think we have bigger problems with “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” than we do with Martin’s political views. (laughs) I don’t know. Whether or not I agree with what Martin says, I do admire the fact that he’s willing to say it, whether or not it “risks” something whether it be his celebrity [status] or his career. I question whether people particularly care about the opinions of this actor or that actor, but at the same time, actors are citizens like everyone else and certainly we have as much right as anyone else to express our opinions. For better or worst, media tends to give actors and celebrities more face time.

And you mentioned earlier that Aaron likes to sort of touch upon current issues in a subtle fashion. Do you know what his plans are for the upcoming year? Will there be war references or topics about international relations?

That’s a great question, and I wish I could answer it. Again, because of the nature of the way Aaron creates the show and the fact that it is virtually 100% the brainchild of one man, and because Aaron works, there’s no predicting. I have a general sense of what’s going to happen in the next three episodes but I couldn’t tell you specifics. He’s writing this coming Tuesday for next week[‘s show]. Something that occurs to him in the morning may become a major plot element. It’s that down to the wire. He has a good sense of where he wants to go generally but he’s a smart enough and an agile enough writer to make changes at the last minute.

You’ve worked with Aaron for a very long time now. What do you find interesting about him as a writer?

We do go back about 15 years with him. For one, I honestly believes that he writes on a plane that you don’t see on TV. I mean, he’s an excellent playwright and writes terrific screenplays, but talking about TV shows now, I just think he’s operating at a level that, at best, no one else is. There’s so much that goes on in a typical Aaron Sorkin script and the sort of ideas and the way that they’re discussed is so heavy – I just love getting a script and read through it, and think, “O.K. this is the argument this character is making, and that is the counterargument…” It’s actually interesting. You watch the show and sometimes, you have to rewind it and say, “O.K., let me follow this argument.” And at the same time, I think he creates real people and interesting characters that have a personal element to them as well. I think he melds the political and the personal that I think is [in a way] very, very difficult to do.

Right, because the show sometimes moves at a very fast pace. That’s definitely a huge contrast from other TV and independent film…

Yeah, you’re 100% right. I think with most TV, 99% of TV, the audience is one step ahead of the game. With “The West Wing,” I think you’re usually at least a step behind. When I used to take writing classes in college, that’s what you want to do. You want the audience to have to catch up with you. Because then, they’re drawn in. They have to actually use their full attention and they’re involved with the show when you’re ahead of the game. And there’s a place for [the other] too. I mean, sometimes when I come home from work and tired, I want to watch something that doesn’t ask too much from me. But it’s kind of fun, as an actor, to be part of something that keeps its audience on its toes.

So why do you think Aaron keeps getting you involved with all his projects?

Well I think there’s a personal element to it, which is that we’re good friends and we get along well, and I think he comes from that school of mind where he asks himself, “Why not be surrounded by friends?” I hope there’s an element to it where he also likes my work. (laughs) I think there’s alchemy between us where I’m very comfortable with his dialogue, perhaps in part because he knows me so well and feels comfortable with me.

Your character, Will Bailey: What is his exact position on the administration?

Now that he’s been hired full-time, he is the Deputy Communications Director.

And that’s replacing Rob Lowe’s character?

Yes, exactly, that was Rob Lowe’s title too.

So do you know who would be the Deputy Communications Director on the Bush administration?

Ooh, you’re good. I certainly should but alas, I do not. (laughs)

Have you met anybody that has worked in the White House?

I have only met the people who are sort of involved with the show who have political experience, and a guy named Eli Addy who basically was Vice President Gore’s speechwriter. And he’s a very, very smart guy and I think a lot of Will Bailey goes through reflects either directly or indirectly some of the things that Eli went through. I imagine when they were first gearing up for the show, they had all sorts of political consultants and little field trips and whatnot to do their research. But I hopped on the bandwagon too late for most of that.

You know, if I knew that answer, I’d be running a network and I don’t even think the people running the networks have the answer to that either. (laughs) Like you said, it’s very cyclical. It’s like a pack of rabid dogs – once the front dog catches something, all the other ones are chasing after the same thing. “Survivor” hits and then there are 175 reality shows. If I could tell you what the next [big] thing is, I’d be a billionaire. It’s hard to say. I would say certainly that creating quality television is not necessarily the first step towards ratings success, which is what I think Aaron really doesn’t chase ratings. He created “Sports Night” and created the show he wanted. He created “The West Wing” and created the show he wanted. For some reason, “The West Wing” took off in a way that “Sports Night” didn’t. It’s not a science and from my point of view, nobody’s good at it.

You’re coming into the show I guess pretty late compared to the rest of the cast. Everyone else has won their Emmys and awards, so how does it feel to be “the new guy”?

I love it. I was definitely embraced warmly immediately, starting from my very first table read, because it was unclear that I would become a regular. It’s just an incredibly nice cast and a good group of people. In terms of the award thing, I’m getting tagged as the guy who turned it around for everyone. Richard Schiff calls me “jinx boy.” Bradley Whitford has started calling me “the curse.” The general feeling is that now that I have arrived, no more awards will be won. (laughs) I hope that won’t turn out to be the case.

Well, you never know, maybe you’ll win your Emmy someday…

That would certainly be the icing on the cake. I’ve had enough down times in my career to just savor the fact that I have a job, and that I actually have a job next year. That’s such a rare and wondrous situation for my career.

How is balancing a family and a tough TV career?

It’s difficult actually but I’ll never complain about it. I’ve had long periods where I wasn’t working which is wonderful, in terms of family, because you’re there 24/7, but then you wonder, “Well I do have to clothe and feed these people. How is that going to happen?” It’s very difficult on the days where I get up and leave before my kids wake-up and I come home when they’re asleep. That’s heartbreaking. That’s painful to lose a day where I could’ve interacted with my kids. But the up side is so clear to me that I just try to keep my eye on the prize. And it’s not like I don’t have any time for my kids now. There’s still the weekend and occasionally days where I’m not working.

Is it ever tough keeping up with your children?

Oh yeah. The funny part is when I come home from work, which is, you know, a difficult and draining job and I see my wife, and I realize she has work a hundred times harder than I have. (laughs) It’s part of the fun, too, because they’re just constant balls of energy. They’re just going and going and going…

Now let’s talk about “A View from the Top”…was it strange working with Rob Lowe after filling in for him on “The West Wing?”

Well it actually happened in the other direction. The bulk of that movie was shot two years ago. We did some reshoots after 9-11 because certainly, some of the material we originally shot was no longer appropriate. I actually came into the movie just off of “Sports Night” and [Lowe] was still shooting “The West Wing,” so we talked a lot about Aaron and Aaron’s shows. But I never knew what the future would hold.

You play a sort of strange steward. I was wondering if you did any kind of research for that, or did you base it on a real-life experience of your own?

You know, I can’t say it was based on too much altogether other than sort the weird, crazed section of my brains. (laughs) That, and what the director wanted. I think there’s an interesting tonal shift to the entire movie from when I read it and auditioned for it, to the casting of Mike Myers. He’s such a crazed comic improviser that he really had an effect on the overall movie. All of a sudden, this mad comedian sort of dropped into the mix. Everyone became broader. That’s what the director sort of looked for: greater, bigger characters.

And how was working with Gwyneth Paltrow and Mike?

Incredibly great. It was a real delight when I got the role. I was like, “What an ensemble.” I couldn’t believe that I was going to be in a movie with Gwyneth Paltrow, Mike Myers, Christina Applegate, Candice Bergen, Rob Lowe, Kelly Preston…they used to make movies like this, where the list went on and on with stars but nowadays, somebody is getting $17 million dollars and there’s no money left to get other stars. I was delighted to be a prospect in sort of an ensemble. It did not disappoint. Everyone was lovely, great, and Mike Myers was a lot of fun because you would never know what he was going to say on camera.

Do you have a preference between film and TV?

If I could just make movies, I think I would because it’s sort of fun to do something completely different each time. A comedy, drama, action, you know? It’s fun to completely reinvent yourself, or be part of a different genre. But in terms of real-life and having a family, TV provides you with a little bit of security and a normal schedule. You’re not all of a sudden going to Bulgaria for two months. But in terms of “The West Wing” also, if I had a choice to do “The West Wing” for the rest of my career, I’d check that box also.

"A View from the Top" is playing in theaters everywhere now. "The West Wing" is on NBC Wednesday nights at 9 PM Eastern/8 PM Central.