Real-life drama hit the production of The West Wing during production of the NBC show’s seventh season, when John Spencer, the Emmy-winning actor behind White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, died of a heart attack at age 58 on December 16, 2005.

After much back-and-forth in the writers’ room — detailed below — the decision was made to have Leo die, as well,  off-screen in Season 7’s two-part “Election Day” storyline. And the grief viewers see onscreen is that of both Leo’s colleagues and Spencer’s costars.