Deborah Fiderer
Encyclopedia
Deborah Fiderer is a character in the NBC
television series The West Wing. She is Executive Assistant to the President, and is portrayed by noted actor
and comedienne Lily Tomlin
. The character first appeared during the program's third season and remained until its finale.
After the death of President
Josiah Bartlet
's previous private secretary
Mrs. Delores Landingham, Bartlet was extremely reluctant to come to terms with her death fully by hiring a permanent replacement. Finally prevailed upon to do so by the White House
staff, most of the proposed candidates did not meet with the President's approval. Although they were all highly qualified, they lacked the character and sense of humour that the President was looking for. In contrast, Fiderer was opinionated, strong willed, perhaps eccentric and in any case very much her own woman.
Before her initial interview with President Bartlet, Deborah took anti-anxiety medication; when it didn't seem to work, she took another, and by the time of the interview she was intoxicated. She revealed that she was an alpaca
farmer and a professional gambler. Before that, she had worked in the White House personnel office, and when Pres. Bartlet asked what happened, she said she had been "screwed with her pants on". In reality, she had been fired for recommending Charlie Young as Bartlet's personal assistant, instead of the son of a powerful Democratic Party contributor.
In response to the administration's position on water supplies in the Third World
, she had suggested in a letter sent to the White House that arsenic should be put 'in President Bartlet's water', Bartlet was apparently impressed by her show of respect for the Office of the President, remarking that she'd said President Bartlet, and concluded she was a "class act".
After the First Lady, she is perhaps the character most concerned about preventing the President from being overworked in the light of his multiple sclerosis
, to the point of having new telephone functions installed and creating and keeping an incredibly strict schedule for senior staff.
The character was previously referred to as Debbie DiLaguardia; she became Debbie Fiderer after a divorce. She was first referred to in dialogue during the first season episode "A Proportional Response
" as the White House personnel office worker that recommends Charlie Young
to serve as the President's personal assistant.
She says that she admires Harry S Truman. When asked her musical preference, she said she was "a Crazy Horse
kind of girl." She also confessed to "a tempestuous affair with a rodeo cowboy during the Summer of Love that the Hollies played a significant role in."
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television series The West Wing. She is Executive Assistant to the President, and is portrayed by noted actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and comedienne Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
. The character first appeared during the program's third season and remained until its finale.
After the death of President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
's previous private secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
Mrs. Delores Landingham, Bartlet was extremely reluctant to come to terms with her death fully by hiring a permanent replacement. Finally prevailed upon to do so by the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
staff, most of the proposed candidates did not meet with the President's approval. Although they were all highly qualified, they lacked the character and sense of humour that the President was looking for. In contrast, Fiderer was opinionated, strong willed, perhaps eccentric and in any case very much her own woman.
Before her initial interview with President Bartlet, Deborah took anti-anxiety medication; when it didn't seem to work, she took another, and by the time of the interview she was intoxicated. She revealed that she was an alpaca
Alpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
farmer and a professional gambler. Before that, she had worked in the White House personnel office, and when Pres. Bartlet asked what happened, she said she had been "screwed with her pants on". In reality, she had been fired for recommending Charlie Young as Bartlet's personal assistant, instead of the son of a powerful Democratic Party contributor.
In response to the administration's position on water supplies in the Third World
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
, she had suggested in a letter sent to the White House that arsenic should be put 'in President Bartlet's water', Bartlet was apparently impressed by her show of respect for the Office of the President, remarking that she'd said President Bartlet, and concluded she was a "class act".
After the First Lady, she is perhaps the character most concerned about preventing the President from being overworked in the light of his multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, to the point of having new telephone functions installed and creating and keeping an incredibly strict schedule for senior staff.
The character was previously referred to as Debbie DiLaguardia; she became Debbie Fiderer after a divorce. She was first referred to in dialogue during the first season episode "A Proportional Response
A Proportional Response
"A Proportional Response" is the 3rd episode of The West Wing.- Plot :An angry President Josiah Bartlet seeks vengeance after Syrian operatives blow up a jet carrying his personal physician and dozens of American passengers...
" as the White House personnel office worker that recommends Charlie Young
Charlie Young
Charles 'Charlie' Young is a fictional character played by Dulé Hill on the television serial drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he is the Personal Aide to President Josiah Bartlet.-Creation and development:...
to serve as the President's personal assistant.
She says that she admires Harry S Truman. When asked her musical preference, she said she was "a Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse (band)
Crazy Horse is an American rock band best known for its association with Neil Young. It has been co-credited on a number of albums throughout Young's career and has released five albums of its own.-Early years:...
kind of girl." She also confessed to "a tempestuous affair with a rodeo cowboy during the Summer of Love that the Hollies played a significant role in."
Critical reception
Tomlin was nominated three times for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as Fiderer. In 2003, she received two nominations, one for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Dramatic Series and for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Dramatic Series (shared with other West Wing co-stars). In 2005, Tomlin received another SAG nomination for Outstanding Ensemble, shared with her co-stars.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005499/awardsSee also
- The West WingThe West Wing (TV series)The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
- List of characters on The West Wing
- List of politicians on The West Wing
- List of The West Wing episodes