00:01After hearing those two introductions, I removed half of my impromptu remarks.
00:11Well, oh, stay done.
00:16When I met Brad for the very first time on the set of The West Wing,
00:20he came up to me with a very serious expression on his face.
00:24He shook my hand and he said,
00:26I am a huge fan and I just want you to know that I think you have a bright future
00:32behind you.
00:34That was 27 years ago and he was right.
00:37And I've been laughing and bragging about it ever since.
00:39But when he asked me to say a few words here on this occasion, I was honored, of course.
00:44But I was a bit reluctant because I didn't think he fully understood the future implications of this event.
00:51And so, Brad, with all due respect, please kindly allow me to conjure up a typical scenario that could very
00:58well take place right here on this spot on any given day into the far distant future, of course.
01:03And long after your bright future has been fully realized behind you.
01:09Let us fade in and imagine, for example, an elderly tourist couple, shall we say, from Wisconsin,
01:16as they meander along this street reciting all the names of the stars embedded in the sidewalk.
01:22And when they discover the star with your name, they might be inclined to pause.
01:27And if so, the woman might be heard to say,
01:29Oh, look, honey, isn't this that Whitford fellow from La Crosse who got kicked off the Hollywood squares for cussing
01:36on the air?
01:37And the man might be heard to say,
01:39No, sweetheart, you're thinking of that fellow from Green Bay who played second base for the Brewers
01:43and got ejected from a World Series game for cussing out the home plate empire.
01:47And the woman might be heard to say in response with some annoyance,
01:51Well, thank you very much, Mr. Know-it-all.
01:53I wasn't asking for a history lesson.
01:55I was just wanting to know who this Whitman fellow is.
01:58And the man might be heard to say with an equal measure of annoyance,
02:01His name is not Whitman, it's Whitford.
02:04I don't have a clue who he is and I could care less.
02:07Let's go get something to eat.
02:09And the woman might be heard to say,
02:11You go right ahead, Mr. Always in a hurry.
02:13I'm staying put till I figure out who this fellow is.
02:16And just at that very moment,
02:19A somewhat distinguished-looking elderly gentleman from, let's say, Ohio
02:24might just happen to be passing by with his dog.
02:27And the woman might be heard to say,
02:29Excuse me, sir, you look like you live around here.
02:32Could you please tell us who this Whitman fellow is?
02:36And the somewhat distinguished-looking elderly gentleman from Ohio might be heard to say,
02:40With pleasure, madam.
02:42This fellow is Bradley Whitford.
02:44He's a Quaker from Madison, Wisconsin, and he loved justice and mercy and his family, of course.
02:51And he had a lot of courage, too.
02:53And he stood up and spoke out against war and injustice and racism and the oppression of the poor.
03:00And he supported civil rights and voting rights and immigrant rights and the rights of workers and women's rights and
03:06gay rights.
03:07And he fought to protect the environment by banning nuclear weapons.
03:14And he loved his country and he defended the Constitution and the Bill of Rights against fascism and the corruption
03:19of 47 Second Coming.
03:21And he had a great sense of humor.
03:23And he spread a lot of hope and joy.
03:25And he was beloved by his family and friends.
03:27Oh, and he did some acting, of course.
03:30And he was pretty darn good at it.
03:32He even won some awards.
03:33And you know, I think he's still doing it somewhere.
03:36And then the woman might just be heard to say,
03:38Well, thank you so much.
03:40And by the way, you know, you look so familiar.
03:42Did anyone ever tell you, you look like that actor?
03:44You know the one I mean.
03:45He was on that stove for so long.
03:47Oh, dear, why can't I remember his name?
03:49But you know the one I'm talking about, don't you?
03:52And the somewhat distinguished elderly gentleman from Ohio might be heard to say,
03:55Oh, yes, ma'am.
03:57I know who you mean.
03:58I get it all the time.
03:59Well, I'll be seeing you folks.
04:00Have a nice day.
04:01And with that, the distinguished looking elderly gentleman from Ohio might be heard to say,
04:06Don't pay any attention to that alarm.
04:09He is seen strolling along with his dog on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right over his own star into
04:17the sunset.
04:18Fade out.
04:19Congratulations, Brad.
04:20Let it be a lesson.
