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'''Donnatella''' "'''Donna'''" '''Moss''' is a [[fictional character]] played by [[Janel Moloney]] on the television serial drama ''[[The West Wing (television)|The West Wing]].'' Although Donna is a [[recurring character]] during the first season, she appears in every episode of that season. The disconnect was due to uncertainty about the role from production staff throughout the first season, but by the second season her role was certain and Janel Moloney is credited as a regular cast member from the beginning of the second season.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXTS8tTFd1Y|title=How Janel Moloney Found Donna Moss In 'The West Wing'}}</ref> |
'''Donnatella''' "'''Donna'''" '''Moss''' is a [[fictional character]] played by [[Janel Moloney]] on the television serial drama ''[[The West Wing (television)|The West Wing]].'' Although Donna is a [[recurring character]] during the first season, she appears in every episode of that season. The disconnect was due to uncertainty about the role from production staff throughout the first season, but by the second season her role was certain and Janel Moloney is credited as a regular cast member from the beginning of the second season.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXTS8tTFd1Y|title=How Janel Moloney Found Donna Moss In 'The West Wing'}}</ref> |
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During most of the series, Donna works as the senior assistant to [[White House Deputy Chief of Staff]] [[Josh Lyman]] (or, as she jokingly calls herself in one episode, the "''deputy'' deputy chief of staff"). Although all the senior |
During most of the series, Donna works as the senior assistant to [[White House Deputy Chief of Staff]] [[Josh Lyman]] (or, as she jokingly calls herself in one episode, the "''deputy'' deputy chief of staff"). Although all the senior staffs' assistants are continuing characters with personal backgrounds, Donna is the best defined and most often featured staff member on the assistant level, and her difficult, semi-romantic relationship with Josh is a major plot device during later seasons. |
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==Character biography== |
==Character biography== |
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Donna was born outside of [[Warroad, Minnesota]], to an [[Irish-American]] father and an [[Italian-American]] mother. Donna's United States citizenship is briefly revoked after the Minnesota town in which she was born ends up in Canada due to border changes. However, her citizenship is quickly restored after the discovery of a grandfather clause in the law. Josh identifies Donna as a Protestant. |
Donna was born outside of [[Warroad, Minnesota]], to an [[Irish-American]] father and an [[Italian-American]] mother. Donna's United States citizenship is briefly revoked after the Minnesota town in which she was born ends up in Canada due to border changes. However, her citizenship is quickly restored after the discovery of a grandfather clause in the law. Josh identifies Donna as a Protestant. |
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Donna moved to [[Wisconsin]], where she attended [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]] and dropped out halfway through to support her boyfriend as he went through medical school. After her boyfriend graduated, he dumped Donna. |
Donna moved to [[Wisconsin]], where she attended [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]] and dropped out halfway through to support her boyfriend as he went through medical school. After her boyfriend graduated, he dumped Donna. |
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At the beginning of Season 2, the story of Donna's introduction to the Bartlet campaign and ultimately the White House is told from the vantage point of [[Josh Lyman]]'s [[Flashback (psychology)|flashback]], who is under surgery due to a gunshot wound. The flashback is set in the early stages of Jed Bartlet's campaign for President, between the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire primary. Donna is found in Josh's campaign office New Hampshire, pretending to have been hired as Josh's assistant. Josh discovers the deception but is somewhat amused by it, proceeding to hire her as his actual assistant. Towards the end of the season, Donna recounts to Josh why she left afterwards - she says that she left the campaign to go back to her boyfriend, but she got into a car accident, and on the way to the hospital, her boyfriend stopped for a beer. Donna tells the story to get him to stop making fun of her for going back to her boyfriend, because Josh incorrectly assumes the boyfriend dumped her both times, contrary to Donna's story. |
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Donna remains Josh's assistant during [[Josiah Bartlet]]'s first presidential term and the beginning of his second. Her job during this time usually takes the form of little more than a secretary (albeit in an unusually challenging and glorified environment) until Josh sends her as an observer on a [[Parliamentary delegation|Congressional delegation (CODEL)]] to [[Gaza City|Gaza]] in response to her request for opportunities for job growth. While in Gaza, Donna sustains a serious injury as a result of a [[terrorist attack]] on the American [[convoy]]. She gradually recovers from those injuries. |
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Donna remains Josh's assistant during the first six seasons, set between 1999-2005. The show uses her time as Josh's secretary to express skepticism with various policies of the show's Democratic Party. Her political debates with Josh, which are often left unresolved, are one of the show's trademark methods of exploring multiple sides of an issue.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} Aside from this, however, Donna is mostly shown as a secretary (although the environment she's set in is unusually challenging). Her desires to advance are mostly ignored by Josh, because, as another character puts it, "If he [Josh] was giving you every opportunity, you would have grown out of this job three years ago. You can't blame him. He's never gonna find anybody else as capable." The context of that quote, however, was that Josh assigned Donna to a Congressional Delegation trip to Gaza. The storyline of the next season begins when Donna's convoy in Gaza sustains a terrorist attack, causing serious injuries to Donna. She gradually recovers, but the attack is used as a plot point to drive peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, brokered by President Bartlet. |
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Donna returns to her duties at the White House but eventually quits her job in the Season 6 episode "Impact Winter" to become senior aide to Will Bailey, Vice President [[Bob Russell (The West Wing)|Bob Russell]]'s presidential campaign manager. Her new position places her in direct conflict with Josh, who has convinced Congressman [[Matt Santos]] to run for the Democratic nomination for president, with himself as campaign manager. After Santos wins the nomination, Donna applies to work for Josh at the Santos campaign. However, personal attacks she made on Santos as Russell's press secretary force Josh to refuse her application, although he reveals during the job interview that he misses her "every day". |
Donna returns to her duties at the White House but eventually quits her job in the Season 6 episode "Impact Winter" to become senior aide to Will Bailey, Vice President [[Bob Russell (The West Wing)|Bob Russell]]'s presidential campaign manager. Her new position places her in direct conflict with Josh, who has convinced Congressman [[Matt Santos]] to run for the Democratic nomination for president, with himself as campaign manager. After Santos wins the nomination, Donna applies to work for Josh at the Santos campaign. However, personal attacks she made on Santos as Russell's press secretary force Josh to refuse her application, although he reveals during the job interview that he misses her "every day". |
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Later, on the Santos campaign trail, unbeknownst to Josh, Communications Director Louise "Lou" Thornton hires Donna as a campaign spokeswoman. Josh is initially upset with Lou for hiring Donna, and he implies in a tense conversation with Donna that he is reluctant to hire her since he feels betrayed by her decision to work for a competing candidate which he, her "mentor", did not support. The two reconcile on the campaign trail, with their relationship becoming romantic during the season 7 episode "The Cold". After Santos's victory, Donna is offered a position in the new administration as deputy [[White House press secretary]]. However, having become close to Helen Santos during the campaign, she is also offered the position of chief of staff to the [[First Lady of the United States|first lady]]. She chooses to accept this offer, feeling she cannot work for [[Josh Lyman|Josh]] while something is happening between them romantically. The two initially question their relationship if they're willing to commit to one, which is later confirmed when they vacation together. Her large [[White House]] office, which she is shocked to see, symbolizes her growth since the beginning of the series, when her workplace was a cubicle in Josh's bullpen. |
Later, on the Santos campaign trail, unbeknownst to Josh, Communications Director Louise "Lou" Thornton hires Donna as a campaign spokeswoman. Josh is initially upset with Lou for hiring Donna, and he implies in a tense conversation with Donna that he is reluctant to hire her since he feels betrayed by her decision to work for a competing candidate which he, her "mentor", did not support. The two reconcile on the campaign trail, with their relationship becoming romantic during the season 7 episode "The Cold". After Santos's victory, Donna is offered a position in the new administration as deputy [[White House press secretary]]. However, having become close to Helen Santos during the campaign, she is also offered the position of chief of staff to the [[First Lady of the United States|first lady]]. She chooses to accept this offer, feeling she cannot work for [[Josh Lyman|Josh]] while something is happening between them romantically. The two initially question their relationship if they're willing to commit to one, which is later confirmed when they vacation together. Her large [[White House]] office, which she is shocked to see, symbolizes her growth since the beginning of the series, when her workplace was a cubicle in Josh's bullpen. |
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Donna is a Democrat but is sometimes critical of the logic behind various [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] policies. Her political debates with Josh, which are often left unresolved, are one of the show's trademark methods of exploring multiple sides of an issue. |
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==Relationship with Josh Lyman== |
==Relationship with Josh Lyman== |
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Revision as of 20:13, 14 December 2020
 | This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. (August 2020) |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2020) |
| Donna Moss | |
|---|---|
| The West Wing character | |
 Janel Moloney as Donna Moss | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Last appearance | "Tomorrow" |
| Created by | Aaron Sorkin |
| Portrayed by | Janel Moloney |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Donnatella Moss |
| Gender | Female |
| Title | Chief of Staff to the First Lady |
| Occupation | Senior Assistant to the White House Deputy Chief of Staff (seasons 1-6), Russell Campaign Senior Aide (season 6), Santos Campaign Spokeswoman (season 7), Chief of Staff to the First Lady (end of season 7) |
| Family | Unnamed mother, unnamed father. |
| Spouse | Josh Lyman (boyfriend) |
| Religion | Protestant, denomination unspecified |
| Nationality | American/Canadian[1] |
Donnatella "Donna" Moss is a fictional character played by Janel Moloney on the television serial drama The West Wing. Although Donna is a recurring character during the first season, she appears in every episode of that season. The disconnect was due to uncertainty about the role from production staff throughout the first season, but by the second season her role was certain and Janel Moloney is credited as a regular cast member from the beginning of the second season.[2]
During most of the series, Donna works as the senior assistant to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (or, as she jokingly calls herself in one episode, the "deputy deputy chief of staff"). Although all the senior staffs' assistants are continuing characters with personal backgrounds, Donna is the best defined and most often featured staff member on the assistant level, and her difficult, semi-romantic relationship with Josh is a major plot device during later seasons.
Character biography
Donna was born outside of Warroad, Minnesota, to an Irish-American father and an Italian-American mother. Donna's United States citizenship is briefly revoked after the Minnesota town in which she was born ends up in Canada due to border changes. However, her citizenship is quickly restored after the discovery of a grandfather clause in the law. Josh identifies Donna as a Protestant.
Donna moved to Wisconsin, where she attended University of Wisconsin–Madison and dropped out halfway through to support her boyfriend as he went through medical school. After her boyfriend graduated, he dumped Donna.
At the beginning of Season 2, the story of Donna's introduction to the Bartlet campaign and ultimately the White House is told from the vantage point of Josh Lyman's flashback, who is under surgery due to a gunshot wound. The flashback is set in the early stages of Jed Bartlet's campaign for President, between the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire primary. Donna is found in Josh's campaign office New Hampshire, pretending to have been hired as Josh's assistant. Josh discovers the deception but is somewhat amused by it, proceeding to hire her as his actual assistant. Towards the end of the season, Donna recounts to Josh why she left afterwards - she says that she left the campaign to go back to her boyfriend, but she got into a car accident, and on the way to the hospital, her boyfriend stopped for a beer. Donna tells the story to get him to stop making fun of her for going back to her boyfriend, because Josh incorrectly assumes the boyfriend dumped her both times, contrary to Donna's story.
Donna remains Josh's assistant during the first six seasons, set between 1999-2005. The show uses her time as Josh's secretary to express skepticism with various policies of the show's Democratic Party. Her political debates with Josh, which are often left unresolved, are one of the show's trademark methods of exploring multiple sides of an issue.[citation needed] Aside from this, however, Donna is mostly shown as a secretary (although the environment she's set in is unusually challenging). Her desires to advance are mostly ignored by Josh, because, as another character puts it, "If he [Josh] was giving you every opportunity, you would have grown out of this job three years ago. You can't blame him. He's never gonna find anybody else as capable." The context of that quote, however, was that Josh assigned Donna to a Congressional Delegation trip to Gaza. The storyline of the next season begins when Donna's convoy in Gaza sustains a terrorist attack, causing serious injuries to Donna. She gradually recovers, but the attack is used as a plot point to drive peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, brokered by President Bartlet.
Donna returns to her duties at the White House but eventually quits her job in the Season 6 episode "Impact Winter" to become senior aide to Will Bailey, Vice President Bob Russell's presidential campaign manager. Her new position places her in direct conflict with Josh, who has convinced Congressman Matt Santos to run for the Democratic nomination for president, with himself as campaign manager. After Santos wins the nomination, Donna applies to work for Josh at the Santos campaign. However, personal attacks she made on Santos as Russell's press secretary force Josh to refuse her application, although he reveals during the job interview that he misses her "every day".
Later, on the Santos campaign trail, unbeknownst to Josh, Communications Director Louise "Lou" Thornton hires Donna as a campaign spokeswoman. Josh is initially upset with Lou for hiring Donna, and he implies in a tense conversation with Donna that he is reluctant to hire her since he feels betrayed by her decision to work for a competing candidate which he, her "mentor", did not support. The two reconcile on the campaign trail, with their relationship becoming romantic during the season 7 episode "The Cold". After Santos's victory, Donna is offered a position in the new administration as deputy White House press secretary. However, having become close to Helen Santos during the campaign, she is also offered the position of chief of staff to the first lady. She chooses to accept this offer, feeling she cannot work for Josh while something is happening between them romantically. The two initially question their relationship if they're willing to commit to one, which is later confirmed when they vacation together. Her large White House office, which she is shocked to see, symbolizes her growth since the beginning of the series, when her workplace was a cubicle in Josh's bullpen.
Relationship with Josh Lyman
The chemistry between Janel Moloney and Bradley Whitford, who portrayed Josh Lyman, caught producers' attention early in the series. After seeing Moloney and Whitford perform together in the pilot, Aaron Sorkin added a scene in which Donna argues with Josh to change his shirt before attending a meeting, eventually convincing him by saying, "All the girls think you look really hot in this shirt". Although Mandy Hampton was originally intended to be Josh's romantic interest, by the end of the show's first season the character was written out and the role taken over by Donna.
During the first four seasons, the relationship remains in stasis, with neither daring to make any real romantic move on the other. Sorkin admits that he was more inclined to move the relationship forward, but, every time he discussed the possibility, fellow executive producer Thomas Schlamme would shout, "No! Wait another year!" "Besides", adds Sorkin, "Sexual and romantic tension is, to me, much more fun than taking the tension away by having the sex and romance".[3]
Other characters occasionally speculate on the pair's relationship. When Donna encourages Josh to ask Joey Lucas on a date, Joey guesses that Donna is attempting to cover her own feelings for Josh through misdirection.[4] During her first meeting with Josh, Amy Gardner asks him if he is dating his assistant,[5] and later asks Donna directly, "Are you in love with Josh?", although the show cuts to another scene before viewers can see the answer.[6] When Donna recruits Josh to help her get a date with Jack Reese, Josh's behavior leads Jack to wonder whether he is getting "in between anything".[7] When Josh visits Donna in the hospital, Collin asks Josh why he flew halfway around the world to visit her.
References
- ^ Writer: Aaron Sorkin & Paul Redford Director: Alex Graves (March 6, 2002). "Dead Irish Writers". The West Wing. Season 3. Episode 15.
{{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ How Janel Moloney Found Donna Moss In 'The West Wing'.
- ^ Moore, Frazier (February 12, 2001). West Wing Lovers Are in Limbo Archived May 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Associated Press. Retrieved on December 15, 2007.
- ^ The West Wing, Episode 2.14: The War at Home. Original airdate: February 14, 2001.
- ^ The West Wing, Episode 3.08: The Women of Qumar. Original airdate: November 28, 2001.
- ^ The West Wing, Episode 4.22: Commencement. Original airdate: May 7, 2003.
- ^ The West Wing, Episode 4.10: Arctic Radar. Original airdate: November 27, 2002.