00:02Please welcome Martin Sheen.
00:21After hearing those two introductions, I removed half of my impromptu remarks.
00:29Well, oh, it's daytime.
00:36When I met Brad for the very first time on the set of The West Wing,
00:41he came up to me with a very serious expression on his face.
00:44He shook my hand and he said,
00:46I am a huge fan and I just want you to know that I think you have a bright future
00:52behind you.
00:54That was 27 years ago and he was right.
00:57And I've been laughing and bragging about it ever since.
01:00But when he asked me to say a few words here on this occasion, I was honored, of course.
01:04But I was a bit reluctant because I didn't think he fully understood the future implications of this event.
01:12And so, Brad, with all due respect, please kindly allow me to conjure up a typical scenario that could very
01:18well take place right here on this spot on any given day into the far distant future, of course.
01:24And long after your bright future has been fully realized behind you.
01:29Let us fade in and imagine, for example, an elderly tourist couple, shall we say, from Wisconsin, as they meander
01:38along this street, reciting all the names of the stars embedded in the sidewalk.
01:42And when they discover the star with your name, they might be inclined to pause.
01:47And if so, the woman might be heard to say, oh, look, honey, isn't this that Whitford fellow from La
01:53Crosse who got kicked off the Hollywood squares for cussing on the air?
01:57And the man might be heard to say, no, sweetheart, you're thinking of that fellow from Green Bay who played
02:02second base for the Brewers and got ejected from a World Series game for cussing out the home plate empire.
02:07And the woman might be heard to say in response with some annoyance, well, thank you very much, Mr. Know
02:13-it-all.
02:13I wasn't asking for a history lesson.
02:15I was just wanting to know who this Whitman fellow is.
02:18And the man might be heard to say with an equal measure of annoyance, his name is not Whitman.
02:24It's Whitford.
02:25I don't have a clue who he is, and I could care less.
02:28Let's go get something to eat.
02:29And the woman might be heard to say, you go right ahead, Mr. Always in a hurry.
02:33I'm staying put till I figure out who this fellow is.
02:37And just at that very moment, a somewhat distinguished looking elderly gentleman from, let's say, Ohio, might just happen to
02:46be passing by with his dog.
02:48And the woman might be heard to say, excuse me, sir, you look like you live around here.
02:52Could you please tell us who this Whitman fellow is?
02:56And the somewhat distinguished looking elderly gentleman from Ohio might be heard to say, with pleasure, madam, this fellow is
03:04Bradley Whitford.
03:04He's a Quaker from Madison, Wisconsin, and he loved justice and mercy and his family, of course.
03:11And he had a lot of courage, too.
03:13And he stood up and spoke out against war and injustice and racism and the oppression of the poor.
03:20And he supported civil rights and voting rights and immigrant rights and the rights of workers and women's rights and
03:26gay rights.
03:27And he fought and he fought to protect the environment by banding nuclear weapons.
03:34And he loved his country and he defended the Constitution and the Bill of Rights against fascism and the corruption
03:39of 47 Second Coming.
03:41And he had a great sense of humor and he spread a lot of hope and joy.
03:45And he was beloved by his family and friends.
03:47Oh, and he did some acting, of course.
03:50And he was pretty darn good at it.
03:52He even won some awards.
03:53And, you know, I think he's still doing it somewhere.
03:56And then the woman might just be heard to say, well, thank you so much.
04:00And, by the way, you know, you look so familiar.
04:02Did anyone ever tell you you look like that actor?
04:04You know the one I mean.
04:05He was on that show for so long.
04:07Oh, dear, why can't I remember his name?
04:10But you know the one I'm talking about, don't you?
04:12And the somewhat distinguished elderly gentleman from Ohio might be heard to say, oh, yes, ma'am, I know who
04:18you mean.
04:18I get it all the time.
04:19Well, I'll be seeing you folks.
04:20Have a nice day.
04:21And with that, the distinguished-looking elderly gentleman from Ohio might be heard to say, don't pay any attention to
04:28that alarm.
04:29He is seen strolling along with his dog on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right over his own star into
04:37the sunset.
04:38Fade out.
04:39Congratulations, Brad.
04:40Let it be a lesson.
