What a privilege to get to spend some time with one of the great people you get to meet in this life, Melissa Fitzgerald.

Melissa played Carol Fitzpatrick, CJ’s assistant, on The West Wing. You’ve also probably seen her movies like The Truman Show and Monument Avenue or on other TV shows like Gray’s Anatomy and Chasing The Hill.

Melissa and I start out talking about growing up in Philadelphia. She is the daughter of a father who was a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Judge and her mother was also politically active and volunteered in the community. They are graduates of the University of Pennsylvania. I asked Melissa what it was like for her to give the commencement speech at Chestnut Hill College. We then delved into how loyal West Wing fans are to the cast and show. She talks about the support she’s gotten over the years from her West Wing cast members, and the new book that she and Mary McCormack have written about their West Wing experience called, What’s Next, due out later this summer.

We then transition into the incredible work she’s done following the show. We hear about how the In Excelsis Deo episode became a reality for her when she was hired as the Director of Justice for Vets, a non-profit organization focused on veterans’ treatment courts. It has recently gone through a rebranding to All Rise. Her cast mates have rallied around her in her new role to help raise money and awareness for the great things this court system is doing to help our Veterans, who are dealing with substance abuse or mental health issues, get their lives back on track.

Be sure to check out the great things Melissa and All Rise are doing online at www.allrise.orgplus give her a follow on Instagram or X @maffyfitz. The book will be available later his summer in August. You can pre-order on Amazon. I will try to get both Melissa and Mary McCormack to join me when the release date gets closer.