John Aylward, an American actor, was born on November 7, 1946, and passed away on May 16, 2022. He is renowned for his notable roles, including the character of Barry Goodwin, the former DNC chairman, in the NBC television series The West Wing, and Dr. Donald Anspaugh in the NBC television series ER.
Moreover, he lent his voice to Dr. Arne Magnusson in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Aylward attended St. Joseph's Grade school and later transferred to Prep High School, eventually graduating from Garfield High School in 1965.
He continued his education by graduating from the Professional Actor's Training Program at the University of Washington in 1970. Aylward was one of the founders of Seattle's Empty Space Theatre in 1973 and worked as a company member of the Seattle Repertory Theatre for 15 years before transitioning to television and film acting in the 1990s.
Carol Flynt, co-producer of ER, first noticed him after witnessing his performance in a 1996 production of "Psychopathia Sexualis" at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, subsequently offering him an audition.
