The West Wing (TV Series)

Dead Irish Writers (2002)

Roger Rees: Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury

Quotes 

• [British Ambassador Lord John Marbury joins the President and First Lady at her birthday gala celebration] 

  Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : Abigail!

  President Josiah Bartlet : Now it's a party.

  Abbey Bartlet : Oh. Yes, your lordship.

  Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : Your breasts are magnificent.

  Abbey Bartlet : Oh. Um... thank you, John.

  Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : May I inquire, Mr. President - the first thing that attracted you to Abigail - was it her magnificent breasts?

  Abbey Bartlet : It was.

  President Josiah Bartlet : You know John, there are places in the world where it might be considered rude to talk about the physical attributes of another man's wife.

  Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : My god. Really?

  President Josiah Bartlet : Yeah.

• Toby Ziegler : Can I call you John?

  Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : I am John, Lord Marbury, Earl of Croy, Marquess of Needham and Dolby, Baronet of Brycey, England's ambassador to the United States, and a terrorist is a terrorist even if he wears a green necktie and sings "Danny Boy". Yes, you can call me John.

• President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : Look, obviously we knew that this was going to be a thing, but it doesn't have to be tonight, right?

  Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : No, absolutely not. I shall take it up with Gerald.

  Abbey Bartlet : Who's Gerald?

  President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : I'm pretty sure he means Leo.

  Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : Hmm. Oh, do you have a new Chief of Staff?

  President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet : No.

  Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : Well, then Gerald it is!

• Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : You're involving yourself in a centuries old conflict without sufficient regard for history. Listen to the warning of old friends. It was Kipling who warned to expect "the blame of those ye better, and the hate of those ye guard."

  Toby Ziegler : And wasn't it James Joyce who said, "History is a nightmare from which I'm trying to awake."

  Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : Yes, but it was your own great Irish master, Eugene O'Neill, who said, "There is no present or future, only the past happening over and over again... now."

• Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : [Lord Marbury is drunk]  Abigail, may I grasp your breasts?

  President Josiah Bartlet : I'm standing right here!

  Abbey Bartlet : You may kiss my cheek.

• Brit. Ambassador Lord John Marbury : Toby, despite appearances, I do have lucid... moments.