Sorkin Says ‘West Wing’ Door Is Open for Return of Lowe’s Character

Take heart, Rob Lowe. Your character’s life--if not his job--is safe.

Lowe, who plays White House deputy communications director Sam Seaborn in NBC’s drama “The West Wing,” has said he’s leaving later this season following a contract dispute.

“Sam Seaborn is not going to die,” series creator Aaron Sorkin said Thursday. “So the door is always open.”

Lowe, 38, announced he was leaving after producers declined to give him more money. The cast’s biggest star when the series premiered in 1999, he’s since been eclipsed by Martin Sheen, who plays President Josiah Bartlet, and is part of a large ensemble.

Sorkin, as well as other cast members, have said they wished Lowe didn’t have to leave.

“It’s a difficult situation,” Sorkin said. “There’s no villain in this case and it will be regrettable if it is portrayed that way. It’s a negotiation and it’s a tough one.”

Sorkin said he has a plan for writing Seaborn out of the series but wouldn’t reveal it.