Creation and Development
The character of Charlie Young was originally to appear in the pilot, with a draft dated February 6, 1998, describing him as a "fresh-faced" 19-year-old who is taking a year off from Georgetown University to work as the president's personal aide. However, Charlie was written out of later drafts, and was not introduced in the show until The West Wing's third episode after the all-Caucasian main cast came under criticism from the NAACP. Aged 21 when he enters the White House, the character that made it into the show is slightly older than the early pilot draft calls for, and has a somewhat modified history.
Actor Dulé Hill says he decided to audition for the role due to the involvement of Martin Sheen (who portrayed President Bartlet) and show creator Aaron Sorkin, whose work he admires. In preparing for the role, Hill met with his character's real-life counterpart, Kris Engskov, then personal aide to President Bill Clinton. Hill says the experience helped him realize how important and potentially powerful the job was.
Charlie's interracial romance with President Bartlet's daughter sparked hate mail from some viewers, inspiring the season one cliffhanger in which the President and his staff are fired upon by white supremacists.
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