Martin Sheen pleads for Rob Lowe to stay on ''West Wing''

Last month, when Rob Lowe announced he would be leaving ”The West Wing” in March, his TV boss, Martin Sheen, expressed his support. Now, however, Sheen has apparently made an executive decision and changed his mind. In an interview on Wednesday on ”Access Hollywood,” Sheen pleaded with Lowe, whom he’s known since the actor was a child, to continue to serve at the side of the president.

”He’s terrific in the show,” Sheen said. ”I don’t think he has ever been better in anything else, frankly. Are you listening Rob?”

Lowe reportedly chose to leave the show because producers wouldn’t give him a raise after three years; when the series started, he was its best-known name and earned about $75,000 per episode, but since then, the other supporting players have had their salaries raised to about his level, while Sheen’s has been tripled to $300,000 per show. Still, Sheen said he doubted Lowe could do better elsewhere. ”We keep beating him up, you know, stay with us a little longer. I don’t think it’s much greener anywhere else. We’re hoping he will have a change of heart and that it’s not a foregone conclusion. It could happen. He could come to his senses and stay with us for a little while.”