Arnold Scwarzenegger is a famous actor who also had a political career as the Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. However, Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan took it a step further than Schwarzenegger and became the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989.
Hollywood actors have taken a crack at portraying commanders-in-chiefs in films. The presidents depicted in films date back to the United States Founding Father, George Washington, to recent presidents like George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
10 Jeff Daniels Portrays George Washington In The Crossing
Jeff Daniels began his acting career in the 1981 drama Ragtime. He continued to star in various films throughout the 1980s and remains a prominent figure in the industry today. For his performances, Daniels has won two Primetime Emmys and was nominated for three Tonys, five Screen Actor Guild Awards, and five Golden Globes.
Daniels stars in the 2000 television film The Crossing as George Washington, the first President of the United States. The Crossing follows the historical events of Washington's crossing of the Delaware River and the American revolutionary battle, the Battle of Trenton. The Crossing was well received by critics and earned a Peabody Award.
9 Sir Anthony Hopkins Earns Two Oscar Nominations For Playing Presidents
Sir Anthony Hopkins, despite being a Welsh actor, is familiar with portraying U.S. presidents. Hopkins plays President Richard Nixon in the 1995 film Nixon, before starring as John Quincy Adams, a president around 150 years before Nixon. He stars as Adams, the sixth President of the United States, in Steven Spielberg's 1997 historical drama film, Amistad.
Amistad follows the mutiny of a slave ship, La Amistad, by the Mende tribesmen. Amistad earned largely positive reviews, as did Hopkin's performance. Hopkins was nominated for Oscars for his portrayal of the two Presidents.
8 Daniel Day-Lewis Wins An Oscar For His Portrayal Of Lincoln
Sir Daniel Day-Lewis is a recently retired and critically acclaimed actor. He is well known for his role as Nathaniel "Hawkeye" Poe in the 1992 historical drama The Last Of The Mohicans. After spending time as a shoemaker in Italy, he returned to acting and makes an appearance in Spielberg's 2012 biographical drama Lincoln.
His portrayal as Abraham Lincoln is one of the more recognizable performances as a U.S. President, partly because of his Oscar win for the role. Lincoln focuses on the last four months of Honest Abe's life as the end of the Civil War draws near.
7 Robin Williams Plays Teddy Roosevelt In Night At The Museum
Robin Williams remains one of the most lovable Hollywood actors who tragically passed away in 2014. Williams is known for portraying kind-hearted characters like the genie in Aladdin and Dr. Patch Adams in the 1998 biographical film Patch Adams. He also plays the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, in the Night At The Museum trilogy.
Teddy is, however, a wax statue at the Museum of Natural History along with his wax horse. Unlike the real Roosevelt, Teddy crushes on Sacagewa, another wax figure in the museum. Teddy is extremely kind to Ben Stiller's character, Larry, and is shown as a peacemaker.
6 Bill Murray Plays FDR In Hyde Park On Hudson
Bill Murray is widely known for his role as Phil Connors, a pessimistic weatherman in the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Murray can also be recognized for his role as Peter Venkman in the Ghostbusters franchise. Murray takes a step back from his comedic roles and portrays the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Murray stars as Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 2012 British historical comedy-drama film Hyde Park On Hudson. Hyde Park On Hudson is set in 1939 when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the Roosevelts in Hyde Park, NY. The events are largely historically dramatized, and the film earned mixed reviews.
5 Tom Selleck as Dwight D. Eisenhower in Ike: Countdown to D-Day
Tom Selleck is known for his breakthrough role as Thomas Magnum in the 1980s crime drama television series Magnum, P.I. Other than his distinctive mustache, Selleck is also recognizable for his role as Dr. Richard Burke, Monica Geller's love interest on Friends. Tom Selleck doesn't just star in television series but plays another U.S. President known for their presence in wars, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Selleck appears in the A&E television film, Ike: Countdown To D-Day, as the 34th president himself. Although, Eisenhower is currently the General of the U.S. Army during Countdown To D-Day, as he makes important choices as D-Day draws near.
4 James Marsden Had Two Weeks To Prepare For His Role As JFK
James Marsden began his Hollywood acting career by starring in various '90s television shows, like Saved By The Bell: The New Class and Party Of Five. He is also known for his role as Scott Summers/Cyclops in the X-Men films. Marsden replaces Matthew McConaughey as John F. Kennedy in the 2013 historical drama film The Butler. Marsden had less than two weeks to prepare for his role due to McConaughey's departure.
"I immersed myself in whatever book I could read, I listened to his speeches over and over again, because the first thing that popped up in my mind was, "Don't screw up the accent!" So I had my sights set on that," says Marsden in an interview with Politico. The Butler is partly based on the life of Eugene Allen, a longtime waiter and butler in the White House.
3 Bryan Cranston Stars As LBJ On Broadway And On-Screen
Bryan Cranston isn't only known for his role as Walter White in the critically acclaimed series Breaking Bad. Cranston also stars as Kennedy's successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, in the 2016 HBO television film All The Way. He had previously starred as Lyndon B. Johnson in a 2014 Broadway production, winning a Tony award for his performance. All The Way follows the life of Johnson after the assassination of John F. Kennedy and his cooperation with Martin Luther King Jr. on the Civil Rights Act.
2 Alan Rickman Plays Actor-Turned-President Ronald Reagan
The late Alan Rickman was a dominant figure in the industry for his countless film roles, most notably as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise. Rickman's breakthrough role was a German terrorist named Hans Gruber in the 1988 film Die Hard. Rickman is also capable of U.S. president roles, like in the 2013 film The Butler.
The Butler features many actors portraying U.S. presidents, like John Cusack as Richard Nixon and Robin Williams as Dwight D. Eisenhower. Rickman stars as actor-turned-president Ronald Reagan, which critics think is a historically inaccurate portrayal.
1 Josh Brolin Stars As George W. Bush Before Playing Thanos
Last time Marvel fans checked, Thanos wasn't the President of the United States. Josh Brolin, known for his role as Thanos in the Avengers films, played quite the contrasting character years before joining the MCU. Brolin stars as former President George W. Bush in the 2008 biographical drama film W. W chronicles Bush's life dating back to his initiation in a fraternity at Yale University in 1966 to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. W. earned positive reviews, but the Bush administration has never commented on the film.