Top 10 fictitious presidents in movies
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| Top 10 fictitious presidents in movies |
In honor of Presidents' Day,
we asked our readers what fictitious Hollywood president would be fit for the Oval Office. After all, if some of these celebrated chief executives were real, we could be celebrating them on this holiday, along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Click through and check out the top 10 fictitious presidents on the silver screen.
10. (tie) Jack Lemmon, "My Fellow Americans" (1996)Former Presidents Kramer (Lemmon, left) and Douglas (James Garner, right), one-time political adversaries, are forced to unite as an ex-presidential odd couple after being set up by the government. In attempting to clear their names, a cross-country adventure ensues and ideological barriers are broken down.
10. (tie) Jeff Bridges, "The Contender" (2000)Bridges was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as President Jackson Evans in the movie in which a woman seeking the office of vice president is surrounded by rampant, harsh rumors about her personal affairs.
9. John Travolta, "Primary Colors" (1998)Will the real Bill Clinton please stand up? In an apparent spoof of the then-president's path to the White House, Travolta plays Jack Stanton, a slick southern governor who runs for president amid a sex scandal.
8. Billy Bob Thornton, "Love Actually" (1993)Thornton visited 10 Downing Street in a scene-stealing cameo in this British romantic comedy.
7. Henry Fonda, "Fail-Safe" (1964)Fonda has a mess on his hands as an an electrical malfunction leads the United States and Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war.
6. Morgan Freeman, "Deep Impact" (1998)President Beck has the unenviable task of trying the save the planet from being hit by an enormous asteroid, one of two movies with that theme released in the summer of 1998.
5. Peter Sellers, "Dr. Strangelove" (1964)In the black comedy also known as "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," Sellers, as President Merkin Muffley, scrambles to stop a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union after a deranged general orders the strike. Sellers portrayed three different characters in the movie, which the United States Library of Congress declared "culturally significant" in 1989.
4. Bill Pullman,"Independence Day" (1996)Pullman, as President Thomas J. Whitmore, narrowly escapes the White House before its destroyed by aliens, but he still leads the nation as it joins forces with other countries to save the planet.
3. Kevin Kline, "Dave" (1993) Kline's character, Dave Kovic, impersonates President Bill Mitchell when Mitchell, a Kovic lookalike, falls into a coma. Kline is convinced by aides Alan Reed (Kevin Dunn, left) and Bob Alexander (Frank Langella, right) that he could pull it off.
2. Harrison Ford, "Air Force One" (1997)Hijackers seize the 747 carrying President James Marshall, played by Ford, and the first family, in this thriller. At left: the president is menaced by a hjiacker (Gary Oldham, left).
1. Michael Douglas, "The American President" (1995)Douglas, shown with Annette Bening, plays widowed President Andrew Shepherd, who falls in love with a lobbyist in this comedy-drama.
Honorable Mention: Martin Sheen, "The West Wing" (1999-2006)The poll called for fictitious movie presidents, but we heard from the TV lovers, as well. Martin Sheen, for his portrayal of President Jed Bartlet, received an overwhelming number of write-in votes. And why not? Sheen was nominated for six Emmys and won six of his eight Golden Globe nominations in the role on the critically-acclaimed series.
