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By Perri Nemiroff
When an actor has reached a certain point in his or her career, he or she may have the distinct privilege of playing the President of the United States of America. While the majority of us are far more comfortable with them "playing" the POTUS than "being" the POTUS, we present to you our list of actors who should run for president in honor of President's Day.
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Morgan Freeman
Why not start with the obvious choice? Should a comet ever threaten to destroy earth and my number not get selected in the lottery to hide out in the government’s underground shelters, we'd want Morgan Freeman to talk us through it. Playing president or not, Freeman has certainly enjoyed a range of roles, but he generally has a calming presence and, of course, that can come in handy in a time of crisis.
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Meryl Streep
No, we don’t necessarily want Margaret Thatcher or one of Meryl Streep’s many mighty leading ladies in the oval office, rather Streep herself. Why? Because Streep can do anything! Not only does she have countless memorable performances to her name, but she’s also got the most Academy Award nominations of any actor out there and is one of the most poised talents in the business.
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Angelina Jolie
Clearly this would never work, as her immense fame and the attention that comes with being the U.S. President would create the ultimate security risk, but brushing the tabloid bits aside, Jolie knows what she’s doing when it comes to making the world a better place. She first teamed with the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees back in 2001 and never looked back, finding immense success through various humanitarian efforts.
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Bill Pullman
“We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight!” You just can’t put perform like Bill Pullman did as President Thomas J. Whitmore in Independence Day and not think he’d make a great president in reality. Between his pre-battle pep talk and the fact that Whitmore himself leads an aerial attack over Area 51, there’s no reason to think Pullman wouldn’t make a great leader -- as long as he stays in character.
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Jodie Foster
A high school valedictorian, Yale graduate and a decorated U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel for a father -- not a bad list of things to have on your resume for a go at president. Not only has Jodie Foster’s acting ability earned her quite the degree of reverence, but the fact that she does her best to keep her personal life out of the spotlight gives her an air of professionalism many tabloid-ridden celebrities lack.
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George Clooney
You know what happens when someone gets elected president? They’re on TV and in the public eye – a lot. So what’s wrong with electing a U.S. president who’s easy on the eyes? Sure, there was that whole Charlton Heston controversy back in 2003, but should Clooney enter the Oval Office, he’d have someone writing his speeches for him. Crisis averted; let the ogling continue.
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Kal Penn
Kal Penn may have ditched the Obama administration to get high, hang with Wafflebots and Neil Patrick Harris in A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, but should an actor ever become president, his experience might make him a safe bet. There’s got to be a good reason he got the gig of Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and co-chair of Obama’s re-election campaign, right?
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Clint Eastwood
A good director has qualities that would serve well in the Oval Office; however, by calling this piece “Actors Who Should Run for President,” that’s not an option. Clint Eastwood, on the other hand, isn’t only an esteemed professional in front of the lens, but behind it, too. After having worked together on J. Edgar, Leonard DiCaprio called Eastwood “a great barometer of truth.” Sounds like something a president should be, right?
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Quentin Tarantino
Talk about a twisted reality. Should Quentin Tarantino take the presidency we’d be in for a life of grindhouse, kung fu and spaghetti Westerns. While that new existence may be a bit too warped and grotesque for some, I doubt anyone would argue with Tarantino re-writing history to have Aldo Raine and co. blast Hitler and his regime away.
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Oprah Winfrey
Who better to find a diplomatic solution to a testy situation than someone known for humbly conducting some of the highest profile interviews out there, many of which involved hot button topics? There’s a reason Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential celebrities we’ve got: she sits in that chair, puts on that soothing drone and rocks the power to put you at ease and listen with an open mind.
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Liam Neeson
Let’s just pretend Liam Neeson isn’t Irish for the sake of this gallery. He’s got a lengthy and impressive resume, but ever since starring in Taken, it’s tough to look at him any other way than being that indestructible guy who can singlehandedly take on a band of ruthless human traffickers, and now vicious wolves for that matter. Looking for a president who can do the impossible and save the day? Neeson is your guy.
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Steven Spielberg
Hey, he’s made appearances in a number of films; this counts! Forget diplomacy, health care, the state of the economy, etc.; let’s just have a country where we’re at peace with Reese’s Pieces-eating extra terrestrials, dinosaurs roam the land, a fedora-wearing Harrison Ford is the VP, and the world's cosmetic issues are cleared up with a few dabs of CGI here and there.
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Betty White
Homeland security and economic growth are important, but sometimes you just need to de-stress with a good laugh, and having a hilarious performer like Betty White as the head of state could certainly have that effect. Job loss and terrorism got you down? At least we’ll all be able to share a hearty laugh over our woes.
Who do you think would make a great U.S. prez? Tell us below!
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