Over the years, an increasing number of actresses have played U.S. female president in movies. These actresses have played U.S. presidents in major or supporting roles like their male counterparts. The first documented film to have featured a U.S. president character was the 1909 short drama Washington Under the American Flag.
However, it was not until the 1924 silent science-fiction film The Last Man on Earth that Hollywood began exploring the idea of female presidents. Whether set in dystopian futures, political thrillers, or comedies, these portrayals highlight the evolving narrative surrounding women in power. Although the United States has yet to have a female president, these actresses have helped breathe life into its possibilities.
1. Jemma Redgrave – The Beekeeper
The latest movie to feature a female U.S. president is David Ayer’s 2024 action thriller Beekeeper. In the movie, Jason Statham played Adam Clay, a retired secret agent with the Beekeeper organization. He’s dragged back into active service after his kind-hearted landlady commits suicide after being a victim of a phishing scam. Although not directly involved in the film’s main plot, the U.S. president is dragged into the situation after it is revealed that her son, Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson), is the head of the phishing scam. Ultimately, President Jessica Danforth is put on a moral pedestal to save her son or do the right thing. British actress Jemma Redgrave played U.S. President Jessica Danforth. The actress comes from the famous Redgrave family, whose acting dynasty spans five generations.
2. Sela Ward – Independence Day: Resurgence
With the events in Independence Day: Resurgence literally set 20 years after its 1996 predecessor, Independence Day, the United States had a new president. Actress Sela Ward was cast as President Elizabeth Lanford. Having lost her family in the first invasion, Ward’s President Elizabeth Lanford, is a no-nonsense leader hellbent on protecting her nation from another alien attack. With Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Maika Monroe in major roles, Sela Ward’s President Elizabeth Lanford is cast in a supporting role. However, her character did justice to the authority and strength that embodies being the president of the United States of America.
3. Jamie Lee Curtis – An Acceptable Loss
Joe Chappelle’s 2018 political thriller An Acceptable Loss largely flew under the radar. It starred Tika Sumpter in the lead role as Dr. Elizabeth “Libby” Lamm, a former national security adviser. Sumpter’s Libby lives with the burden of a devastating decision she made while working for the then-Vice President Rachel Burke.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis played Rachel Burke, who was first introduced as Vice president. Curtis’s character later became the U.S. president for most of the movie’s runtime. As President Rachel Burke, the character is portrayed as a calculating and morally complex leader, willing to make difficult and controversial decisions for what she believes to be the greater good.
4. Jean Smart – Superintelligence
In Ben Falcone’s romantic action-comedy Superintelligence, actress Jean Smart played President Monahan. The movie, led by Melissa McCarthy, centered around a powerful artificial intelligence that chose McCarthy’s Carol Peters character as a subject for observation. Their experiment was to determine if humanity was worth saving or destroying. As President Monahan, Jean Smart’s character managed the global response to the AI threat. Smart’s character was one of the movie’s supporting cast members. Superintelligence also starred Brian Tyree Henry, James Corden, Michael Beach, and Sam Richardson.
5. Uma Thurman – Red, White & Royal Blue
Uma Thurman joined the cast of the 2023 romantic comedy Red, White & Royal Blue in a supporting role. Thurman played U.S. Ellen Claremont, the mother of one of the film’s central characters, Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez). Red, White & Royal Blue’s plot follows Alex Claremont-Diaz as he gets romantically involved with Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) of the British royal family. Uma Thurman’s President Ellen Claremont character is portrayed as a strong, supportive figure. She effortlessly navigates her political career and the personal dynamics of her family.
6. Meryl Streep – Don’t Look Up
Meryl Streep was part of the ensemble cast in Adam McKay’s 2021 Don’t Look Up. In the apocalyptic political satire black comedy, Streep played President Janie Orlean. Streep portrayed the character as a self-serving, populist president. She’s dismissive of the scientific evidence about an impending comet collision that threatens to destroy Earth. Meryl Streep’s performance highlighted the movie’s satirical elements, near-perfectly portraying how political leaders can sometimes be inept or indifferent in the face of global crises. President Janie Orlean is more concerned with her image, popularity, and maintaining political power. Don’t Look Up’s star-studded cast included Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill, and Mark Rylance. It also starred Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, and Kid Cudi.
7. Charlize Theron – Long Shot
In the 2019 romantic comedy Long Shot, actress Charlize Theron played Charlotte Field. Her character is introduced as a successful and ambitious U.S. Secretary of State. Charlotte Field jumps on an opportunity to run for president after President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk) decides he’d not run for a second term. In Long Shot, Charlotte Field reconnects with Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen), an unemployed, free-spirited journalist whom she used to babysit.
Field later hires Flarsky as her speechwriter as she embarks on her presidential campaign. Although Charlotte Field only becomes the president at the end of the movie, the entire presidential campaign run makes it a worthy addition to the list. In addition to these actresses who have played U.S. presidents in movies, check out these actors who have portrayed President Barack Obama in movies.
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