No other president or state head in the world makes as much news as the American President does, and even on a good day at the White House, there is bound to be some news or the other that shows the president in poor light. And what’s more, we can’t seem to stop talking about them even after they’re gone. From Lincoln to Nixon, whether it is a documentary pr movie, yet another discovery or revelation, or just the cooking up of a yet another story that somehow brings back a president or two into the limelight yet again, there have always been several attempts to keep our presidents alive in the memories of the public, one way or another. So it isn’t really surprising that the entertainment industry weighs in heavily on this trend too, producing movies that either revolve around the American presidency or use it as a reference in some form or another. Well, all in all, there’s one thing for sure — there are several fictional American Presidents out there who, for several reasons, and not all of them that really counts, as usual, we’d rather have in the White House. So here we are with our own list of American Presidents From the Movies and TV Shows We’d Happily Vote Into Office!
President Thomas J. Whitmore from Independence Day
When you have a president who is not just willing to put himself out there is the world leader who shows the way in times of a global calamity but is also willing to walk the talk and don the gear of a pilot to go up against an alien invasion, you know you have a president who isn’t just an inspiring one but is also one you can follow into battle. And that’s what President Thomas J. Whitmore of Independence Day is for you. As a fighter pilot who has already proved his worth on the battlefield as a part of Operation Desert Storm, this president gives you confidence even when there’s a large alien mothership hovering above our planet and threatening to destroy it. And what else could anyone possibly ask for? Of course, that it’s Bill Pulman’s charm that is carrying the entire character on its shoulders is enough reason too! And who can forget that inspiring speech that this handsome and dashing president gives to inspire his people into action! Man, those lines will always give us goosebumps!
President Andrew Shepherd from The American President
We love to see presidents who connect with the rest of us on a more human level and that’s exactly why President Andrew Shepherd is one of our favorite fictional presidents who we’d love to see don the top post at the White House. After all, who doesn’t trust a president to be a great one when he’s got a heart of gold and is in love! it all begins when this handsome and dashing public figure, played perfectly by Michael Douglas, is on his way to fighting the good fight for a second term in office. It all goes south, however, when the president, putting at stake even his re-election, decides to follow his heart by pursuing the woman he has fallen for. With cute Annette Bening playing the role of the sweet yet strong Sydney Ellen Wade, The American President takes audiences on a wild romantic ride, that is it was up to the villains in the movie, could only end in political disaster for an otherwise successful president. Well, who wouldn’t love to have a president in love at the Oval Office? After all, we all know that happy people in love make happy choices for themselves and everyone around them too! And for that reason alone, we’d have loved an opportunity to vote for President Andrew Shepherd!
President James Marshall from Air Force One
When a president not only takes it upon himself to save the lives of his family and even staff but also fights against hardcore terrorists in the bid to do so, you know that you have quite the heroic figure on your hands! And that’s exactly what President James Marshall is in the action-packed film Air Force One. And how can you even expect anything else when the man at the helm of all the action has won a Medal of Honor for his heroics in the Vietnam War! Played to perfection by none other than Harrison Ford — on second thoughts, we’d give anything to see Harrison Ford enter his bid for the top spot at the White House too — this one has the US president taking on a bloodthirsty terrorist group who have hijacked Air Force One and aim to bring America down to its knees. But who can ever succeed at this when you have a president who doesn’t just believe in the path of non-negotiation with terror outfits but is also one to use his intelligence and bravery when it comes to toeing the line himself. When a president’s speech begins with these powerful lines, “The dead remember our indifference. The dead remember our silence.”, you know you have quite the powerhouse of a president on your hands!
President Allan Trumbull from Angel Has Fallen
After playing the part of Speaker of the House, the Vice President, and even the acting President of the United States, Allan Trumbull is finally able to don the mantle of the President of the United States, only to see his life come under serious threat in Angel has Fallen. And boy, did Morgan Freeman play his parts well through the trilogy that was the Has Fallen franchise. And when one comes to think of it, Morgan truly does most characteristics we would love to see in a real-life president! In yet another role as POTUS, Morgan is not only convincing enough to play the part of President Trumbull but also proves to be one of the gutsiest of the lot! Yet another movie that reiterates our claim that Morgan is indeed the perfect US president, at least as far as the entertainment industry is concerned, Angel Has Fallen sure makes a great case for the guy who plays God to take on the top spot at the White House too!
President James Sawyer in White House Down
Jamie Foxx can pull off just about any role given to him. Whether it’s a classy musician or a comedic character, Jamie gives his roles a unique touch that despite making the character synonymous with his name, still manages to give the portrayal a distinct individuality. And that’s what he does yet again as President James Sawyer in White House Down. In the movie, the president is pushing for a worldwide peace treaty that will finally see nations persevere towards peace and brotherhood instead of distrust and war. Of course, this attempt does not go down well with everyone and the president soon has a deadly mercenary group out to take his life. From a genuine love for Air Jordans to making a genuine effort to quit smoking, there are several distinct qualities in this president that makes him just like the rest of us, but when it comes to the movie, this one also has a lot more fight in him than most of us! An easy candidate for a real-life presidency, President James Sawyer is one of our favorites on this list!
President Tom Beck from Deep Impact
They say the true worth and identity of a person are revealed in times of a crisis, and going by those standards, President Tom Beck is one person we’d love to hand over our nation’s presidency to in times of a crisis, especially one that threatens our very existence! Playing out the role of an American President to the hilt, Morgan Freeman — who is yet another personality who has not just donned the role of POTUS in other roles, but one person we’d gladly vote into the White House any day — is not just portrayed in the film as a gutsy president who is willing to make decisions that could mean the difference between existence and annihilation but also as one who is intelligent enough to make the right moves so that even as an asteroid is hurtling towards the planet, things on the ground stay as close to normal as possible. In a time when blatant statements from state heads from all over the world lead to mayhem and bloodshed, it sure helps to have a president, even if he is a fictional one, to stay sane even in the face of a catastrophe, making sure that the citizens of the nation and the world are as safe as they can possibly be. Well, Deep Impact was one movie that didn’t just give us ways to take on an asteroid should one ever hurtle towards earth but also gave us ideas on how the ideal president should behave in the face of absolute danger.
President David Palmer from 24
The television series 24 gave audiences quite a few memorable characters and one of the most prominent among them was President David Palmer. Played by Dennis Haysbert, the character, who is initially a part of the storyline as a US senator soon becomes the President of the United States, and toeing a tough line as well as being understanding and empathetic towards those around him, President Palmer is seen evolving at every stage of the series, not just standing tall in the face of one adversity after another but also fighting his own demons. As a president, this is one guy who sure came out on top of several real-life polls! Voted as the favorite on-screen president and even the one audiences would really like to see at the White House, this particular fictional US president has to his name several wins in polls conducted by notable authoritative brands such as Blockbuster and TV.com. And frankly, seeing how he takes the right decisions in situations ranging from nuclear to terrorist threats, we sure wish we had the opportunity to vote President David Palmer into office!
President Baxter Harris from Scary Movie 3
Oh, come on! We’ve seen enough of blunders and blurt-outs and even hilarious gaffes from our real presidents to allow for a humorous addition to our list. And what better person to add some light-hearted weirdness to our list than President Baxter Harris from Scary Movie 3! Losing the little intelligence and wit he has upon learning that the planet is under attack from aliens, you can see in one of the most hilarious sequences of the film, the President of the United States punching and attacking everyone from old men to little girls, all in under the paranoia that aliens have seized control of those with handicapped bodies! Now, we know this is only a big joke, and no, we wouldn’t really want to see such a bumbling president in office, there’s no denying that there are some days when we see our real-life presidents lose it all, and on those days when we imagine the comic relief to be coming from a fictional president rather than a real one, we sure wish it was Leslie Nielsen who we had to deal with!
President Dave Kovic from Dave
Ummmmm… so how do we put this… this president on our list wasn’t really the President of the United States but a lookalike who simply is put in the position of the leading office of the country so as to enable the party to maintain control over the chair, but nevertheless, this was one stand-in who we wouldn’t mind giving a permanent place at the Oval Office! The original President Dave Kovic, played by the talented Kevin Kline, is one philandering guy who clearly does not deserve to be in the position he has been elected to, and on the other hand, the stand-in President Dave Kovic, also played by Kevin, is a guy who knows nothing else but to do the right thing, and taking advantage of his new position, does just that. From putting in place funding for homeless children to kicking in a bill that would help people get jobs, and even winning the love of the first lady, this newbie seems to do everything the way it is supposed to be done. And as a nation, we’d sure love to have such a president in the White House, one who truly cares for the people, and works for them too!
President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet from The West Wing
Owning the room and everyone in it each time he walked into one, there is probably no president we know better on this list than President Josiah Edward “Jed” Bartlet from the hit television show The West Wing. As far as fictional presidents go, President Bartlet makes for quite the personality, one who’s not just hesitant to throw his weight around when it comes to bringing down the arrogance of opponents but also one who is equally considerate when it comes to genuine issues. Highly intellectual, with a quick wit to go with the genuine bravado, and the epitome of all things related to the integrity of the office as well as everything it stands for, this is one president we’d sure like to see voted in as the next President of the United States. Martin Sheen pulls off the character with great versatility and it is no surprise that when it comes to fictional presidents, President Josiah Barlet scores pretty high on the list!
Now, How’s That for a List of Cool Presidents We’d Like to See in Office!
We know the presidents on our list of American Presidents From the Movies and TV Shows We’d Happily Vote Into Office! are all fictional and it would be difficult for such a kind of person to even get into politics and stay the course until they get an opportunity to become the president of the US of A, but hey, it has indeed happened before in more countries than one where people from very different walks of life have had destiny give them a chance at writing their names down in history. And while some of them have made the most of the opportunity, others have blown it. Well, we can only hope that if any of the presidents from this list don the mantle of POTUS, it turns out to be the ones who have the capacity to truly head a nation with pride, honesty, and goodwill.Dennis Haysbert
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