Hollywood actors are full of charm that makes not just America but the rest of the world follow them and their styles. Some actors have more influence than others, while some have natural-born leadership skills that can be seen on the silver screen. One can tell which celebrity has got the potential to turn into a politician and who lacks it. Having said this, if you are aware of the 80s legendary movie The Terminator, you will remember its lead actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. His persona and skillset were deemed to be perfect for a politician in the US and about 3 decades later, he did try his hand in politics. Similarly, many former actors went ahead and participated actively in US politics, some were shunted away while some persevered. Here are 10 Hollywood actors who successfully turned into politicians:
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Actor, Producer, professional bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger is a former politician who served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011. Schwarzenegger was a hit and received 48.6% of the vote, getting elected as Governor that year. He was re-elected in 2006 and served until 2011 when he returned to his acting career. As of 2021, he is the most recent Republican governor of California.
2. Ronald Reagan: One of the most famous actor-turned-politician, Ronald Reagan became the POTUS in 1981 after serving as the governor of California from the Republican Party. he worked on numerous films with Warner Brothers Studios and also served in the U.S. Army Air Force’s Motion Picture Unit.
3. Cynthia Nixon: Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon is a Democratic Party politician who campaigned for the governor of New York. In 2018, 14 years after her show ended, she decided to switch career and run as a challenger to Democratic incumbent Andrew Cuomo, running her campaign on income inequality, renewable energy and establishing universal health care. However, she lost in the Democratic primary to Cuomo.
4. Kal Penn: Harold and Kumar famed Kal Penn served off and on in the Obama administration as an associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement from 2009 until 2011.
5. Al Franken: Saturday Night Live writer and performer Al Franken went on to become a Democratic senator for Minnesota in 2009 before announcing his resignation in 2017 over allegations of sexual harassment.
6. Jesse Ventura: Jesse began his career as a member of the U.S. Navy before rising to fame with the WWF and later lent his chops to numerous action films. The star became involved in politics as the Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minn., in 1991.
7. Ben Jones: Starring in over 100 theatre productions, Ben Jones was elected to Congress in Georgia's Fourth Congressional District in 1988 and was re-elected in 1990. Ben Jones is best known for his role as Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard. However, he lost against Newt Gingrich in 1994.
8. Caitlyn Jenner: Olympian, Reality TV star and Transgender rights activist Caitlyn Jenner is amongst the latest celebrities who decided to join the political class. She has a gold medal in the men’s decathlon. However, her campaign was hit by controversy when she said in an interview that trans girls should not be allowed to compete in girls' sports at school.
9. Sonny Bono: Actor and singer Sonny Bonno ran for Mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988 and won, serving for the next four years. In 1994, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives 1994 to represent California's 44th congressional district and served until his death in 1998.
10. Clint Eastwood: Actor and director Clint Eastwood, now registered Libertarian, was elected the nonpartisan mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in 1986, and served for two years. He has been a star on the screen since the 1950s, starring in classic films including Dirty Harry and the Dollars Trilogy.
