Have you ever wondered what’s it like for Hollywood celebrities who ventured into politics? Was it hard for them to juggle being a performer and a politician at the same time? Draw inspiration from these 7 performers who served our country in various political offices.
7 Hollywood Actors Who Turned Into Politicians
Hollywood Actors Who Had Political Careers
US politics is heating up as we are heading to the 2016 Elections. Some Hollywood actors have also successfully made their way into politics after making their mark in the big screen. It’s time to honor a few of them and draw inspiration for taking the time to serve the country in various political seats.
#1. Ronald Reagan
As the most popular actor-turned-politician in history, Reagan had a seven year contract with Warner Brother Studios where he starred in numerous films. He was also president of the Screen Actors Guild for seven terms, and served in the U.S. Army Air Force’s Motion Picture Unit.
#2. John Davis Lodge
A star of stage and screen from the 1930s to the 1940s, Lodge was also elected into the U.S. House of Representatives in 1947. He then became the Governor of Connecticut from 1951 to 1955, and was a U.S. Ambassador to Spain, Argentina, and Switzerland for the next three decades.
#3. George Murphy
Murphy was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1950 and was also SAG President from 1944 to 1946. He had quite a number of musical movies when the talking pictures were first introduced. In 1964 he became a Republican senator from California, and is the only senator with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
#4. Ben Jones
Jones became a Democrat in the State of Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives after being known as Cooter on the tv show, “The Dukes of Hazzard”. His political career lasted from 1989 to 1993, but returned to show business after losing his seat in 1994.
#5. Clint Eastwood
Four-time Oscar winner Clint Eastwood has been a screen legend for decades. Also an award winning director and a respected politician, Eastwood became mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1986, and was appointed to the California State Park and Recreation Commission in 2001 and the California Film Commission in 2004.
#6. Fred Thompson
Thompson juggled acting and politics in 2002 when he played District Attorney Arthur Branch on “Law & Order” while still serving as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee. He tried for the Republican nomination for president in 2007, but left the race the year after. He was Chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs in 2001, and Senator from 1994 to 2003.
#7. Arnold Schwarzenegger
7-time Mr. Olympia and 3-time Mr. Universe Pro, Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Also nicknamed “The Governator”, Schwarzenegger surprised fans when he took a break from acting to serve as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. He only knew very little English when he came to the U.S. in 1968, at the age of 21. As a kid, who came from an Austrian village where children are discouraged to dream, Schwarzenegger proved anything is possible with pure will and determination.
Some individuals are just hungry for success. Whether it be, recognition or pure passion that drives them to walk their chosen path, it never seizes to amaze the ordinary people who embraced life’s simplicity and contentment. Then again, hard work and determination always have its perks in the grand scheme of things.
