Politicians You Didn’t Know Were in Movies

Politics and movies always overlap in a strange way, but sometimes the connection is a bit more literal. In addition to campaign trails and press conferences, some politicians like to step in front of a camera, whether for a cameo, small acting role, or surprisingly earnest appearance. Some might have even discovered their love for being in front of the camera on set.

This list looks at politicians you probably forgot were ever in movies, and how those appearances now feel like strange footnotes in careers better known for speeches than screen time.

Donald – Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Long before his political career, Trump popped up for a brief but now infamous cameo, giving Kevin McCallister directions in the Plaza Hotel.

Ronald Reagan – Bedtime for Bonzo (1951)

Decades before the Oval Office, Reagan starred in this baffling comedy about raising a chimpanzee. It’s impossible not to read it now as the strangest prelude to a political career in modern American history.

John McCain – Wedding Crashers (2005)

McCain appears briefly as himself, delivering one of the film’s most unexpected cameos. It’s a reminder of a time when politicians casually crossed into comedy without triggering instant outrage.

Al Gore – Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009)

Gore leaned fully into self-parody, voicing a cartoon version of himself obsessed with the environment. It’s one of the rare cases where a politician understood the joke and went along with it.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – Knock Down the House (2019)

While not a traditional movie role, her presence in this documentary feels is impactful. It’s a political origin story designed for the streaming era.

Volodymyr Zelensky – Servant of the People (2015)

Before becoming President of Ukraine, Zelensky starred as a teacher who accidentally becomes president.

Bill Clinton – Contact (1997)

Clinton never stepped on set, but his digitally inserted appearance was one of the earliest examples of a sitting president being woven into a blockbuster narrative, setting a precedent Hollywood would reuse constantly.

Silvio Berlusconi – Viva Zapatero! (2005)

Berlusconi aparece en material documental dentro de este film político europeo, y su presencia funciona casi como un personaje secundario involuntario que refuerza el clima de poder, ego y espectáculo que rodea a la política mediática.

Newt Gingrich – The Astronaut Farmer (2006)

Gingrich appears in a brief cameo, lending political legitimacy to an inspirational space drama. It’s one of those roles that exists solely to remind audiences that this world connects to ours.

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