Actors tend to lead very public lives. They enjoy entertaining people through acting in TV/films but for many, there comes a point when they want to do more than entertain people: they want to use their fame and influence to attain high-up political positions and hopefully do some good for people. Here’s a selection of actors who made the move into politics. Some of them went very far in the world of politics – one very prolific actor even became president!
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Cynthia Nixon
Best known for playing sarcastic lawyer Miranda Hobbes in Sex and the City, Cynthia Nixon has long been an activist and is currently making a serious bid to become Governor of New York.
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Schwarzenegger took many by surprise when he ended up becoming Governor of California from 2003 to 2011. While he started off well, by the end of his tenure he had quite a low approval rating of just 23%. Since leaving politics, he’s since returned to acting and has undertaken various film/TV projects.
3. Ronald Reagan
Some might not know that before becoming 40th President of the United States from 1981-89, Ronald Reagan was an actor. He appeared in over 60 films and numerous TV shows before making the move into politics; he was also President of the Screen Actors Guild.
4. Sonny Bono
One half of the famous Sonny and Cher duo, Sonny Bono started serving in the United States House of Representatives for California in 1995. However, his venture into politics was short-lived, as he died three years later.
5. Melissa Gilbert
Melissa was a child actress and is best known for her 10-year stint on Little House on the Prairie, as well as a number of films and other TV shows she’s appeared in. She made the move into politics in 2012 when she announced a run as a Democrat in the 2016 United States House of Representatives elections. However, she ended up dropping out due to ongoing complications from an injury sustained several years earlier.
6. Shirley Temple
via DailysignalThe late Shirley Temple is best remembered today for being a child star. She started her film career at the tender age of three and retired from filmmaking at 22, making the move into politics. She represented the US and the United Nations in 1969, became the ambassador to Ghana from 1974-76 and was the ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1989-92, among other roles.
7. Clint Eastwood
A hugely recognisable name with a string of hit films to his name, Clint Eastwood formally entered politics in 1986 when he became mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea in California. His tenure lasted for two years. Some years later, he became part of the California State Park and Recreation Commission.
8. Stacey Dash
Stacey is best known for playing Dionne in the cult classic Clueless. She voted for Obama in 2008, yet has since switched sides and voted for the Republican nominee. She proposed running in the 2018 Congressional Election as a Republican, though later pulled out.
