Entertainment
10 Celebs Who Said They Thought About Running for President
A business tycoon who knows very little about the world of politics gave rise to certain celebrities to ponder running for president. Currently, these personalities seem to be good candidates, if not qualified ones, for the next president of the United States of America. Their candidacy may be unsure yet, but do not dismiss them altogether. The moment they decide, things will unravel fast. So fast, it would be faster than you can say covfefe!
The following celebrities portrayed U.S. presidents on film: Aaron Eckhart (Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen), Michael Douglas (The American President), Gene Hackman (Absolute Power), Jack Nicholson (Mars Attacks!), Bill Pullman (Independence Day, Independence Day: Resurgence), Morgan Freeman (Deep Impact), and Danny Glover (2012). Believe it or not, there are three celebrities in our “Thought to Run” list that already played a U.S. president on the big screen. Let’s just say they got to be a fake president and they want to do it for real this time around!
The following celebrities in this list have voiced their intentions of running for office. Whether it is serious or jokingly, whether it was just a sudden burst of emotion or a vague and indirect answer to an interview question, we have them on record as saying so. Whether it was a TV interview, a magazine interview, a post on Facebook, an Instagram post or a Twitter post, these celebrities definitely thought of taking office at the Oval.
10. George Clooney
Most people still think of this man as a handsome doctor on TV. That’s where George Clooney started, a TV actor playing an emergency room doctor. But that was a lifetime ago, twenty-four years to be exact. A lot of things happened since then. He starred in countless films, directed some of them, and even won two Academy Awards.
The question was asked at a press conference and George Clooney’s answer was not no. He also said that it would be fun. More important than his films and achievements are his achievements in philanthropy. He is an advocate of different global causes, international relief, and just recently gave $500,000.00 for the benefit of the demonstration/protest March For Our Lives.
George Clooney is probable to be on track as a politician, largely because of his wife. Amal Alamuddin is a lawyer specializing in human rights and international law. Imagine the first lady with these credentials, right? With the right words of encouragement and support, his better half can whisper in his ear, ‘George Clooney could be President Clooney one day.’
If he can lead a team of eleven, twelve, and thirteen members and pull off the three greatest heists the world has ever seen (at least on film), imagine what he could pull off for real with the force of the office of the president at his side.
9. Ellen DeGeneres
Stand-up comedy is where Ellen DeGeneres started her career. From performing in clubs to becoming a world-renowned host and entertainer, Ellen has really come a long way. Why not take it all the way, the president of the United States of America. Recent surveys show a strong support for Ellen running for president. People from all walks of life know and believe that Ellen would make for a great leader of the free world. They say she has a very good understanding of people, she is a good spokesperson, she is influential, and she is intelligent.
In all seriousness, Ellen has expressed that she has no intention of running for president. But she is on this list because she has thought of being president. Here are some of her thoughts. She said it would be nice to be president because she loves private planes. Hello Air Force One! She also mentioned she has some ideas for the country and how to make life better for everyone (Ellen clothing, perhaps?) in need. Finally, she said Portia de Rossi would be a very beautiful first lady. Well, she is correct on all these musings and contemplations. You have my vote, Ellen!
8. Chris Rock
Chris Rock was the U.S. President in a 2003 film called Head Of State. A comedy he starred in, directed, wrote, and produced about the amazing story of an alderman and his journey towards the top position in America, the Head of State. That was fiction. This is now real life. The truth to this candidacy is as believable as anything Chris Rock says in his many stand up sessions. The safest thing for us to do is to laugh about them. But sometimes a strong political view, even in a stand-up comedy setting, can still bear a lot of truth in it, can also be the truth, and therefore, Chris Rock’s truth. He might be laughing about it now, and us along with him, but no one knows, he might run for president.
Rock’s views and opinions and desires for the presidency were largely voiced on Twitter back in 2016. He even had a slogan saying the only thing white is the house. But since then, Chris Rock has been a bit silent about it. We all know he is just biding his time, waiting for 2020. If he would just be voicing out his political views or running as a presidential candidate, either of the two would just be wildly entertaining.
7. Mark Zuckerberg
What Mark Zuckerberg has done, more than anyone in this list is do things that are telltale signs of someone seriously considering running for President in the future. From simply hiring photographers, to hiring White House officials, campaign strategists, and managers, the Facebook CEO is clicking “Add as Friend” more often now than before. He even has it down pat when asked during an interview about running for president, he deflected like any seasoned politician would.
Facebook, Zuckerberg’s baby, started in a small office in 2004. It is the most popular social media app in the world. Now it has over 2.2 billion users worldwide. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is only thirty-four years old, he is still young. Much too young to be president. Maybe he will not run in 2020, he would just be thirty-six by then. But wait, isn’t he also the youngest CEO of a Fortune 1000 company to go public? Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. No one really knows for sure. As Forbes 10th Most Powerful person, he can afford to take his time, he has a game plan already in mind, and he is poised to win.
6. Ron Perlman
You might know him as Hellboy, a demon superhero working for the amazing Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. You also might know him as Clay Morrow in the TV show Sons of Anarchy. He also won a Golden Globe playing Vincent in the Beauty and the Beast TV show version back in 1987. You may not remember or know his work all that much. But once you see his face, you will never forget it. He is Ron Perlman. He might possess the biggest face in Hollywood, literally.
Like Chris Rock, Ron Perlman’s expressions and intentions of running for president came in the aftermath of the 2016 elections. It was sudden, it was proud, it was boisterous. It was Hellboy incarnate! He said on a Facebook post that he is using his immense presence to announce his candidacy for the position of POTUS. He even posted slogans for his campaign, albeit funny ones. One reads “Vote for Perl and Go to Hell.” Another one is “Make America Great Again, Again”. It’s all entertaining! That’s who Ron Perlman is, what you see is what you get, and you don’t forget!
5. Katy Perry
Born Katherine Elizabeth Hudson in 1984, Katy Perry is a singer and songwriter. She got her first break in the music business back in 2007. But her second album was what made her known and famous, the songs I Kissed A Girl and Hot N Cold are both hit singles that helped make her a household name. She then went on to release three more albums, and further went on million-dollar-earning world tours and has appeared in various films as well. She’s also won numerous awards including five American Music Awards and Billboard’s Woman of the Year. But an artist as young as her, why is she in this list?
Katy Perry’s candidacy rumors started on Instagram, where she posted a very nice picture of herself in between George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. She even captioned it with a suggestive remark about running for president in 2020. Katy Perry was also a big supporter of Hillary Clinton and maybe thought to take it upon herself if supporting someone did not work. After all, she has the eye of the tiger, she is the champion, and we’re going to hear her roar!
4. Mark Cuban
Born on July 31, 1958, Mark Cuban is a businessman and an entrepreneur. He likes investing in startups, as evidenced in his role as one of the main sharks in the reality show Shark Tank. He also owns an NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks. Mark Cuban has always been a colorful personality since his start as the Dallas Mavericks owner, often seen with extreme displays of emotion in game broadcasts.
Mark Cuban expressed his concerns and opinions about the current administration publicly and without filter, this is why he is on this list. He has not officially put his name in as a candidate, but he’s been on interviews and shows, always teasing about the probability of running for president in 2020. In a recent interview, when asked about running for president, he only answered with ‘We’ll see.’
Mark Cuban is no stranger to the position, he already played it on film. He was the president in the movie Sharknado 3 Oh Hell No! His performance in this film may not be as stellar as one might think, but we’re sure he will do much better when it comes to the real thing.
3. Dwayne Johnson
Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr., Adam Sandler, Vin Diesel, and Mark Wahlberg. They are the cream of the crop, the big kahunas! This elite list makes up the highest paid actors of 2017. Dwayne Johnson is #2 in that list.
Dwayne Johnson started fame as a professional wrestler in 1996. The world of wrestling and its fans knew him simply as The Rock. He achieved every milestone imaginable as a wrestler/entertainer and transitioned to film in 2001. Success was with him in the film industry as he made film after film as the lead actor almost all of the time. His most famous films are the Fast and Furious series, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and the Baywatch film version of the famous TV show.
Dwayne is in this list because of his answers to interviews about running for office. He always keeps an open mind when answering these questions. In November 2016 when asked about running for president, Dwayne simply said that it was a great opportunity to help people and that it is possible. He further mentioned in a separate interview that he is not dismissing the possibility, but right now he is serious about his career as a blockbuster actor.
2. Kanye West
Kanye West is a multiple Grammy Award-winning artist and one of the best-selling music artists of all-time. Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta on June 8, 1977 and grew up in Chicago. He started as a music producer and worked with artists like Jay-Z in the early 2000s. He released his first solo album in 2004 and everything just got better for him from there. Seven albums and 21 Grammy awards later, he may be our next president.
Unlike everybody else in this list, Kanye West was direct with his intentions of running for president. He is the guaranteed celebrity on this list that would actually be running for president in 2020. For Kanye, the setting was the MTV Video Music Awards in 2015. It was in a speech not as elegant and classy as Oprah Winfrey’s. But the beauty is in how forward and in-your-face the message was. He said he has decided to run for president in 2020. Mike drop!
If Kanye can disrupt an awards show and speak his mind, imagine what he can accomplish if he channels that kind of courage and forwardness as the president.
1. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is the epitome of a celebrity. She is everywhere, her influence is global. She has done it all – business woman, journalist, TV host, film actor, publisher, writer, spiritual leader and philanthropist. Where would a celebrity with this kind of far-reaching influence be of very good use? In the White House, of course.
When Oprah accepted the Golden Globes Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement, the whole nation got a glimpse of what it would be like with Oprah Winfrey as president. It was a moving speech, it was inspiring, and it was heartwarming and purposeful. It was presidential. Celebrities and personalities from everywhere all voiced their support for her. That was how it started, and why Oprah is on this list.
In an interview, Oprah said that she didn’t think she was qualified to be president, she knows she does not have the proper skills and experience. But now, oh, maybe she can do it, she may be qualified. But in more interviews she answered that she will not be running for president. With the right push and the right motivation at the exact moment, Oprah Winfrey might just change her mind.
If Oprah can inspire and move people with a speech, imagine what things she can do for the nation with the whole Office of the President behind her.