While catching up on the many TV series I've missed over the years, I stumbled on Commander in Chief, starring Geena Davis as the first female American president. Having recently succumbed to The West Wing and having always kind of had a soft spot for The American President, I started thinking about which are the best and worst portrayals of political leaders. I mean, you kind of have to love Bill Pullman in Independence Day talking about not quietly going into the night in the face of alien attack. And didn't Morgan Freeman try to lead the country out of meteoric disaster in Deep Impact?
And I haven't even started on portraryals of British royalty – Helen Mirren's Oscar Winning turn as Queen Elizabeth is a case in point. (Although to be fair, this is a fictional account of a real figure unlike the fictional accounts of fictional presidents listed above.)
Who were the best TV or movie presidents, prime ministers, and monarchs in your view?
Besides the ones you mentioned, how about Henry Fonda in "Fail Safe"?
"24" might have had the best and worst President in the same show. Best: Dennis Haysbert's David Palmer; Worst: Gregory Itzin's Charles Logan.
Here's another one for best President: Harrison Ford's James Marshall from "Air Force One."
And Martin Sheen might have been the best President ever ("West Wing") and the worst: Greg Stillson in "The Dead Zone."
As for Prime Minister: Best: Hugh Grant from "Love Actually; Worst: Penelope Wilton's Harriet Jones from "Dr. Who."
As for best portrayal of an actual PM. Well, that might be coming later this year:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007029/
If Hugh Grant is the best PM, then Billy Bob Thornton is the worst president from the same movie.
Enthusiastic second for Martin Sheen in "The West Wing."
As for portrayals of real British prime ministers, I'd add to the discussion Albert Finney's perfectly jowled Winston Churchill in "The Gathering Storm" and David Morrissey's smoldering Gordon Brown in "The Deal" (though the latter was set prior to Brown's accession).
Meryl Streep as Maggie Thatcher – wow!
But how could you not have a soft spot for Harriet Jones??
Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin in 'Battlestar Galactica'.
And wasn't she also the First Lady in "Independence Day"? That would have made a good trivia question…
Jacqui, I believe that is correct – I had totally forgotten that role 🙂