They Played Presidents: Who Was Believable? (PHOTOS, POLL)

Whether playing a fictional head of state or a real-life US president, these leading men have found themselves in the role of POTUS--some more convincingly than others.

How presidential were they? Let us know who's captured your vote.

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Kevin Kline

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Comments

[IlooklikeGeorgeWyner]

Or maybe the question is, which President was the best actor?

[foxfan]

Kevin Kline didn't portray a president. He portrayed a presidential look alike.

[chris hussein]

Seems to me the most "believable" actor to play a president was Ronald Reagan....

[OswegoKayaker]

Martin Sheen on "West Wing" was the best. "Commander in Chief" starring Geena Davis was really good and the woman. And what about the woman president on "24." In real life there are currently 13 woman female presidents and prime ministers who are presently in power. Not counting monarchies. But this tv poll can't even include Geena Davis or Cherry Jones?

[fitfavored]

How could you miss Dennis Haysbert, President Palmer on 24? He led the way for Barack Obama.

[Desuka]

Martin sheen definatly #1 for his portrayal of Jed Bartlet. You probably didnt put him as bartlet because you knew it would be a blow out but IMO Jed Bartlet was 100x the president that George Bush was and he was never elected.

[Emiley Ellington]

I;m sad that this is an all-MALE list. What about Geena Davis in the television show, Commander in Chief? I know we have not had a female president yet, but Hollywood has. Very disappointing.

[umbrage-taker]

Why just movies? Sam Waterston was a great Lincoln in LINCOLN by Gore Vidal, Kris Kristofferson Lincoln in TAD, Paul Giamatti played John Adams to rave reviews in the recent highly praised JOHN ADAMS and would get a vote from me for this poll.

[umbrage-taker]

I would say the biggest failure at playing POTUS would be George W Bush.

[foxfan]

Give Obama more time.

[jbl inAZ]

You're missing James Garner, Jack Lemmon and Dan Ayckroyd in "My Fellow Americans"!

[UncleJimbo]

I just pulled this one out of my @ss! Alexander Knox as Woodrow Wilson! The movie won 4 Academy Awards and he was nominated as Best Actor 1944! So there!

[Spinman]

Edward Hermann in "Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years" (TV, 1977).

[MrJimi]

Why no women fictional Presidents? How about Geena Davis or Cherry Jones (President Allison Taylor - 24)? I'm just sayin.

[BlackJAC]

Or Mary "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Laura Roslin" McDonnell? Or does it have to be the US President, not President of the Twelve Colonies?

[stagebandman]

A few notable roles listed:
Jeff Bridges in "The Contender"
Henry Fonda in "Fail Safe"
Donald Pleasence in "Escape From New York"
Charles Durning in "Twilight's Last Gleaming"
Lane Smith as Nixon in "The Final Days"
Lee Bergere as Lincoln in Star Trek episode: "The Savage Curtain"
James Whitmore's tour de force in "Give "Em Hell, Harry"
and, although listed earlier, still one of my favorites:
William Devane as JFK in "The Missiles Of October"

[pcpatterson]

There are a couple of problems with this poll---some of the votes seem to be going more for the ability of the performer to mimic a president than in how "presidential" the character is (see: Will Farrell as Bush).

Also, Martin Sheen was far more presidential as Jed Bartlett in "The West Wing" than he was in "The Dead Zone", where Greg Stilson actually never became president--Walken's character only "saw" him in the Oval Office in the future for a brief instant, then made sure it would never happen.

I agree with some posters that Gary Sinise's "Truman" belongs on this list. And what about Henry Fonda in "Fail-Safe"?

[BlackJAC]

Or Richard Dreyfuss in the FAIL-SAFE remake?

[flash LI]

What do you expect from pop culture? Mindlessness.