Updated August 9, 2019 15.5K votes 1.8K voters 82.9K views
Several famous actors have played real U.S. presidents in films, either while they were in office and before they became famous politicians. Some of the best times presidents were on screen they were portrayed by Academy Award-winning actors. There are even actors who played the same American president multiple times or different presidents in multiple films.
Who has played Presidents? Daniel Day-Lewis won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's 2012 film, Lincoln. Day-Lewis originally turned down the role but revisited the project after Liam Neeson dropped out. Bill Murray played Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 2012 film, Hyde Park on the Hudson.
Jeff Daniels portrayed George Washington in 1999's The Crossing. Other famous actors who played American presidents include Anthony Hopkins and Sam Rockwell.
Which actors do you think were the most presidential? You may not be able to vote them into office, but you can vote the best performances up to the top of this list.
Photo: DreamWorks Pictures/20th Century Fox/Reliance Entertainment/Participant Media/Amblin Entertainment/The Kennedy/Marshall Company/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Daniel Day-Lewis won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's 2012 film, Lincoln. Day-Lewis originally turned down the role, but revisited the project after Liam Neeson dropped out.
Anthony Hopkins portrayed John Quincy Adams in the 1997 film, Amistad. He was nominated for an Oscar for the performance, just as he was when he played Richard Nixon in Nixon (1995).
Paul Giamatti played the title character in the 2008 mini-series, John Adams. He also played Theodore Roosevelt in the 2014 documentary, The Roosevelts.
