Actors That've Played Fictitious Film Presidents A-Z (Well, W Actually)

“We live in the time where we have fictitious election results that elects a fictitious president.” - Michael Moore 

The weird unexpected brief cameo of Billy Bob Thorton playing the President of the United States in Richard Curtis’ ensemble rom com LOVE ACTUALLY (now out on DVD) inspired me to make a list of my favorite fictitious film presidents.

Fictitious presidents often exist in a parallel movie universe where the year is never specified and many times their political party is implied, but not stated out loud. They are also by design a comment on the current President at the time of said movie. The Clinton era seemed to inspire the most mock Presidential performances - DAVE, THE CONTENDER, and The West Wing TV series being the most notable examples.

The least unimaginative entries here aren't even named - they're simply just The President. This is something that annoys me greatly because ff you’re going to have the leader of the free world as a character in your movie, dammit, GIVE HIM A NAME!!!!

ACTORS THAT’VE PLAYED FICTITIOUS PRESIDENTS A-Z (well, W actually)

AKYROYD, DAN: President William Haney in Peter Segel's MY FELLOW AMERICANS (1996)

ALDA, ALAN: U.S. President in Michael Moore's CANADIAN BACON (1995)

ANDREWS, TOD: President Jeremy Haines in THE PRESIDENT’S PLANE IS MISSING (1973, TV movie) I haven’t seen this one but love the title, and that they named him. 

ATHERTON, WILLIAM: President John Fields in David L. Corley's EXECUTIVE POWER (1997) 1997 was a banner year for movie Presidents. This one is unimaginative as the title.

BERGEN, POLLY: President Leslie McCloud in Curtis Bernhardt's KISSES FOR MY PRESIDENT (1964) 

BRIDGES, JEFF: President Jackson Evans in Rod Lurie's THE CONTENDER (2000) 

BRIDGES, LLOYD: President Thomas 'Tug' Benson in Jim Abraham's HOT SHOTS PART DEUX (1993)

CROMWELL, JAMES: President Robert Fowler in Phil Alden Robinson's THE SUM OF ALL FEARS (2002)

DOUGLAS, MICHAEL: President Andrew Shepherd in Rob Reiner's THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (1995)

DREYFUSS, RICHARD: The President in Stephen Frears' 2000 TV movie remake FAIL SAFE HONORABLE MENTION: Presidential candidate Senator Bob Rumson in THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (1995) 

FONDA, HENRY: The President in Sydney Lumet's 1964 original FAIL SAFE

FORD, HARRISON: President James Marshall in Wolfgang Peterson's AIR FORCE ONE (1997) 

FREEMAN, MORGAN: President Tom Beck in Mimi Leder's DEEP IMPACT (1996)

GARNER, JAMES: President Matt Douglas in Peter Segel's MY FELLOW AMERICANS (1996)

HACKMAN, GENE: President Allen Richmond in Clint Eastwood's ABSOLUTE POWER (1997) HONORABLE MENTION: Ex-President Monroe Cole in Donald Petrie's WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT (2004)

HOLBROOK, HAL: President Adam Scott in George Mendeluk's THE KIDNAPPING OF THE PRESIDENT (1980)

KLINE, KEVIN: President William Harrison 'Bill' Mitchell in Ivan Reitman's DAVE (1993)

LEMMON, JACK: President Russell O. Kramer in MY FELLOW AMERICANS (1996)

MARCH, FREDERIC: President Jordan Lyman in John Frankenheimer's SEVEN DAYS IN MAY (1964)

MARSHALL, E.G.: The President in Richard Lester's SUPERMAN II (1981)

NEWHART, BOB: President Manfred Link in Buck Henry's FIRST FAMILY (1980) 

NICHOLSON, JACK: President James Dale in Tim Burton's MARS ATTACKS! (1996) 

NIELSON, LESLIE: President Harris in David Zucker's SCARY MOVIE 3 (2003)

PLEASENCE, DONALD: President of the United States in John Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)

PULLMAN, BILL: President Thomas J. Whitmore in Roland Emmerich's INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996)

ROBBINS, TIM: The President in Jay Roach's AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME (1999)

SELLERS, PETER: President Merkin Muffley in Stanley Kubrick's DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)

SHEEN, MARTIN: President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet on The West Wing (NBC TV SERIES, 1999-present) HONORABLE MENTION: Presidential Candidate Greg Stillson in THE DEAD ZONE (1983)

THORTON, BILLY BOB: US President in LOVE ACTUALLY (2003) 

WARDEN, JACK: President Benjamin Turnball Rand in Hal Ashby's BEING THERE (1979)

WATERSON, SAM: The President in George P. Cosmatos' SHADOW CONSPIRACY (1997)

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Elvis Impersonation On Film: 10 Pretenders To The Crown

Inspired by the inspired casting of cult legend Bruce Campbell (The EVIL DEAD movies) as Elvis Presley in BUBBA HO TEP (2002) (to be released on DVD on May 25th) we thought it would be fun to take a look at:

ELVIS IMPERSONATION ON SCREEN: 10 PRETENDERS TO THE CROWN

1. KURT RUSSELL

Russell took on the roll of the King in the 1979 made-for-TV ELVIS : THE MOVIE (his first of five films for director John Carpenter), and also voiced Presley in FORREST GUMP. His uncanny likeness to the King was further exploited when he played an Elvis impersonator in Demian Lichtenstein’s 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND (2001). Amazingly Russell's first feature film role when he was only a child was in an Elvis movie, Michael Taurog's IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD'S FAIR (1963). The best Elvis on this list for sure.

2. MICHAEL ST. GERALD: Also a convincing look-a-like, Gerald did a brief cameo as Elvis in Jim McBride's unfortunately lame-as-Hell Jerry Lee Lewis bio-pick GREAT BALLS OF FIRE (1989, but he had better material and a more respectful forum in the sinfully short-lived Elvis TV series (1990). Like with Russell's turn as the King, Gerald's vocals were provided by Ronnie McDowell.

3. NICHOLAS CAGE: Never played Elvis on film but appeared as Tiny Elvis on Saturday Night Live in 1992, disguised himself as a sky-diving Elvis impersonator in HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, was a curled lipped Elvis fanatic in David Linch’s WILD AT HEART, and he was briefly married to Lisa Marie Presley. Whew!

4. ANDY KAUFMAN

Only on stage and SNL did Kaufman do his full blown Elvis impression but he’s one of a kind on this list because he was approved by the King as his own favorite impersonator. In Milos Forman's 2000 biopic MAN ON THE MOON when Jim Carrey did Andy doing Elvis I heard that somewhere in the cosmos John Belushi's caller ID exploded. I have no idea what that means.

5. VAL KILMER: Not content with having nailed the Lizard King, Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's THE DOORS (1991), Kilmer inhabited the character of Elvis' ghost who counsels Christian Slater in Tony Scott's Quentin Tarantino-scripted TRUE ROMANCE (1992).

6. DAVID KEITH: An awful unconvincing portrayal in Chris Columbus' awful unconvincing 1988 comedy HEARTBREAK HOTEL, a severely misguided attempt to theorize that Elvis’s last sad years in Vegas could have been turned around by idealistic teenager who kidnaps him as a gift for his depressed mother Tuesday Weld. Weld was actually in a movie with the King, Philip Dunne's WILD IN THE COUNTRY (1961), but I digress.

7. DON JOHNSON: What the…?!!? Yep, that's right. In Gus Trikonis' long forgotten 1981 TV movie ELVIS AND THE BEAUTY QUEEN, the later stubbled, sockless, pink T-shirt wearing Miami Vice superstar was actually cast as the King. 

8. DALE MIDKIFF: Who?!!? I dunno, just a guy who played the King in ELVIS AND ME, another bad Elvis made-for-TV movie based on Priscilla Presley’s book of the same name. Shame shame shame.

9. RICK PETERS

Any Elvis impersonator would be doomed in Allan Arkush's extremely lowbrow 1997 cable movie ELVIS MEETS NIXON, but this guy doesn’t cut it at all.

10. STEPHEN JONES: Just for a haunting moment in Jim Jarmusch’s MYSTERY TRAIN (1989) Elvis’s ghost appears to Nicoletta Braschi giving this execellent movie another layer in it’s depiction of late 80’s Memphis. Also in the same movie the late great Joe Strummer spouts: “Don't call me Elvis! If you can't use my proper name, why don't you try "Carl Perkins, Jr." or something? I mean, I don't call them "Sam & Dave", do I?”

Until next time: Elvis has left the building.

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More DVD Delights & DVD Disses: THE COOLER, THE BIG EMPTY, & STUCK ON YOU

Here's a few DVD reviews, one I delighted in and two that I'm dissing:

THE COOLER (Dir. Wayne Kramer, 2003) 

William H. Macy puts in another sturdy performance as Bernie Lootz, the unluckiest man in Las Vegas who has actually made a successful career out of his losing streak. You see, the a Shangra La casino owner named Shelly (Alec Baldwin) employees Macy to simply approach gamblers who are on a winning roll and his presence alone will sour their game. 

"A cooler?" a slick corporate Ron Livingston breathing down Shelly's neck questions his old fashioned methods. Seems to be a good solid system until Lootz falls in love with a friendly waitress played by the emotionally effective actress Maria Bello and his luck changes. This enrages Shelly and he attempts to sabotage their budding romance. 

A good story with nice appropriate touches of humor, drama, and a thoughtful edge, THE COOLER doesn't try too hard or go too far.

The sex scenes are even well done and have an unusually (unusual for the movies that is) realistic feel to them mainly because we actually believe in Macy and Bello as real people. Another unique element especially within a movie made up of what are normally stock elements - Shelly's hired thugs barely speak but exchange telling looks at the sticky situations and each other. 

Baldwin hasn't had a role as good as Shelly in years and he does it justice. Small parts by the always reliable Paul Sorvino and Ellen Greene are also nice touches in a movie filled with nice touches. Luck be a lady tonight indeed. 

Special Features: Not much, a pre-release memo said this disc would have deleted scenes and even an alternate ending - the only thing that accompanies this flick is a Anatomy of a Scene featurette. Too bad. 

THE BIG EMPTY (Dir. Steve Anderson, 2003)

The lure of doing a simple delivery job for a gigantic payoff, a carrying bag that may or may not contain a severed human head, a series of cameos from b-list actors, and an underdog wins all mentality. Sound familiar? Only if you've seen any independent movie made from 1994 to today. 

Jon Favreau, who I was hoping would be doing loftier stuff by now, is the underdog in this aptly named pointless piece of...well let's just leave it at piece. Other victims of this stable of indie film cliches are Joey Lauren Adams, Rachel Leigh Cook, Daryl Hannah, Kelsey Grammar, and even HAROLD AND MAUDE legend Bud Cort who all try in vain to give this some flavor.

STUCK ON YOU (Dirs. Bobby Farrelly & Peter Farrelly, 2003) 

Kind of like the Coen brothers without the talent...no wait more like the Zucker brothers without the laughs, the Farrelly brothers again raise tasteless un-funniness to a new level. 

Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear play a pair of Siamese twins - "we're not Siamese, we're American" one of the wall-to-wall witless lines - who decide to pursue their dreams of...oh forget it. If the Farrelly's special brand of stupid scatalogiacal humour, pointless celebrity cameos (Cher! Frankie Munz! Even Meryl Streep for Christ's sake!), un-involving visual style, and insincere sentiment did the trick for you in such 'classics' as THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, SAY IT AIN'T SO, and SHALLOW HAL then you're in for a treat. The rest of us though wish the Farrellys weren't so "stuck on" such immaturity and complete absence of quality material.

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