Ronald Reagan

Celebrities and Politics

Doc in "Back to the Future" thought it was ridiculous that Ronald Reagan the actor was the president in the future but president he became. Prior to his presidency, he was elected to serve as the governor of California. Following this, Reagan ran and won the presidential election in 1980 and went on to serve two terms. He is regarded as having one of the highest approval ratings for a president and perhaps the most famous celebrity politician. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Ronald Reagan Doc in "Back to the Future" thought it was ridiculous that Ronald Reagan the actor was the president in the future but president he became. Prior to his presidency, he was elected to serve as the governor of California. Following this, Reagan ran and won the presidential election in 1980 and went on to serve two terms. He is regarded as having one of the highest approval ratings for a president and perhaps the most famous celebrity politician. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Mary Carey The adult film actress has made it known she's interested in a position of power - in politics. In June 2005, she announced her bid for Lieutenant Governor of California as an Independent. And it doesn't stop there - Carey also goes on to state that once she reaches 35, she hopes to run for president. Watch out, 2016 presidential candidates: Mary Carey has got her eye on the White House. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Gary Coleman Best known for portraying Arnold Jackson in "Different Strokes," the actor was a candidate for the position of governor in the 2003 California recall election. His campaign was sponspored by the East Bay Express as a satrical comment on the recall. However, when Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy, Coleman stated that he would be voting for the Terminator. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
Krist Novoselic He is best known as the co-founder and bassist of Nirvana but he's not just a musician. Novoselic is heavily involved with politics; he was essential in the fight against the "Erotic Music Law" bill and when the bill was later reintroduced under a new name, Novoselic suggested the creation of a political action committee named JAMPAC (Joint Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee). He continued in politics as an elected Democratic State Committeeman and even considered running in 2004 for Lieutenant Governor of Washington as a Democrat but ended up deciding against it. (Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images)
Jessie Ventura The retired professional wrestler took on a whole new arena when he ran - and won - the position of mayor and later the title governor of Minnesota. His victory inspired people of Minnesota to buy bumper stickers and T-shirts with the slogan "My governor can beat up your governor." It would be an interesting battle of the governors if Ventura ever went up against Schwarzenegger. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)
Shirley Temple Yes, America's curly-haired sweetheart went into politics after her Hollywood days. She went on to hold several diplomatic positions and became the first female Chief of Protocol of the United States in 1976. The height of her career was when she was United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia and she has even commented that it was the best job she ever had. It probably does help during negotiations to drop her name - after all, who can refuse the dimpled Shirley Temple? (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
Arnold Schwarzen... It's no wonder that California chose The Terminator to be their governor. His campaign for the position caught national and international attention and he has already been elected for his second term. Rumors have been surfacing that he has his eye on running for the United States Senate in 2010. His popularity among his supporters is so great that some are even hoping to change the Constitution so that their Governator can become the president. What would he then be called - the Presidator? (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Stephen Colbert He was yet another television host moving towards politics but unlike Springer, he wanted the top position - president. Using his fictional persona in "The Colbert Report," he campaigned strongly on the Democratic platform. And he was doing quite well, as he steadily rose in the polls. Unfortunately, the South Carolina Democratic Party executive council voted against Colbert's inclusion onto the ballot as they did not feel he was a serious candidate. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
Al Franken Even before his role as senator, the SNL alum was vocal about his views and standpoints. So it was only natural that Franken should run for a political career - specifically as the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images)
Nick Clooney Most popularly known as "George Clooney's dad," the journalist decided in 2004 he wanted to switch from writing about politicians to being one, specifically for a seat in the House of Representatives representing Kentucky's 4th Congressional District as a Democrat. Unfortunately, Clooney lost to Republican Geoff Davis for the open seat and, in his concession speech, announced his career in politics was over and he went back to writing. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)
Jerry Springer It may be hard to believe that the “The Jerry Springer Show” host was once in politics but then again, his political career did include a scandal worthy of his show. In 1971, he was elected to the Cincinnati city council but was forced to resign three years later after he admitted to hiring a prostitute. Then he won back his seat in 1975 because he had been honest about the entire situation and went on to serve as mayor in 1977. Later, Springer failed to win the Democratic party’s nomination for governor of Ohio and due to his hit show, he could not run for the United States Senate in 2003. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Clint Eastwood The actor/director was famous for his anti-hero, tough guy characters so it was no wonder when he was elected to serve as the Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. As mayor, he and his newly-elected council overturned many unusual laws in the town, including the prohibition of selling and eating ice cream in public streets. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Sonny Bono The first half of "Sonny & Cher" entered politics and served as the mayor of Palm Springs, California. He went on to becoming elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1994 to represent California's 44th congressional district. Unfortunately, Bono was killed in a skiing accident in 1998. His wife, Mary, took up his position and has since advocated many of his causes. (AP Photo/Mark Wilson)
Jimmie Davis He was called the "singing governor" because before he was elected in 1944 and later in 1960, he was a famous singer. His popular song "You are My Sunshine" was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. During his campaign stops, he would break out into song, earning him his aforementioned title. He died at the age of 101, living longer than any former state governor. (AP Photo/Jack Thornell)
Fred Grandy Formerly Burl "Gopher" Smith on “Love Boat,” Fred Grandy went from television to politics when he became a member in 1986 of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Iowa. He later ran for governor of Iowa but lost by a mere four percentage points. (AP Photo/John Duricka, File)
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