Being the President of the United States is a hard job. But being the President of the United States on TV or in a movie? That’s even harder!
While IRL presidents have to put up with unfathomable amounts of stress as the head of the U.S. government, fictional presidents are responsible for going toe-to-toe with aliens from Mars, weighing the fate of humanity as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth and single-handedly piloting Air Force One after defeating a fleet of Russian terrorists.
As the 2024 election draws closer, we’re taking a break from the exhausting political news cycle and saluting our favorite fictional presidents from TV and film.
Don’t have DIRECTV to watch these amazing presidents in action? Let’s change that!
Harrison Ford as James Marshall in ‘Air Force One’
Never has a president been more badass than Harrison Ford’s turn as James Marshall in Air Force One. At the peak of his powers in 1997, Ford plays a former Vietnam War vet turned POTUS who must save his family and staff when Russian hijackers take over his plane. While the film is most remembered for its classic line — “Get off my plane!” — the cast is absolutely stacked with great performances from character actors like Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Philip Baker Hall and William H. Macy.
Morgan Freeman as Tom Beck in ‘Deep Impact’
Morgan Freeman’s commanding stoicism and authoritative voice made him a pitch-perfect choice to play President Tom Beck in 1998’s disaster film Deep Impact. Beck as a character, however, was a pretty lame president. His grand plan to divert a comet speeding toward Earth fails miserably. Spoiler alert: We all get blown to smithereens. But that didn’t keep Freeman from being “reelected” as it were, when he played the president again in 2019’s Angel Has Fallen.
Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlet in ‘The West Wing’
Say what you will about Hollywood scribe Aaron Sorkin, but he’s pretty good at writing a president (Sorkin created two of the more memorable POTUS characters on this list). Over seven seasons, The West Wing delivered what might be the most realistic depiction of the day-to-day job of being commander in chief. So while he never had to wage war against extraterrestrials, Martin Sheen’s principled, but flawed, President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet has stood the test of time for politicos and TV fans alike.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in ‘Veep’
In terms of TV presidents, Selina Meyer may just be the yin to Jed Bartlet’s yang. Whereas Bartlet is fiercely intelligent, noble and charming, Meyer proves to be self-serving, conniving and hilariously cringe. Julia Louis-Dreyfus deservedly won seven Emmys playing VP-turned-POTUS Selina Meyer, creating one of television’s most beloved characters along the way.
Jack Nicholson as James Dale in ‘Mars Attacks!’
Alien invasion movies had a major renaissance in the late ’90s. In Mars Attacks!, Tim Burton’s send-up to low-budget sci-fi thrillers of the 1950s, Jack Nicholson chews through the scenery as President James Dale. Nicholson supposedly got so invested in his presidential duties that he requested the song Hail to the Chief be played over loudspeakers every time he arrived on set.
Bill Pullman as Thomas J. Whitmore in ‘Independence Day’
Before Independence Day, Bill Pullman was best known as Meg Ryan’s bumbling, goofball boyfriend in Sleepless in Seattle. But when it came time to step into the Oval Office, he didn’t disappoint. While ID4 lives and dies on the ferocious star-power of Will Smith, Pullman’s Thomas J. Whitmore is more than up to the task of saving the world from an alien invasion.
Peter Sellers as Merkin Muffley in ‘Dr. Strangelove’
Peter Sellers played no less than three different parts in Stanley Kubrick’s Cold War classic Dr. Strangelove, including the film’s titular character. But most of the memorable quotes belong to President Muffley — “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here. This is the War Room!” Sellers’ Oscar-nominated performance as the nervous, twitchy U.S. president navigating a nuclear bomb nightmare remains one of cinema’s classic comedic roles.
Dennis Haysbert as David Palmer in ’24‘
While he may not get his hands as dirty as Ford or Pullman, Dennis Haysbert’s President Palmer stands apart among action-star presidents because of his most valuable asset: Jack Bauer. Over 5 seasons of 24, Bauer and President Palmer work to thwart assassination attempts, nuclear attacks, bioterrorism and more.
Michael Douglas as Andrew Shepherd in ‘The American President’
Prior to The West Wing, Sorkin first made his presidential splash writing The American President. Rob Reiner’s dignified romantic comedy finds an uber-confident U.S. president Andrew Shepherd thrown off his game as he attempts to court lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade. Michael Douglas’ President Shepherd belongs firmly planted in the Clinton era, but much like Sheen’s President Bartlet provides a fun, quasi-realistic depiction of life in the White House.
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