Everything
Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to pursue an “American First” foreign policy if elected president, demanding that allies contribute more to global security. “America First will be the major and overriding theme of my administration,” he said in a speech outlining his foreign policy.
/ AFP / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Hollywood loves nothing more than a Presidential film, but not all Presidents are movie material. As the dust settles on the Donald Trump era, the question remains: who will play President Trump on the big screen?
Of course, the Donald is no stranger to appearing in film and – given his sizeable go – would most likely opt to play himself. Before his controversial stint in politics, Donald Trump had racked up some pretty impressive IMDB credits.
Of course, he famously appeared in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, although that cameo could be short-lived with a push to have his scene wiped from the final cut. He’s also popped up in Zoolander, Two Weeks Notice and Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.
Presidential movies are par for the course in cinema, a tried and tested trope that can help a new generation fall in love with a former leader’s legacy.
Oliver Stone’s triumphant JFK (1991) stoked the fire of Kennedy’s assassination and opened up a fresh dialogue about what happened that fateful day in Dallas. Stone returned in 2009 with W. a searing look at the presidency of George W (“Dubya”) Bush, played by Josh Brolin.
Obama has twice been given the big-screen treatment despite only being out of the office for five years. Barry took us into the backstory of Obama, shining a light on his formative college years. Australian actor Devon Terrell plays the future President.
Southside with You was more of a rom-com which focuses on the first date of Obama (Parker Sawyers) and Michelle Robinson (Tika Sumpter). Elsewhere in the back catalogue of Presidential films, Daniel Day-Lewis put in Oscar-winning performance for his work on Lincoln, while Frost/Nixon rehashed the Watergate controversy.
So with Hollywood’s appetite for Presidental biopics well and truly established, who might play President Trump on the big screen?
The Obvious Choice
Alec Baldwin: What started in 2016 as a series of finger-on-the-pulse impressions on Saturday Night Live snowballed into one of the defining performances of Alec Baldwin’s career.
While Baldwin leans heavily on the satire, we reckon he’s capable of amping it up a notch and taking his Trump transformation into more serious areas.
The Been There, Done That
Brendan Gleeson: The Irish actor has the edge over his rivals in that he’s already played President Trump in The Comey Rule. The 8 part series (currently available on Stan) explores the complicated relationship between Trump and his former FBI director Jame Comey.
The Wild Card
Jeff Bridges: Anyone who has seen (and enjoyed) The Big Lebowski will be aware that jeff Bridges could play the Big Donald without blinking. He has the charisma, he has the machismo, and he has the skin-tingling creepiness that makes Trump so hard to watch.
