5 Actors Who Portrayed American Leaders In Movies

Published: March 19, 2025

5 Actors Who Portrayed American Leaders in Movies

By Movieguide® Contributor

Our American history is beautiful, “from sea to shining sea,” painted with stories of influential leaders who have led the country into more freedom, happiness, and success. Several movies tell the stories of American leaders; though none are perfect, they all worked to strengthen our country. From the conservative policies of Ronald Reagan pictured in REAGAN to the abolition of slavery in LINCOLN, we’ve gathered together a list of the actors who played these powerful roles and their experiences as they did so.

Dennis Quaid In REAGAN

Dennis Quaid took to the screen as the 40th President Ronald Reagan in the 2024 movie REAGAN. The actor was the perfect man for this role because he’s been captivated by God more and more these past several years and has supported conservative political values. Quaid revealed that portraying Ronald Reagan was a career highlight for him.

“It’s become my favorite role I have ever had actually. Reagan was a hero of mine. I voted for him twice and he was like, everybody’s dad, ” Quaid told CBN News. “He was a real heavyweight, and he won the Cold War. It really meant a lot to me in my life for all of us of that generation and for the generations today. And playing him was the challenge of my life. The biggest challenge of playing Reagan was getting down to him as a person, not the hero that he was to me and so many people, and that’s kind of warts and all because that’s who we are.”

Daniel Day Lewis In LINCOLN

Another actor who’s played a US president on the big screen is Daniel Day Lewis. This beloved actor is legendary with his meticulous practice of method acting, a technique he used on the set during the filming of the biopic, LINCOLN. Although, the actor revealed he didn’t feel like the role was initially meant of him.

“I found it quite intriguing,” Day-Lewis said. “I thought it was a great idea — for someone else.”

Even after accepting the part, “I thought this is a very, very bad idea,” he added. “But by that time it was too late. I had already been drawn into Lincoln’s orbit. He has a very powerful orbit, which is interesting because we tend to hold him at such a distance. He’s been mythologized almost to the point of dehumanization. But when you begin to approach him, he almost instantly becomes welcoming and accessible, the way he was in life.”

Anthony Hopkins In NIXON

Perhaps not a beloved president, but a president with a story– Richard Nixon—has a movie made after him, with the protagonist played by Anthony Hopkins. The movie NIXON is the story of the personal life of the Watergate icon, former president Nixon.

‘I had great empathy for him when I was watching Watergate 20 years ago in London,’ Hopkins said. ‘I thought he was a tragic figure. I didn’t feel the hatred that the Americans felt naturally, because I am not an American and I had no ax to grind, but I knew my American friends said, “That guy is evil and should be locked up,” and I said, “I don’t know about that,” but I did feel a great sympathy for him. ‘I thought he was a lonely, tragic figure – deeply flawed – who destroyed the only thing he always wanted.’ Hopkins added that Nixon’s loneliness was touching, and he told a sad story about the former president.”

John Voight In PEARL HARBOR

A-list actor John Voight portrayed President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Michael Bay’s epic war movie PEARL HARBOR. Not only is Voight a standout in Hollywood, but he’s a patriot who is vocal about his conservative political views. His performance as FDR was well-received by critics.

The New York Times said of his portrayal:

When Jon Voight appears as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, his face bloated with several pounds of prosthetic latex (and his voice burnished into a patrician drawl), you half expect one of those inevitable action-thriller unmaskings, in which he peels off the rubber, climbs out of the wheelchair and reveals himself to be Steven Seagal ready to lay a smackdown on the treacherous Japanese.

James Woods In FOUNDING FATHERS

James Woods plays John Adams in the miniseries FOUNDING FATHERS. John Adams, a lawyer who led the United States to independence, played a vital part in our country’s founding. Woods tackled the role with gravity, which is no surprise considering his love for America.

He opened up on the Megan Kelly Show about his conservative political leanings.

“I was a Democrat for 20 years. I’m not a conservative firebrand. I am a centrist,” Woods said. “I believe in the constitution of the United States of America. I believe in the laws of the land. And you should obey the laws of the land if you’re a citizen, and you should honor your oath of office to support and enforce the laws of the land if you are an elected leader.”