Daniel Day-Lewis and Other Celebs Who Played Presidents

Legendary actor Daniel Day-Lewis is playing Abraham Lincoln in an upcoming film titled—you guessed it--Lincoln.

The Steven Spielberg-directed movie focuses on the Civil War president and is currently shooting in Richmond, VA. The film is four years in the making, and on Thursday, a photo surfaced of Daniel dressed as Abraham Lincoln. Well, almost. I’m not sure if Lincoln wore Levi's and a Steve Jobs turtleneck.

Daniel is no doubt going to make his depiction of Abraham Lincoln a role to remember. And his name will be added to a long list of celebs who have played U.S. Presidents.



Tom Selleck: Dwight D. Eisenhower: Selleck surprised fans when he took on the role of General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 2004 A&E flick, Ike: Countdown to D-Day. I’m not sure why people were surprised. He’s done stuff other than Three Men and a Baby, people. There was also Magnum, P.I.



Martin Sheen: John F. Kennedy: Sheen played JFK in a 1983 miniseries called Kennedy. He also played Robert F. Kennedy in another TV special. And in Oliver Stone’s 1991 film, JFK, Sheen narrated.



Jon Voight: Franklin D. Roosevelt: Voight’s performance in Pearl Harbor had critics raving about his “superb” acting.



Robin Williams: Teddy Roosevelt: Alright, so it wasn’t exactly as epic a flick as Pearl Harbor, but Robin Williams was so cute as Teddy Roosevelt, we had to add him here.



Jeff Daniels: George Washington: In 2000, the actor portrayed the first President of the United States in the TV movie, The Crossing. One critic said that Daniels’ portrayal “proved he was an actor of stature.” I don’t know. I never saw it, but I can never look at Jeff Daniels and not see the toilet scene in Dumb and Dumber.



Anthony Hopkins: Richard Nixon: Anthony Hopkins is so badass, he’s played not just one but two presidents. In addition to taking on the role of President Nixon in Nixon, Hopkins also played John Quincy Adams in Amistad.



Kelsey Grammer: George Washington: Yes, Frasier played our first president. Kelsey went from playing one of the most recognizable figures in history to being an extra on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Oh well. Sideshow Bob makes up for all of it.



Will Ferrell: George W. Bush: Probably the most hilarious impression of a U.S. President ever, Will Ferrell’s depiction of Bush was spot on. My Dad’s like, ‘Why are you the only in this family that speaks with a Texas accent?’