From Hollywood to the White House: the most active celebrities in political life

Matthew McConaughey and Kanye West are possible candidates for the 2024 presidential election.

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24 de septiembre, 2022

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Actor Matthew McConaughey didn't rule out the possibility of running as a presidential candidate in the future when asked by his co-CEO of Salesforce and friend Marc Benioff about the 2024 election. The Oscar winner noted:

Yes, I will consider it in the future. It would be arrogant not to do so. Absolutely, I would consider it. If I get into any form of politics, I would be remiss not to also get in as an artist and storyteller, to help put together a narrative. You are the CEO of a state and a nation, many decisions to make. They scare me, but I'm not afraid of them.

McConaughey was recently in Washington supporting gun regulation reform following the shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas. The actor even made an appearance at a White House press conference. Despite his political activity, McConaughey said he would have to feel called to the presidency:

If something were to happen to me, with which I would be dragged into it, it would be unavoidable. I did not choose it. He chose me.

Kanye West in the electoral race

McConaughey is not the only one who has expressed his desires to become a future president of the country.

The rapper Kanye West, in the year 2020, in the midst of an election race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, launched a bizarre campaign to become the country's leader. The Yeezus artist spent more than $13.2 million, of which nearly 12.5 million came out of his own pocket.

His candidacy is considered unsuccessful, since his name only appeared on a few states' ballots because he failed to meet the registration deadlines in most states. As reported by People magazine, he only appeared at polling places in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Vermont. Kanye subsequently endorsed Donald Trump to reach the White House.

West said in a recent interview aired on ABC that he still is still "absolutely" interested in running for political office and alluded to his earlier failure: "it was not the right time for God."

Celebrities in public office

There are many actors and celebrities who have decided to step forward in the country's politics. Some have achieved a successful career by taking advantage of their fame to win the hearts of voters.

- Arnold Schwarzenegger: Before becoming governor of California, Schwarzenegger was a professional bodybuilder and a successful actor starring in films such as The Terminator, Kindergarten Cop and True Lies, among others. He served as governor of California from 2003 to 2011. He ended his last term with a near-record approval rating of 23%. The man known as The Governator, a reference to his role in The Terminator, returned to the franchise in 2015.

- Caitlyn Jenner: The former Olympic athlete and former star of the Reality Show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, announced her candidacy for governor of California in April 2021. Jenner wrote in a statement:

Taking on Sacramento's entrenched politicians and the special interests that fund them requires a fighter who is not afraid to do the right thing. I am a proven winner and the only outsider who can end Gavin Newsom's disastrous time as governor.

Voters rejected Newsom's recall, and Jenner ended up receiving only about 1% of the vote, ranking 13th.

- Clint Eastwood: The actor and director was elected mayor in 1986 of the city Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Eastwood has been politically active since his time as mayor and is an outspoken supporter of the Republican Party. Clint, 92, has not stopped acting or directing to pursue politics. His latest film, Cry Macho, was released in October 2021.

- Cynthia Nixon: The Sex and the City actress ran for governor of New York in 2018. She ended up losing the Democratic primary to former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Had she won, she would have been the first openly gay person to hold the office. In 2022, she returned to the Sex and the City universe to reprise her role as Miranda Hobbes in the series sequel And Just Like That.

- Dwayne The Rock Johnson: The actor was on the lists of candidates for the presidency in 2020 and ran under the slogan "Run The Rock 2020," at the hands of political consultant Kenton Tilford. Since the news broke, Johnson, who registered as an independent candidate, has kept a low profile. He lost the election, although the polls predicted he would win, pulling almost five points ahead of Donald Trump at some points in the campaign.

A recently conducted poll indicated that 46% of respondents would support a Rock presidential run in 2024. "If this is what people want, I would do it," Johnson confessed in an interview.

Ronald Reagan from Hollywood to Washington

Former President Ronald Reagan, before coming to the White House, participated in more than 70 films from 1937 to 1964. Among the most famous are: Amarga Victoria and Camino de Santa Fe. In addition, he was a common character in numerous television programs and series such as The Dick Powell Show.

During his Hollywood days, he was twice elected president of the Screen Actor's Guild. Subsequently, he won election for governor of California in 1967, and held office until 1975. Six years later, he was elected the country's 40th president for two terms.