Before becoming the leader of the free world, President Trump hosted and judged “The Apprentice,” a reality television program in which contestants vied for the opportunity to head one of his firms.
Trump has featured as himself in a number of films and television shows, including “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” and “Sex and the City.”
In April 2021, Caitlyn Jenner declared her candidacy for governor of California.
Caitlyn Jenner.
On April 23, 2021, Jenner, an Olympian and former “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” reality star, declared her ambition to run for governor of California.
“To take on Sacramento’s entrenched politicians and the special interests that pay them, a fearless fighter is required. I am the one outsider who can stop Gavin Newsom’s terrible tenure as governor “She authored a press release.
Voters rejected the recall of Newsom, and Jenner finished in 13th place with less than 1% of the vote.
In 1997, Sean Duffy first debuted on television during the sixth season of “The Real World.” He then became the United States representative for Wisconsin’s seventh congressional district.
Sean Duffy.
AP
Duffy appeared on “The Real World: Boston” in 1997 and went on to star in “Road Rules: All Stars” in 1998 (when he met his future wife, Rachel, a “Real World: San Francisco” cast member) and “Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons” in 2002.
Duffy was the district attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin, for eight years prior to his 2010 campaign for the United States House of Representatives. He held the role for nine years before leaving in 2019 owing to the cardiac problems of his newborn baby. Both Duffy and his wife now contribute to Fox News.
In 2008, Kevin Johnson, a former professional basketball player, became the first African-American mayor of Sacramento, California.
Kevin Johnson.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers picked Johnson in 1987, and he played in the NBA until his retirement in 2000.
In May 2008, he declared his candidacy for mayor of Sacramento, California, and subsequently won a runoff election to become the city’s first Black mayor. Johnson was reelected in 2012 and served until the conclusion of his term in 2016. After sexual misconduct allegations arose, he decided not to run for a third term.
In 2018, Cynthia Nixon ran for governor of New York. She lost the primary election and has recently returned to acting.
Cynthia Nixon.
Cindy Ord/Getty Photograph
Nixon’s bid for governor has been rumored for some time, but in March 2018, the “Sex and the City” actress declared her bid against incumbent Governor Cuomo public through Twitter. She ultimately lost the Democratic primary. She would have been the first openly LGBT person to fill the job if she had won.
Nixon, however, is too gifted an actress to let a political defeat to hamper her career (she just lacks an Oscar to complete her EGOT).
Since her defeat, she has starred in the 2019 film “Stray Dolls” and the Netflix prequel to “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Ratched.”
She reprised her role as Miranda Hobbes in “And Just Like That…” and also starred in “The Gilded Age” on HBO in 2022.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, often known as “The Governator,” rose to popularity as “The Terminator” prior to becoming California’s governor. In 2015, he returned to the “Terminator” franchise.
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Images by Jason Merritt/Getty
Before becoming the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a prominent bodybuilder and actor, starring in films such as “The Terminator,” “Conan the Barbarian,” “Kindergarten Cop,” “Total Recall,” “True Lies,” and others.
He was governor between 2003 and 2011. While he was a popular governor for the majority of his tenure, he left office with a near-record-low popularity rating of 23%.
Schwarzenegger replaced Trump as the host of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” but he only stayed for one season. In “The Expendables,” “Terminator Genisys,” and “Terminator: Dark Fate,” he also reverted to his regular action roles. Schwarzenegger also provides the voice of a superhero in the animated series “Superhero Kindergarten” on Prime Video.
Stacey Dash submitted paperwork in February 2018 to run for Congress in California, however she has since said that she would not run.
The name Stacey Dash.
Rob Kim/Getty Images
The “Clueless” actress is a divisive character, as she has been criticized for pushing for the abolition of Black History Month and BET (Black Entertainment Television). She was also a Fox News contributor until her contract was not renewed in 2017.
In 2018, Dash officially declared her intention to run for California’s 44th congressional district by filing the necessary papers. She withdrew shortly thereafter.
She intends to revive her acting career and dreams of playing a superhero in an action film, according to the Daily Mail.
Dash portrayed Mildred Johnson, the first Black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School and a renowned anti-abortion crusader, in the controversial conservative film Roe v. Wade.
Clint Eastwood served as the former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, among other positions.
Eastwood is involved in politics.
In 1986, the actor/director was elected mayor of the small California town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, where he served for one term, and in 2001, he was named to the California State Parks and Recreation Commission.
Since his term as mayor, Eastwood has maintained a political presence. He is an enthusiastic Republican supporter, and he is well-known for the speech he gave at the 2012 Republican National Convention in which he addressed an empty chair as Barack Obama.
Obviously, Eastwood did not abandon acting and directing to pursue a career in politics. The 92-year-old directed and performed in the October 2021 premiere of the film “Cry Macho.”
Clay Aiken rose to fame as the runner-up of American Idol’s second season. He ran unsuccessfully for the US House of Representatives in 2014, and today he juggles music and politics.
Aiken lost against incumbent Renee Ellmers.
During his season of “American Idol,” Aiken was a fan favorite, and his loss was viewed by many as an upset. After the concert, Aiken remained mainly out of the spotlight until 2008, when he came out.
Aiken was the Democratic candidate for North Carolina’s 2nd congressional district in the 2014 midterm elections, however he ultimately lost the general election.
In December 2018, Aiken and “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard appeared in the Broadway production “Ruben & Clay’s First Annual Family Fun Pageant Spectacular Reunion Christmas Show.” Additionally, he presents the podcast How The Heck Are We Going to Get Along with Clay Aiken.
In January 2022, Aiken once again declared his candidacy for politics, this time for the Fourth District of North Carolina, although he was defeated in the primary.
In November 2022, “Boy Meets World” actor Ben Savage will seek election to the West Hollywood City Council.
Ben Savage.
Savage, who is best known for his role as Cory Matthews in the 1990s and 2010s sitcoms “Boy Meets World” and “Girl Meets World,” has some political experience. According to Gawker, he graduated from Stanford University with a degree in political science and interned for a United States senator.
His campaign website indicates that Savage has “lucky to have resided in West Hollywood for the past 18 years I have witnessed the growth of this community into one of the most prosperous cities in the nation, and I am running for office because West Hollywood faces significant issues that require intelligent, trustworthy, and strong leadership.”
Savage has not confirmed whether or not he is quitting Hollywood, but he is taking a break; he has only appeared in one TV film this year, and prior to that, he had not had a project since 2020.