You probably didn’t know about most of these celebrity political figures!
The celebrity-to-politician channel has become a widely accepted phenomenon in American culture. Nowadays, many Tinsel Town stars have their fingers in different pies, whether it’s directing, writing cookbooks, or recording an album.
And a surprising number of them chose to leave Hollywood and represent the common man in the world of politics, no matter their degrees of success. While the number of celebs seeking political office has seemingly increased in the past decade or so, stars involving themselves in the US politics game is far from a new affair.
Fame has risen people ranging from singers to former child stars to Washington. Popularity, recognition, and a sense of relatability have accounted for many of these pivots to politics, in many cases, regardless of qualifications. On that note, check out 21 celebrity political figures who went from the big lights to Capitol Hill!
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Schwarzenegger went through quite a few high-profile career shifts before becoming a politician. Austrian-born, this celebrity political figure got into bodybuilding by age 14 and followed it professionally, winning the esteemed Mr. Universe label in 1967 and becoming the youngest person to accomplish this.
At age 21, Arnold moved to the United States, got a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and soon went into acting. His big Hollywood break came when he got the starring role in the 1982 film “Conan the Barbarian” and won following leads in the “Terminator” franchise.
By 1986, Schwarzenegger married Maria Shriver, John F. Kennedy’s niece, and began pushing into politics by 1990, when George H. W. Bush selected him to be chair of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Then, in 2003, he ran as a Republican and was selected governor of California.
Around the time of his election, it was discovered that this celebrity political figure’s father had been a member of the Nazi party back in Austria. He was re-elected for a second term in 2006 and has since remained politically active.
Despite his commitment to the Republican party, Arnold’s politics have continually evaded partisanship. His most famous policy decisions include raising the state’s minimum wage and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. He also happens to be an outspoken critic of Donald Trump.
Ben Jones
This celebrity political figure is mainly known for playing the role of Cooter on the popular series “The Dukes of Hazzard” between 1979 and 1985. Before landing this role, he had a few other minor roles in movies like “Smokey and the Bandit.”
Shortly after the show ended, he embarked on his political career, running for Congress as a Democrat for Georgia. Even though he lost in his first race, he came close to beating the Republican opponent, and he finally won the race in 1988. He served two terms before being beaten by Don Johnson Jr. in 1992.
In 2015, This celebrity political figure came under fire for protecting the use of the Confederate flag after he wrote in a social media post that the flag represented “the values of courage and family and good times.”
Fred Thompson
This celebrity political figure wore many hats, jumping from law to acting to politics and then back to law. Alabama born and Tennessee raised, he was chosen to serve as a Republican counsel on the Senate Watergate Committee when he was just 30 years old, ultimately assisting in the investigation that would end with Richard Nixon resigning from the Oval Office.
His initial push into acting was apparently unintentional. He played himself in a 1985 film called “Marie,” which was based on a real case he was involved in when he was a lawyer. From there on, he won roles in films including “Die Hard 2,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “No Way Out,” and “Days of Thunder.”
By 1994, he took a break from the big screen and solidified his political transition when he ran for Al Gore’s empty Senate seat and won. He served the rest of Gore’s term and was reelected for a full term.
This celebrity political figure didn’t stay in the game consistently, though, choosing to exit Washington in 2002 for a role as a lawyer on “Law & Order” before going back to make a failed atempt for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.
Clint Eastwood
Born during the Depression in San Francisco, this celebrity political figure moved to Hollywood and played a few small parts while on contract with Universal Studios, where he was known to play bit roles.
But his big break came after being dropped by the media giant when he was cast as Rowdy Yates on the television show “Rawhide,” which steadily increased TV ratings and turned him into a small-screen star. Clint’s entry to the big screen came with being cast in Sergio Leone’s western “A Fistful of Dollars.”
This started a trilogy of roles, and by the last film, which was “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” Eastwood had successfully cemented his place in cinema history. After playing many more big Hollywood roles, he started his own production company and ultimately made his directorial debut with 1971’s film, “Play Misty for Me.”
The film’s success proved the actor’s skill behind the camera and started his directorial career. In 1986, this celebrity political figure decided to run for mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, winning by a landslide.
He served in this position for two years while making flicks before going back to Hollywood full-time. He’s well-known for his conservative politics through his outspoken endorsement of the Republican party.
Helen Gahagan Douglas
Born in the Big Apple, this celebrity political figure grew up in Brooklyn and quickly succeeded as a Broadway star. After marrying Melvyn Douglas in 1931, the couple moved to California to pursue careers in Tinsel Town.
During a work trip to Europe sometime in the ’30s, she noticed the rise of fascism and returned to the US as an anti-fascist activist, which is what began her interest in politics. Helen joined the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League and an activist group advocating for migrant workers in California.
By 1939, she and her husband were introduced to the Roosevelts, and they developed a firm friendship. Douglas volunteered for a presidential reelection campaign and was selected to head the women’s division of the Democratic Party in the state.
In 1943, Helen ran for Congress and won even though there was a lot of misogyny that kept most women out of Washington during this time.
This celebrity political figure served three terms and eventually decided to run for Senate. Her progressive politics didn’t really mix well with the general anti-communist politics of the ’50s, and ultimately, she was defeated in a congressional race by then-Senator Richard Nixon.
Donald Trump
Son of real estate mogul Fred Trump, this celebrity political figure, inherited the family business and started expensive developments in New York. He also developed casinos and hotels, which resulted in multiple bankruptcy filings.
His most high-profile role, though, was hosting the reality TV show “The Apprentice” between 2004 and 2015, when he decided to enter politics as a Republican presidential candidate. His participation on the show would be considered his salvation, providing him with a national platform and millions of dollars in related deals, making the way for his candidacy.
This celebrity political figure based his platform on anti-immigrant and nationalist policies that echoed with intensely loyal white nationalist groups. He later won the Republican party’s nomination, even though he had numerous sexual assault allegations, and ultimately won the presidential race against Hillary Clinton in 2017.
He’s the first president to have never served in the military. During his first term as president, he was impeached two times and subsequently refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, in which Biden won the election. But in the 2024 election, he became the US’ 47th President.
Sonny Bono
This celebrity political figure grew up in deprivation as the son of immigrants from Sicily. He dropped out of high school and worked random jobs while writing music until he found a job as a songwriter and singer at Specialty Records in his 20s.
After working there with musicians like Little Richard and Sam Cooke, he met Cher, with whom he collaborated both romantically and creatively. Their big break came with the hit “I Got You Babe,” and the couple had a child and eventually married.
Their next big step was headlining their own TV show called, “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,” for a few years until they divorced in a frenzy of tabloid headlines over cheating affairs. Sonny Bono had been retired from the entertainment business, turning to restaurant ownership when his political career started.
He was selected as mayor of Palm Springs, California, in 1988 after some major irritation with the city council’s red tape motivated him to run. This celebrity political figure became a Republican congressman in 1994, well-known for his conservative politics.
Jim Bunning
This celebrity political figure grew up in Kentucky and quickly developed a passion for baseball when he was young. Scouted during his first year of college, he joined the Tigers in Detroit as a pitcher, where he remained for almost a decade before being traded to the Phillies.
His baseball career lasted between 1955 and 1971, and he was eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. After retiring from sports, he went into politics, first getting selected for the city council of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, then rolling up to Congress, and finally getting elected a Republican Senator.
In Washington, this celebrity political figure developed a reputation for being sharp, at times aggressive, and not always getting along with other members of his party.
Jesse Ventura
A Minneapolis native, this celebrity political figure served in the Navy for 6 years before going into pro wrestling. His majorly popular 11-year stint as the villainous wrestler “The Body” got him an action figure in his likeness and name recognition, making way for his next career venture: The big screen.
Playing roles with Arnold Schwarzenegger in action films including “Running Man” and “Predator,” Ventura worked through the 1980s and went into politics when he was elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, in 1991.
By 1998, he was elected governor of the state in a stunning upset, becoming the first Reform Party candidate ever to win that position. Running mainly on a platform that advocated for legalizing marijuana and public education, this celebrity political figure has been an outspoken supporter of libertarianism since his tenure as governor.
John Davis Lodge
John Davis Lodge was born in 1903 and first became a lawyer before becoming a celebrity as an actor both in American, French, British, and Italian films and on Broadway, including the Marlene Dietrich-led flick “The Scarlet Empress.”
After being a Navy captain in World War II, he went into politics and was elected to Congress as the Republican representative of Connecticut by 1946. John served two terms as a congressman before running for Connecticut’s governor, where he served for 4 years.
Later in his career, this celebrity political figure was appointed by a few presidents to ambassador positions in countries including Argentina, Spain, and Switzerland.
Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker, of the US Senate in Georgia, is also a business owner and ex-NFL player. Herschel began his career as a running back at the University of Georgia, winning the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1982.
After 1999, being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, Herschel Walker was later promoted to the NFL, where he started playing for the Dallas Cowboys. He also played for the Vikings in Minnesota, the Eagles, and New York Giants throughout his football career. Not bad, right?
Throughout his 2022 campaign, this celebrity political figure focused on inflation, the troublesome and high gas prices, and “excessive” government spending. At a 2022 rally in Atlanta, Walker also commented that race shouldn’t matter when it comes to unity, “It doesn’t matter about your color. A house divided cannot stand, so I want us to come together.”
Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley went to Princeton and made a name for himself on the basketball team, playing on the American team at the ’64 Tokyo Olympics and brought home a gold medal. In 1965, the Knicks drafted him into the NBA. But, he delayed joining the team for a couple of years. Instead, he went to Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar.
He also served in the Air Force Reserves for half a year before finally joining the Knicks between 1967 and 1977 and winning two championship titles. He eventually retired and, a few years later, won a Senate seat as a Democrat from New Jersey, where he served for almost 20 years.
In 2000, this celebrity political figure went for the Democratic presidential nomination but was beaten out by Al Gore. Since retiring from politics, Bradley has taken up investment banking and acting.
Al Franken
This celebrity political figure was raised in Minneapolis and became famous for his role as a cast member and writer on the popular, “Saturday Night Live.” After winning five Emmys for this work and working on the show for 15 seasons, he did a short stint as a radio host before deciding to run for Senate in 2008 as a progressive.
Al won the race and served for 10 years, becoming well-known for taking on issues including Russian election interference and net neutrality. When he was accused of sexual misconduct by quite a few women in 2018, at the peak of the #MeToo movement’s cultural reckoning, he resigned from the Senate.
After a couple of years, mostly out of the public eye, this celebrity political figure reemerged in the comedy scene at the beginning of 2023 as a temporary host of “The Daily Show,” stepping in for Trevor Noah as the network looked for a more permanent host.
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson grew up in Sacramento. He was drafted into the NBA after playing ball at the University of California, first joining the Cleveland Cavaliers before transferring to the Phoenix Suns as a point guard. In 1989, he established the nonprofit St. Hope, which put funds into his hometown’s public schools and community.
In 2000, he withdrew from basketball and moved back to Sacramento. This celebrity political figure ran for mayor in 2008 and won, becoming Sacramento’s first African American mayor.
He was even reelected in 2012, but allegations of misuse of federal funds, assault, and workplace harassment rocked his second term. After his term ended, Johnson entered the real estate and restaurant businesses, opening a soul food restaurant in Sacramento and Tulsa.
Sheila Kuehl
Sheila Kuehl began her acting career young, winning a role on a series before age 10 and ultimately transitioning to television. She was cast on “The Stu Erwin Show” before scoring her most famous role, Zelda, on the show: “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.”
When Sheila was outed as a lesbian, though, her acting career pretty much dried up. “I knew that if they found out, it would end my TV career, and they did, and it did end my TV career,” she told media outlets.
She ended up going to Harvard Law School and shifted into politics, becoming the first openly gay person in the California State Assembly in 1994. In interviews, Kuehl said that her time playing Zelda was a huge factor in gaining enough public support to be elected as an out-gay person.
After serving three terms, this celebrity political figure was elected to the California State Senate, where she wrote legislation that would grant LGBTQ Californians the right to protection from hate crimes and discrimination based on sexual orientation and even marriage.
In 2014, Sheila was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and successfully served two terms.
Dr. Oz
In 2021, after voicing his frustration with the current administration, Dr. Oz decided to take matters into his own hands and run for the open US Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Speaking to the press, he described his dissatisfaction with the “arrogant, closed-minded people in charge” who shut down businesses and schools during the pandemic as the reason he wanted to run for office.
This celebrity political figure is best known for being our country’s favorite daytime television doctor with the hit TV series “The Dr. Oz Show.” He featured celebrity guests and talked about all health angles, from neurological disorders to sleep. Sony canceled the show once Dr. Oz made his bid for the US Senate in Pennsylvania.
“Covid has shown us that our system is broken,” Oz stated in his campaign ad. “We lost too many lives, too many jobs, and too many opportunities because Washington got it wrong. They took away our freedom without making us safer, and tried to kill our spirit and our dignity.”
Fred Grandy
Fred Grandy got his break in acting in the 1970s with appearances on “Maude,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and “Love, American Style.” His big break, though, came when he got the role on “The Love Boat” as Gopher, the ship’s treasurer.
After becoming disappointed with show business, he moved on to politics and cast a congressional campaign in 1987, winning a seat as a Republican. He served in Congress for four terms. This celebrity political figure eventually gave up his seat in order to run for governor of Iowa, a bid he barely lost.
He served as CEO and president of Goodwill and then went back to the limelight as a political commentator. Worth mentioning is that he came under fire back in 2011 for his anti-Islamic remarks.
George Murphy
Born in 1902, this celebrity political figure started as a nightclub performer and dancer before breaking into the Broadway scene. In the 1930s, he started acting in movies as Hollywood began transitioning from silent films to talkies, and he ultimately became president of the Screen Actors Guild by 1944, preceding Ronald Reagan in that position.
In 1953, Murphy shifted to politics and made himself a central figure in the Republican party. He was the director of entertainment for President Eisenhower’s two inaugurations and was chair of the state central committee in California’s Republican Party between 1953 and 1954.
In 1965, he got elected into the Senate, where he served a term. Only a year into his term, he was unfortunately diagnosed with throat cancer and needed surgery, which left him with a whisper-quiet voice. While his speaking voice clearly didn’t help his reelection bid in 1970, he was further restricted by his anti-communist views, which led him to support the Vietnam War effort at a period when it was pretty controversial.
It was also divulged that this celebrity political figure continued accepting consulting fees with Technicolor while in the Senate, which was an apparent conflict of interest. George left behind a legacy characterized by his anti-communist views and as a Hollywood actor who paved the way for Ronald Reagan’s entrance into politics not long after.
Steven Michael Quezada
Famous for playing DEA agent Steven Gomez on the TV show “Breaking Bad” and the spinoff “Better Call Saul,” this celebrity political figure began as a theater performer, comedian, and playwright in a community theater.
He won his first major TV role in 2008 with the series “Breaking Bad,” and he remained a devoted cast member of the show all the way to its end. After the show ended, he shifted his career path to local politics, and by 2013, he was elected to Albuquerque’s school board.
This celebrity political figure successfully ran for Bernalillo County’s commissioner as a Democrat, starting the job in 2017. He was also elected for a second term in 2020.
Ben Savage
Former child star Ben Savage and little brother of Fred Savage from “The Wonder Years” ran for city council in West Hollywood in 2024. But this celebrity political figure is best known for his role as Cory Matthews on the hit TV show “Boy Meets World” and has continued with a successful acting career well into his adulthood.
Per Savage’s campaign website, he felt compelled to run in West Hollywood when he heard about people’s frustration with political divisiveness and the loss of a sense of community, among many other factors. He noted on a site, “I am running for City Council because there are serious challenges ahead, and West Hollywood deserves sensible, honest, and strong leadership to face them … We need new leaders with a fresh perspective ready to begin tackling these issues.”
For those who think this celebrity political figure has no experience, think again! According to Rolling Stone, Savage was a political science major and even interned for Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. “I was interested in government and structure,” he told the magazine in an interview. So what’s next for Ben? We’ll just have to watch and see.
Ronald Reagan
This celebrity political figure grew up in Illinois and graduated from college during the middle of the Great Depression. His first push into the spotlight was as a sportscaster at a radio station in Iowa, a role which, a few years later, took him to Hollywood for a contract with Warner Bros.
He began getting acting roles and married actress Jane Wyman in 1940. Not long after, he left to join the Army Air Forces, First Motion Picture Unit, where he was the star in inspirational films and training videos for American troops who were joining World War II.
From there on, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild, in which anti-communism efforts were already in progress. He divorced Wyman in 1949 and remarried a couple of years later to Nancy in 1952. This celebrity political figure’s official shift to politics came in the 1960s when he became an active member of the Republican party and gave a speech at a public event for Barry Goldwater.
Ronald Reagan ran for California’s governor in 1966 and was elected for two terms, campaigning for squashing unrest on California’s college campuses and lowering taxes. After a futile presidential bid in 1976, he was able to carry his political popularity on the state level into the national spotlight, triumphing in the 1980 presidential election and serving two terms. His conservative social and economic policies have greatly impacted American culture and economic structures.
Did you know about all these celebrity political figures? Feel free to share your thoughts below. And if you like this article, you’ll also enjoy: 6 Funny Presidential Facts You Never Knew