Real-life politicians can be very meaty roles for actors. In recent memory, we have seen Daniel Day-Lewis and Gary Oldman win Oscars for playing US President Abraham Lincoln and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, respectively. Actresses like Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, and Olivia Colman have also either won or been nominated for Oscars for playing various British queens, and Meryl Streep won her third Oscar for playing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. While all those actors were just playing parts, there are some very notable actors who have decided to go into politics for real. Let's discuss a few actors who became real-life politicians.

8 Jesse Ventura

Jesse Ventura would get his start in the WWE before becoming an actor. He would make his screen debut in 1987, starring in Predator and The Running Man, both films that would feature another actor-turned-Governor (more on him later). His political career began in 1991, when he was elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. He would hold the position until 1995. Ventura would run for Governor of Minnesota in 1998 as a member of the Reform Party. He would win the position, upsetting both Democrat and Republican candidates in the process. Ventura served one term as governor, but declined to run for a second, citing the media's effect on his family life.

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7 Glenda Jackson

Glenda Jackson is a British actress with two Oscars for Best Actress to her name. Her first win came in 1970 for Women In Love, and her second came in 1973 for A Touch Of Class. She threw her hat into the political ring in 1992, running for MP of Hampstead and Highgate as a member of the Labour Party. Jackson would also serve as a junior transport minister from 1997-1999, during Prime Minister Tony Blair's tenure (he would remain Prime Minister until 2007). Redrawn constituency boundaries would make Jackson the representative of Hampstead and Kilburn from 2010 until 2015, when Jackson declined to run again and decided to return to acting.

6 Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan is one of the biggest superstars in the history of Indian cinema, rising to prominence in the 1970s and '80s. He made his acting debut in 1969 in the film Saat Hindustani and in 1975, he was in Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, a film the British Film Institute ranked the best Indian film of all time in 2002. He has won numerous awards, including four National Film Awards for Best Actor. In addition to this, Bachchan has also been a television host, hosting among other things, the Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?

Bachchan's political career would begin in 1984, when he ran for a seat in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's Parliament. He would represent Allahabad, the city he was born in. Bachchan won his seat by one of the largest margins in India's electoral history. He would resign from his post in 1987 after speculations that he might have been involved in the Bofors scandal, a weapons contract scandal between India and Sweden.

5 Volodymyr Zelensky

Starting out as a comedian and actor, the current (as of October 2022) President of Ukraine once starred in a show called Servant of the People where he played... the President of Ukraine. The show ran from 2015 to 2019, the year Volodymyr Zelensky was elected President. It was produced by Kvartal 95, a production company founded by Zelensky. A political party named after the show was formed in 2017, with Zelensky being a member of it. Other notable films Zelensky has starred in include 2008's Love In The Big City, a romantic comedy set in New York, and its sequels, Love In The Big City 2 and Love in Vegas.

Zelensky also provided the voice of Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian dubbings of Paddington and Paddington 2. Zelensky's tenure as President has been fraught with challenges. A few months into his term, then-US President Donald Trump attempted to coerce him into manufacturing politically damaging material on Joe Biden, who would be elected President of the US in 2020. The attempted coercion led to Trump's first impeachment. In February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine, a conflict which as of October of that same year, is still ongoing.

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4 Arnold Schwarzenegger

Born in Austria in 1947, Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the biggest action stars of the 1980s, starring in the titular roles of movies like Conan The Barbarian and The Terminator, the latter of which is probably his most iconic role. His Austrian accent is instantly recognizable. Before he began a career in film, he made his name as a weightlifter, winning the title of Mr. Universe at the age of 20 and winning the title of Mr. Olympia seven times. In addition to his action films, Schwarzenegger has shown considerable skill in comedy movies such as Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and Jingle All The Way. He has also played the supervillain Mr. Freeze in 1997's Batman and Robin, a role that saw him spout every awful ice pun humankind could conceive.

Schwarzenegger's political career kicked off in 2003, when he ran for Governor of California after a recall election was called against Democrat Governor, Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger ran as a Republican, winning the election with 48.6% of the vote. He would be re-elected in 2006, serving as Governor until 2011. Due to California having term limits for its governor, Schwarzenegger was unable to run for a third term. He has since returned to acting, starring in films such as The Expendables series.

3 Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood has had a truly incredible career, rising to prominence in the 1960s after starring as The Man With No Name in Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy, a trilogy which includes The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, one of the greatest Westerns ever made. Eastwood plays The Good in that particular film. In 1971, Eastwood played his other most notable role for the first time, Dirty Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry, a role he'd reprise in four more films, with Eastwood directing the fourth installment, Sudden Impact. Eastwood has also directed several acclaimed films, like Best Picture Oscar winners Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby, both of which earned Eastwood nominations for Best Actor and Best Director. He wouldn't win either time for Best Actor, but did win both times for Best Director. Eastwood's political career began in 1986, when he became mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He would hold the position of mayor for two years before returning to acting and directing.

2 Shirley Temple

Shirley Temple is one of the most iconic child actresses of all time, being Hollywood' biggest box office draw from 1934 to 1938. She could, act, dance, and sing, as seen in films like Curly Top, where she sings the song, "Animal Crackers In My Soup." One of her other notable films is 1937's Heidi, a musical drama where Temple plays the titular character. The American Film Institute would later rank her as the 18th greatest female screen legend of all time, an impressive accomplishment for someone who retired from acting at age 22. Temple's political career began in 1969, when she was chosen to represent the US at a session of the United Nations General Assembly. In 1974, President Gerald Ford appointed her US Ambassador to Ghana, a position she'd serve in until 1976. This would not be the first time Temple was appointed an ambassador. President George H.W. Bush would appoint her as Ambassador to Czechoslovakia in 1989. She would hold the position until 1992.

1 Ronald Reagan

US President Ronald Reagan is perhaps the most notable actor turned politician. His acting career began in 1937, with him starring in the film Love Is on The Air. He would also appear in 1939's Dark Victory, co-starring alongside Bette Davis (who got an Oscar nomination for the film) and Humphrey Bogart. Perhaps Reagan's most notable acting role was in 1940's Knute Rockne, All American, where he played football player George Gipp. This is the film with the iconic "Win one for the Gipper" quote, with "The Gipper" becoming a nickname for Reagan during his tenure as President. From 1947 to 1952, Reagan was the head of the Screen Actors Guild, making him, as of 2022, the only US President to have ever led a labor union.

He would serve as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, with failed Presidential bids in 1968 and 1976. He would make a successful bid in 1980, where he won the White House over incumbent Jimmy Carter. Reagan would serve as President from 1981-1989, winning re-election in one of the biggest blowouts in US history. As President, he was known for his trickle-down theory of economics and for his meetings with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during his second term.