Before he was in politics, President Ronald Reagan was a well-known actor. Arguably, President Trump also has some acting experience after playing himself in Home Alone 2, Zoolander, Sex and the City, and several other movies and TV shows.
But who do Americans think should be the next actor president?
As part of the inaugural The Daily Show/YouGov poll, The Daily Show set out to determine who would have the best shot at becoming America’s next celebrity president.
Survey respondents were given the names of two randomized public figures in a series of head-to-head matchups and asked which they would rather make president of the United States. Public figures were categorized by professions of athletes, musicians, news personalities, reality TV/talk show personalities, and finally, actors.
The actor who Americans would most like to have as president is Morgan Freeman, who also came out on top overall across all categories.
Freeman was chosen as the pick for president in 81 percent of the head-to-head matchups he faced. Not far behind is Denzel Washington, who triumphed in 76 percent of his matchups. Tom Hanks (73%), Samuel L. Jackson (73%), and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (72%) round out the top five.
As far as female actresses go, the most popular pick is Betty White, who came in 11th in the actor category. She wins about two-thirds (67%) of the matchups she faces. Jennifer Aniston (64%), Jennifer Lawrence (61%), Angela Bassett (61%), and Meryl Streep (59%) round out the top five female actresses.
Among Democrats, the top actor president pick is Samuel L. Jackson, who wins 87 percent of the matchups he faces within this group. Among Republicans, Morgan Freeman remains the top pick, triumphing in 86 percent of the head-to-head matchups he faces.
Search through the table below to find out where your favorite celebrities fall on the list:
Methodology: The Daily Show/YouGov survey consisted of 2,586 panelists and ran between August 7 - 11. Every person was randomly assigned to see 30 celebrities, which appeared in 15 head-to-head matchups. For each, respondents were asked to indicate which of the celebrities in the head-to-head matchup they would prefer as the next to become president. For more information, see our methodology page . Reach out to uspress@yougov.com. Or see the cross tabs here.
Images: Getty
