--- description: With the June 24 release of Independence Day: Resurgence, it's a good time to look back at some of the most memorable fictional presidents title: Here Are 17 of the Best Fictional Presidents image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt33aeacf0b376eea2/6988990b0b72e34ccc6e9e89/fictional-presidents-facebook.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Independence Day: Here Are 17 of the Best Fictional Presidents by [Kenneth Bachor](/author/kenneth-bachor/) ## Kenneth Bachor Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 24, 2016 12:27 AM CUT  Columbia Pictures by [Kenneth Bachor](/author/kenneth-bachor/) ## Kenneth Bachor Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 24, 2016 12:27 AM CUT The President of the United States is one of the most influential people in the world. As Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump [dominate headlines](http://time.com/4376368/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-donations-campaign-finance/ "undefined") ahead of the November election, and with the June 24 release of [_Independence Day: Resurgence_ ](http://time.com/4377916/sci-fi-history-ndependence-day-resurgence/ "undefined")featuring Sela Ward as the franchise’s first female president, it’s a good time to look back at some of the most memorable fictional presidents in film and television. These leaders are usually challenged by an enormous obstacle over a complicated plot line, or are often thrown into [action hero-type roles.](https://www.boston.com/culture/movies/2015/07/01/our-obsession-with-action-hero-presidents "undefined") The 1990s was full of examples—think [Harrison Ford](http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/air-force-one-1997 "undefined") battling Russian terrorists in _Air Force One_ or Morgan Freeman preparing for a comet colliding with Earth in _Deep Impact_. The one common trait that is consistent among these films’ varied story lines: unforgettable quotes. Perhaps the best example is in 1996’s _Independence Day_, when Bill Pullman’s character, President Thomas Whitmore, gives a motivational speech at an Air Force base before retaliating against alien invaders, “We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it’s fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom… Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution… but from annihilation.” As many dramatic faux-presidential roles as there have been, there are as many that are hilarious. Jack Nicholson portrayed the president in _Mars Attacks!_, in which [TIME said](http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985779-1,00.html#paid-wall "undefined") in its 1996 review, “You have to admire everyone’s chutzpah.” In _Head of State_, Chris Rock hilariously plays Mays Gilliam, an accidental candidate to the presidency with a sharp mouth, who [_The New York Times_ reflected](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/movies/18darg.html?%5Fr=0 "undefined"), “Helped us imagine \[Barack Obama’s\] transformative breakthrough before it occurred.” Though it’s Hollywood, one can agree: the presidency isn’t an easy job.  Michael Douglas as Andrew Shepherd in The American President, 1995. Columbia Pictures  Jack Nicholson as James Dale in Mars Attacks!, 1996. Warner Bros. Pictures  Bill Pullman as Thomas J. Whitmore in Independence Day, 1996. 20th Century Fox  Gene Hackman as Alan Richmond in Absolute Power, 1997. Columbia Pictures  Harrison Ford as James Marshall in Air Force One, 1997. Columbia Pictures  Morgan Freeman as Tom Beck in Deep Impact, 1998. Paramount Pictures  John Travolta as Jack Stanton in Primary Colors, 1998. Steve Sands—AP  Martin Sheen as Josiah Bartlet in The West Wing, 1999. NBC  Dennis Haysbert, as David Palmer, and Cherry Jones, as Allison Taylor, in 24, 2001, 2009. Fox  Chris Rock as Mays Gilliam in Head of State, 2003. Alamy  Danny Glover in Thomas Wilson in 2012, 2009. Columbia Pictures  Charlie Sheen as President Rathcock in Machete Kills, 2013. Open Road Films  Jamie Foxx as James William Sawyer in White House Down, 2013. Columbia Pictures  Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood in House of Cards, 2014. David Giesbrecht—Netflix  Samuel L. Jackson as William Alan Moore in Big Game, 2014. Nordisk Film Distribution  Sela Ward as Elizabeth Lanford in Independence Day: Resurgence. 20th Century Fox ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4379064/independence-day-resurgence-best-fictional-presidents/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4379064/independence-day-resurgence-best-fictional-presidents/"},"headline":"Independence Day: Here Are 17 of the Best Fictional Presidents","datePublished":"2016-06-24T00:27:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:59:51.160Z","description":"From Independence Day to Head of State","url":"https://time.com/4379064/independence-day-resurgence-best-fictional-presidents/","keywords":["movies","Television","photography"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt33aeacf0b376eea2/6988990b0b72e34ccc6e9e89/fictional-presidents-facebook.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kenneth Bachor","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/kenneth-bachor/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt33aeacf0b376eea2/6988990b0b72e34ccc6e9e89/fictional-presidents-facebook.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"fictional-presidents-facebook","caption":"","creditText":"Columbia Pictures","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4379064/independence-day-resurgence-best-fictional-presidents/","name":"Independence Day: Here Are 17 of the Best Fictional Presidents"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Independence Day: Here Are 10 of the Best Fictional Presidents","description":"The President of the United States is one of the most influential people in the world. 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