# How was Ronald Reagan seen as an actor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867 "2003-03-24T20:28:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/1 "2003-03-24T20:28:55Z")
Before he went into politics, what was the general view of Reagan’s acting? ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/2 "2003-03-24T21:37:27Z")
I understand the general sentiment was that he was an OK “B” movie actor, decent enough to be counted on for a movie that the studio wasn’t spending a whole lot of money on, but not a star too many people would pay cash to see. Later, he became a cultural fixture by selling appliances on television. ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/3 "2003-03-24T23:48:51Z")
His fame actually started to increase when he became the host of **GE Theatre.** ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/4 "2003-03-24T23:50:16Z")
On screen, I’d imagine. (rimshot) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/5 "2003-03-24T23:59:44Z")
A key might be in the famous quote attributed to Jack Warner when he heard Reagan was running for governor: "“No. That can’t be right. Ronald Reagan for best friend. Jimmy Stewart for governor.” The quote may be acrophycal, but it does show something: Reagan was not a major star, but he was good enough to make a living and play the lead in some films. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/6 "2003-03-25T01:49:44Z")
As I recall, Reagan received an Oscar nomination for “King’s Row”. In general, he was either a lead actor in “B” movies, or a supporting actor in “A” movies. Payton’s Servant is right in pointing out that he became especially notable on the GE Theater. He was popular with his fellow actors, and served for a long time as Screen Actors Guild president. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/7 "2003-03-25T02:13:47Z")
Ronald Reagan was never nominated for an Academy Award. The closest he got to a major award for acting was receiving the Golden Globe’s Hollywood Citizenship Award in 1957. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/8 "2003-03-25T03:06:44Z")
That’s what I thought. Interesting. Jimmy Stewart would have been a good politician. And so would Gregory Peck. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/9 "2003-03-25T04:21:51Z")
Reagan was certainly never a huge star, nor was he ever considered a great actor. He was a solid, respected professional with limited range. When this question has come up before, I’ve suggested that, in terms of talent and stature, Reagan was comparable to someone like Jeff Daniels or Bill Pullman. ---
**Author:** ![AvidReader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@AvidReader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AvidReader)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/10 "2003-03-25T05:29:27Z")
Reagan made his mark in Hollywood acting in “B” movies. He welcomed direction and read a script well. Two attributes that served him well as president. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/11 "2003-03-25T06:44:36Z")
His last role was rather interesting, in “The Killers” from 1964. Maybe not good, but fun to watch. I think if he never left acting, he would have ended up in quite a few 1970’s disaster movies (maybe saying “damnit this is the president!” a few times), then done _Airplane_ in 1980 instead of running for president, and probably would finished his career on “Dynasty” in the 1980’s. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/12 "2003-03-25T07:17:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Jimmy Stewart would have been a good politician. And so would Gregory Peck. I know that James Stewart was rather conservative (who cares?) but do you know Gregory Peck’s political persuasion? They have been two of my absolute favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/13 "2003-03-25T14:40:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by syncrolecyne \* > \*\* and probably would finished his career on “Dynasty” in the 1980’s. \*\* As a matter of fact, the producers of “Dynasty” are believed to have offered him a $1,000,000-an-episode contract to appear as yet another of Alexis’ ex-husbands near the end of the show’s run. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/14 "2003-03-25T15:09:12Z")
Peck has been a pretty outspoken liberal Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/15 "2003-03-25T16:40:18Z")
TRIVIA TIME: He’s in the remake of the Killers that Criterion just put out. It’s his last role, and he plays a bad guy! He’s pretty convincing, I think. He smacks Angie Dickenson around pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/16 "2003-03-25T16:42:46Z")
I meant Reagan, not Peck. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![MSU\_1978](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MSU\_1978](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MSU_1978)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/17 "2003-03-25T17:25:49Z")
Let’s put it this way- he got second billing to a monkey. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/18 "2003-03-25T17:43:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MSU 1978 \* > \*\*Let’s put it this way- he got second billing to a monkey. \*\* True, but the monkey was a helluva an actor. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/19 "2003-03-25T17:53:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*I know that James Stewart was rather conservative (who cares?) but do you know Gregory Peck’s political persuasion? > > They have been two of my absolute favorites. \*\* Liberal Democrat. He was friendly with the Carters, the Kennedys, Johnson, etc. I think he also did an ad speaking out against the nomination of Bork for Supreme Court. Plus, like Stewart, he’s an honorable, decent, intelligent human being. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867/20 "2003-03-25T18:20:22Z")
Running through the channels the other night, I ran across an episode of _Burns & Allen_ on TV Land, and for some reason, started to watch. The plot, such as it was, involved gangsters trying to kidnap George Burns and repeatedly grabbing the wrong person. After each failed attempt, the boss gangster would slap the klutzy gangster for the failure. One of the the victims was Ronald Reagan, playing himself! Kind of funny to see… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-ronald-reagan-seen-as-an-actor/163867.md?page=2)