The 25 most memorable fictional politicians

Martin Sheen portrayed one of the great — and likely most beloved — fictional United States presidents. Bartlet went through the ranks, going from a congressman to governor of New Hampshire to the White House. This is the first example on this list of producer Aaron Sorkin's picture of the ideal, Democratic president. Bartlet was also a commander in chief dealing with a chronic health issue (multiple sclerosis), which left him vulnerable and stubborn at times. 

President Beck (Morgan Freeman) was at the mercy of not one but two comets threatening to potentially destroy the planet. He did his best but was put in a hard place and managed to stay calm and display a little bit of humor during this end-of-the-world film. As things went on and a darker reality became apparent, we saw Beck as a human grappling with his existence and not just the presidency.

Idiocracy (2006) has never enjoyed the same lasting success as Mike Judge's cult classic Office Space. Though, it does have a solid following of its own. Maybe that's because Terry Crews shines as the over-the-top, preacher-like President Camacho, who puts the "average" Joe (Luke Wilson) pretty much in charge of fixing everything that's wrong with the country, including curing car sickness.  

Talk about ambition. Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) went from city council member to mayor of Baltimore to the governor of Maryland. We are not introduced to Carcetti until Season 3, but he hits the ground running. He's fueled to succeed and is liked by the cops and women who are not his wife. Carcetti has his moments between like and dislike, but something about him seemed to have us viewers wanting more. 

It's hard to tell what's filthier: Davis' political demeanor or his mouth. The Maryland senator (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) made corruption look good. Sure, he's hardly likable from a moral standpoint, but he wore it well, and it was certainly fun to watch — especially when he breaks out into his infamous expletive. 

It's the role that brought Michael J. Fox back to prominence. As deputy mayor of New York City, Mike is the master of spin and tweaking the political narrative. However, he's far from smooth when it comes to managing his personal life. Of course, there are plenty of laughs to be had in and out of the office. Credit Fox's role as overzealous domestic policy assistant Lewis Rothschild in The American President (1995) for getting him this job. 

The commissioner of Hazzard County, "Boss" Hogg (Sorrell Booke) was likely one of the most disliked villains on primetime television in the 1970s and '80s. Hogg's overweight and corrupt character appeared in every episode of the popular CBS comedy. He tried to keep the Duke boys in line. Usually, to no avail. With the white suits, cowboy hat, and cigars, "Boss" Hogg was cartoonish in many ways, which is why he was fun to watch. 

In some ways, "Boss'" Tom Kane (Kelsey Grammer) was kind of like Jed Bartlet. The mayor of Chicago was gruff and confident while dealing with a hidden health issue (degenerative neurological disorder). We only got to spend two seasons with Mayor Kane, but in that short time, we had a good amount of respect for a man just trying to do his job at the highest level possible.

Following an attack on the Capitol building, Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) went from Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to the President of the United States. A number of people inside and out of his administration tried to undermine him, but he often stood his ground, played tough, and kept focused through it all, even after losing his wife.

Talk about a busy bee. The ever-optimistic Leslie (Amy Poehler) wanted her hand in just about everything while originally working a mid-level job with the Pawnee (Indiana) Parks and Recreation Department. She eventually made it up to deputy director, where she increased her workload. Her ambitions continued to be fulfilled while making it to Washington for a spot in the Department of the Interior — then, as we are told, back to Indiana as the state's governor.

This is a fun one. A guy (Kevin Kline) goes from being a presidential impersonator to actually ending up holding the actual position of running the U.S. government, albeit as sort of a sham. Kline's Dave Kovic is pretty likable. The only difference between Dave and real-life politicians is that he has compassion.

Plain and simple, President Marshall (Harrison Ford) is the man. With Air Force One under attack, we need our leaders to take action — even physically. As far as action-adventure films with a political twist go, this might be the best. And Ford's Marshall is a primary reason. He's also one of the great fictional U.S. presidents of all time.

McCord (Téa Leoni) was not a career politician when she took over as Secretary of State. McCord, though, was not afraid to mix it up, especially with her adversaries in and out of the administration. She eventually became America's first female president. It's quite the rise for someone teaching political science not many years prior. But that's Hollywood. 

Whether serving as vice president or the president, Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) was pretty incompetent when it came to policy and practice. However, she was sharp and ruthless enough to get what she wanted and avoid total disaster. Of course, the trail of insults and obscenities she blazed along the way made her so much fun to watch.

We never actually caught his real name, but Kyle MacLachlan is brilliant as the good-hearted but often misguided mayor. He likes to make earwax sculptures, enjoys biking and reggae, and somewhat knows how to change a news cycle. Sure, the mayor can be a little naive and weird. But Portland is embraced for its weirdness. And we embrace this mayor.

President Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) had a capable ally in Jack Bauer, which helped uncover corruption and other devilish activity in the U.S. government. And in his own family, for that matter. Palmer was a leader no one wanted to cross. He's confident but could also be a little too trusting at times. He had the American people's best interest at hand, which was refreshing.

Smart, confident, powerful. Those are just a few words to describe Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington). A former communications director for the White House, Pope was rarely intimidated, even though she had her share of shortcomings. The overall complexity of her character — good or bad — was none more evident when she ran the presidential campaign of Gov. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III. Olivia was certainly someone most did not want to cross. 

President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) went through a lot. While serving as the Secretary of Education, she survived the Cylon's attack on the colonies and was the high-ranking official left standing. As president, Roslin, at least early on in her rule, did not have a political agenda, but she was not a pushover. She cared about people, for the most part. Imagine that from a leader, huh?

The one-time West Wing liaison to the vice president, Jonah (Timothy Simons) somehow made his way into the position of VP. His oafish appearance and poor attempts at being hip made him the butt of many jokes throughout the series and led to some memorable nicknames. Though he is a cancer survivor, it didn't help that Jonah ended up marrying a woman who turned out to be his half-sister. 

Another Aaron Sorkin favorite. Most real-life Democrats probably feel President Shepherd (Michael Douglas) would be a welcome sight in the actual White House. Despite his stubbornness regarding his romantic life, the widowed Shepherd is a confident leader who rarely seems to get rattled. His character-defending — and defining — speech at the end of the movie is memorable.

Many people believe Mr. Smith (James Stewart) might be the greatest fictional politician of all time. He's certainly beloved, as is this 1939 Frank Capra classic. The junior senator's speech in the nation's capital is among the most well-known scenes in movie history and opened the door for others to follow. He's a champion of the everyman, though perhaps not the most realistic portrayal of today's politicians. 

There might not be a more sinister and autocratic leader than President Snow (Donald Sutherland). The ruler of Panem will do things his way, or his citizens (especially in the outlying districts) will pay. We've seen what he's capable of doing, and it's scary to see it all play out — especially when we're talking about sacrificing children to keep him satisfied and entertained.   

Fans of this long-running Hallmark Channel guilty pleasure know that Mayor Martha Tinsdale (Catherine Disher) can be a handful. She's in everybody's business and needs plenty of attention. However, there is no greater champion for the fictional small town of Middleton than Madame Mayor. And her constituents should be grateful for that.

It's been widely known that the famed mayor of Springfield was based on U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta, Mayor Quimby is the ultimate stereotype of the crooked politician. He thinks money is the solution to any problem and loves the ladies. At least "Diamond Joe" claims he is "no longer illiterate." 

Even when Kevin Spacey was still in his high-profile role as Frank Underwood on this popular political thriller, we always felt his wife, Claire, was an intriguing character and much more ruthless than her husband. Robin Wright, whose Underwood character eventually became president of the United States, won a Golden Globe for her stellar performance in the role.