It's odd to think that Abraham Lincoln was killed by an actor, because most of the memorable American Presidents to follow him were actors in their blood. Eisenhower excelled in the part of the sturdy veteran who'd come home to tidy the porch, and Nixon was every part in The Godfather rolled into one. But it took Ronald Reagan to drive the matter past the point of absurdity: president of the Screen Actors' Guild as well as star of Bedtime for Bonzo. The person who today seems most like a real President is Martin Sheen, who plays one in The West Wing.[1] George W. Bush - the less real real President - has settled for the part of a B-movie cowboy, and takes his role very seriously. Only the other day he was talking about 'riding herd' with the Middle East peace process.

LRB 11 September 2003 | PDF Download