By Lydia Sidrys

From Donald Trump to Kanye West, it seems like many celebrities are choosing to step into the political arena these days. While the recent trend of many celebrities and television stars entering politics may seem new and even slightly disconcerting, it is more common than one would expect. In American and global history, celebrities taking on leadership positions in the government has not been a radical idea, nor even one that is particularly unusual. 

Celebrities, due to the nature of their position, have always had influence in politics. Celebrities naturally have a platform of followers and people who support them, and by having a following of this nature, celebrities are in a way leader of their own constituencies. It’s easy then, to extend that support to politics. Andrew Jackson originally became famous as a general in the army and being relatively famous gave Jackson an advantage in the election, propelling him to political success quickly. So, the idea of a celebrity becoming a politician or even President isn’t necessarily new, however it does seem that there are many more recent examples of this phenomenon

Particularly in the United States, there seem to be countless examples of celebrities seeking public office. One of the most obvious is Ronald Reagan, who was a Hollywood movie actor and union leader before becoming the governor of California from 1967-1975, and President from 1981-1989. Reagan, however, did not make the jump straight from being an actor to being President, but rather took a few positions between, including serving as President of the Screen Actors Guild and Governor of California. This political experience likely provided Reagan with practical skills for being able to govern. 

Donald Trump is perhaps the first individual one thinks of when they think of a celebrity turned politician. Prior to becoming President, Trump was the co-producer and host of the reality TV shows The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice. While he had not held political office prior to the Presidency, Trump has been loosely involved in politics for many years. He’s published many political advertisements dating back to 1987 and launched his first Presidential campaign in 2000. Trump also criticized Former President Barack Obama while he was in office and even discussed running against him. However, Trump didn’t run for office until, 2016 and after his subsequent victory served as President of the United States from 2016-2020.  What is significant about Trump’s ascendency to the Presidency in terms of his celebrity status is that he did not hold political office prior to 2016, unlike Reagan, who had practical experience in the political world prior to being elected. This raises the question of what the standard for celebrities turned politicians is in terms of qualifications. 

The concept of celebrities becoming politicians is not solely an American one. Volodymyr Zelensky was a comedian and actor, performing the role President on a TV show, prior to being elected President of the Ukraine. Zelensky’s political party even has the same name as the television show in which he starred this case, Zelensky used his celebrity status to his advantage in his campaign and ascent to power. Rather than being seen as a weakness or distraction from the campaign Zelensky used his presence onscreen to his advantage. Celebrities becoming politicians has also been a common phenomenon in the Philippines, where the government is littered with celebrities and public personalities. 

While it is not uncommon for celebrities to enter the world of politics: why would they choose to do so? Obviously, the answer to this question varies person by person, and there are a variety of reasons an individual could be tempted by the political spotlight. Since celebrities already have a following of people, it could be easier for them to succeed at politics because they already know how to speak to crowds, have strong name recognition, and are typically charismatic. Because the path to the Presidency could be easier for celebrities due to these reasons, there could be more of a temptation for these individuals to enter politics 

Celebrities are masterful at using the media to their advantage, and the media is more likely to follow a celebrity running for office than a non-celebrity, which is another advantage they have over non-celebrities. Ego could also play a role in this decision as well, as a common trope of celebrities is that they are egotistical, believing they can run for high public opposite even without adequate experience. With celebrity politicians being as common as they are, we must answer the question of who we want in our government. Do we want a charismatic, media-savvy celebrity or would we rather have an experienced politician and policymaker?