7 Actors Who Won Oscars For Playing Political Figures

The nominations for the 2025 Oscars saw Sebastian Stan receive his first nomination for his portrayal of U.S. President, Donald Trump in The Apprentice. Directed by Abi Abbasi, The Apprentice is set in the 1970s and 1980s, and follows the early career of Donald Trump, who is determined to step out of his father’s shadow and make a name for himself in the real estate industry. Alongside Sebastian Stan, the cast of The Apprentice includes Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, and Martin Donovan, and the movie explores how Trump rose to become one of the most powerful businesspeople in American history.

Despite The Apprentice’s controversial release, including legal action from Donald Trump and its struggle to find a distributor, the movie received a highly positive reception. Critics praised The Apprentice for its simplicity, direction, and acting performances. Sebastian Stan’s performance as Donald Trump allowed him to join the list of actors who received Oscar nominations for playing U.S. presidents. With the award ceremony looming, Smith stands a good chance at winning the Oscar for Best Actor and joining a growing list of actors who have won Oscars for playing political figures across the years.

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1

George Arliss As Benjamin Disraeli (1929)

George Arliss Won Best Actor For Disraeli

Directed by Alfred E. Green, Disreali follows the career of Benjamin Disraeli, who served as British prime minister twice between 1868 and 1880. The movie depicts Disraeli’s involvement in the United Kingdom’s attempts to buy the Suez Canal and his growing concerns about Russia’s interest in the Indian subcontinent. Disraeli sees the canal as an opportunity to secure control over India, but many are opposed to it. With little financial support from the Bank of England and spies following his every move, Disraeli knows that he must act fast if he is going to outwit his rivals and bring honor to Britain.

George Arliss won the Oscar for Best Actor at the age of 62, making him the fourth-oldest actor to win in the category.

The movie was adapted from the 1911 play by Louis N. Parker which ran for 287 shows on Broadway in its first season. George Arliss, who originated the role of Disraeli in the play, agreed to star in the 1929 sound adaptation. Disraeli was widely praised upon release, with critics citing Arliss’ performance as “the whole picture” (via PapersPast). The movie received three Oscar nominations in 1930, with Arliss winning Best Actor for his performance as Disraeli; he was the first British actor to win an Academy Award.

2

Ben Kingsley As Mahatma Gandhi (1982)

Ben Kingsley Won Best Actor For Gandhi

Directed by Richard Attenborough, Gandhi explores the life and career of Mahatma Gandhi, who served as an important figure in the Indian independence movement against the British Empire. The movie shows how Gandhi grew from a lawyer to a political activist and how he was devoted to using peaceful resistance to fight against racial discrimination and for his country’s freedom against British control. Gandhi was released to high acclaim, receiving praise from critics for its accurate depiction of Gandhi’s life; it has been ranked by the BFI as one of the greatest movies of the 20th century (via Filmsite).

Ben Kingsley’s role as Mahatma Gandhi was particularly praised, with critics calling him “nothing short of astonishing” (via TIME). Gandhi received a record 11 Oscar nominations in 1983 and won eight, including Best Picture, Best Director (Richard Attenborough), and Best Screenplay (Jon Briley). Ranked as one of Ben Kingsley’s best movies, he won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as the Indian political activist. In his acceptance speech, Kingsley called his Oscar win “an Oscar for vision, for courage, for acting, and for peace.”

3

Forest Whitaker As Idi Amin (2006)

Forest Whitaker Won Best Actor For The Last King of Scotland

Adapted from the 1998 novel by Giles Foden, The Last King of Scotland focuses on the dictatorship of Idi Amin, who served as the President of Uganda from 1971 until 1979. Told from the perspective of a Scottish doctor, Nicholas Garrigan, who serves as the president’s personal physician, the movie depicts how Amin was involved with the expulsion of Asians from Uganda, and the war between Uganda and Tanzania, which eventually led to his downfall in 1979. Dying in exile in 2003, Idi Amin is regarded by many as one of the most brutal dictators in history (via ThoughtCo).

Forest Whitaker was cast as Idi Amin in 2006’s The Last King of Scotland, directed by Kevin Macdonald. His performance was considered the best aspect of the movie, with Rotten Tomatoes stating that it “powers this fictionalized political thriller, a blunt and brutal tale about power and corruption.” Whitaker won his first Best Actor Oscar for his performance and is one of only two actors to win an Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG and Critics’ Choice awards for non-fictional leaders in the same year. The Last King of Scotland remains one of Forest Whitaker’s most groundbreaking performances.

4

Sean Penn As Harvey Milk (2008)

Sean Penn Won Best Actor For Milk

Ranked as one of Sean Penn’s best movies, Milk is a biographical movie that depicts the career of gay rights activist, Harvey Milk, who made history by becoming the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Directed by Gus Van Sant, the movie explores the professional challenges Milk faced in his gay rights campaigns and the struggles he faced in maintaining his personal relationships during his fight for election. Milk also depicts Harvey Milk’s conflict with Dan White, which culminated in Milk’s assassination in 1978.

Sean Penn’s Academy Award Nominations
Year	Academy Award	Movie	Outcome
1996	Best Actor in a Leading Role	Dead Man Walking	Nominated
2000		Sweet and Lowdown	Nominated
2002		I Am Sam	Nominated
2004		Mystic River	Won
2009		Milk	Won

The movie was described by critics as “superbly crafted, covering huge amounts of time, people and the zeitgeist without a moment of lapsed energy or inattention to detail” (via The Hollywood Reporter). Sean Penn’s depiction of Harvey Milk was described as a “surprising and entirely winning performance” (via Variety). Milk received eight Oscar nominations in 2009, with Sean Penn winning his first Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

5

Meryl Streep As Margaret Thatcher (2011)

Meryl Streep Won Best Actress For The Iron Lady

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Margaret Thatcher is recognized as the first woman to hold the position of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and was the longest serving British prime minister of the 20th century, having served from 1979 to 1990. She is remembered for her involvement in the 1982 Falklands War and deregulating financial markets in the United Kingdom, with a 1976 speech against communism earning her the nickname “The Iron Lady” (via Britannica). The Iron Lady, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, shows an elderly Thatcher reflecting on her life, from a student at Oxford, to her eventual rise as British Prime Minister.

While The Iron Lady received a mixed response upon release, Meryl Streep’s performance as Margaret Thatcher was widely praised, with critics calling her “astonishing and all but flawless” (via The Guardian). Streep’s performance earned her the Oscar for Best Actress, the third Oscar of her career after winning Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs Kramer (1979) and Best Actress for Sophie’s Choice (1982). Streep’s win for The Iron Lady meant she became one of several actors who won Oscars across multiple decades.

6

Daniel Day-Lewis As Abraham Lincoln (2012)

Daniel Day-Lewis Won Best Actor For Lincoln

Daniel Day-Lewis starred as Abraham Lincoln, who served as the 16th President of the United States, in Steven Spielberg’s 2012 historical biopic, Lincoln. Serving as the U.S. President between 1861 and 1865, Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his work during the American Civil War, and his opposition to slavery in America (via BBC). Lincoln explores the last four months of the president’s life as he attempts to have the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the United States House of Representatives and his continued campaign to abolish slavery until his assassination in 1865.

Daniel Day-Lewis’ Academy Award Nominations
Year	Award	Movie	Outcome
1990	Academy Award for Best Actor	My Left Foot	Won
1994		In the Name of the Father	Nominated
2003		Gangs of New York	Nominated
2008		There Will Be Blood	Won
2013		Lincoln	Won
2018		Phantom Thread	Nominated

Daniel Day-Lewis underwent a big transformation for Lincoln, changing his physical appearance to match the U.S. President’s, and using a high-pitched voice to mimick what was claimed to be Lincoln’s manner of speech. Using his trademark of method acting, during production, Daniel Day-Lewis insisted that the cast and crew refer to him as “Mr. President” and didn’t break character for three months. The movie was critically acclaimed and received 12 Oscar nominations in 2013, with Day-Lewis winning his third Best Actor award for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln.

7

Gary Oldman As Winston Churchill (2017)

Gary Oldman Won Best Actor For Darkest Hour

One of several movies where Gary Oldman played a real person, Darkest Hour depicts the political career of Winston Churchill, widely remembered for his time serving as British Prime Minister during World War II. Directed by Joe Wright, the movie explores Churchill’s time as minister during the war and the decisions he made to protect his country. Several of Churchill’s famous speeches are depicted throughout the movie, including his promise of “blood, toil, tears, and sweat,” and his proclamation to “fight on the beaches,” against the threat of invasion.

Darkest Hour was positively received by critics upon its release, despite receiving some criticism for its changes to historical events in Churchill’s career. Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Churchill was received with high praise, with critics calling his performance as the British Prime Minister “never less than sensational” (via Radio Times). Ranked as one of the best movies of Gary Oldman’s career, he won his first Academy Award for Best Actor at the 2018 Oscars ceremony.

Sources: PapersPast, Filmsite, TIME, ThoughtCo, Rotten Tomatoes, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Britannica, The Guardian, BBC, Radio Times

Oscars

The Oscars, also known as The Academy Awards, is an annual awards show celebrating workers in the film industry for their artistic and technical abilities. The Oscars are often considered the most prestigious awards show in the industry and date back to 1929. The 96th Academy Awards will be held on March 10, 2024, and be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on ABC.

Location

Los Angeles, CA

Dates

March 2, 2025

Network

ABC

Website

https://www.oscars.org/

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Category: Entertainment