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Entertainers in Politics

Sonny Bono (1935–1998) Sonny Bono (1935–1998)

Members of the entertainment field have long served as behind-the-scenes players in politics. But during World War II, Clare Boothe Luce and Helen Gahagan Douglas, two figures of note from stage and screen, left the entertainment world to win seats in Congress. And, in the 1960s, song-and-dance man George Murphy was elected to the U.S. Senate and Ronald Reagan became governor of California. Especially in the television era, entertainers found that their ability to connect with the public served them well in politics. Although the number of actors-turned-politicians has remained limited, entertainers have continued to span both worlds.

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