Actors Who Represented Their Neighbors

There have been numerous people from the entertainment industry who have successfully ventured into California politics in the last sixty-years. While many celebrities have unsuccessfully run for office it is George Takei’s 1973 run for Los Angeles City Council that generated an interesting controversy. The Federal Communications Commission’s equal-time rule required a local TV station to stop running reruns of the original Star Trek series until after the election, and the local NBC affiliate, KNBC-TV, had to substitute Takei’s character with another in the premiere episode of the Star Trek animated series.

Child actress Shirley Temple, as an adult unsuccessfully ran for Congress; but her most notable contribution was her years as an appointed Ambassador for the United Nations.

Shelia Kuehl is a child actor, turned lawyer and then professor of Law, with a current lengthy twenty-five-year career in politics. She was elected to the California State Assembly in 1994, then termed out in 2000. She ran for California State Senate in 2000 and remained in Sacramento until she termed out in 2008. She won a seat on the Los Angeles County board of supervisors in 2014. The 78-year old former child actress has suggested she will continue until termed out, when she is 87 years old!

Broadway singer and dancer and star of the movie “She” Helen Gahagan Douglas, has the distinction of being the first Democrat woman from California to serve in Congress from 1945 to 1951. Republican Mae Nolan was not a celebrity, but 20 years before the election of Douglas, she was the first woman to represent California in Congress.

Oscar winning director, Clint Eastwood, became Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1986 and remained in office for two years.

The second most recognized celebrity elected was Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was elected Governor in a 2003 special election and then remained in office two more terms until 2011.

Cher’s ex-husband Sonny Bono was elected Mayor of Palm Springs in 1988 and remained in office four years. He then ran for Congress in 1995 and successful represented his district in Washington, D.C. until his tragic death in 1998. The Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 was sponsored by his wife, who was elected to finish his term, and it was named in his honor.

Two SAG Presidents have run for office in California. Academy Award winning actor and dancer George Murphy was SAG’s president from 1944 to 1946. He is also the only U.S. Senator to also have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964 and remained in office for one term.

The most notable celebrity, also a SAG President, to run for office from California was Ronald Reagan. He became Governor in 1966 and remained in office from 1967 to 1975. He unsuccessfully ran for President in 1976 and then again successfully in 1980, when he became the 40th President from 1981 to 1989.

A current example of a candidate who felt compelled to run for office, in order to represent his neighbors in an elected seat of government, is Brandon Saario. One of 16 (!) candidates in the June 4 special election, for Los Angeles City Council 12th District, he has no ties to Washington D.C. or Sacramento. Brandon Saario lists his background, very humbly, as “TV Production Member” but IMBD suggests he has had notable roles in front of the camera too. He was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and is currently meeting people face-to-face to ask for their vote, view his website, his Twitter feed @SaarioBrando, or bring their neighbors to meet him March 23 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in Chatsworth. See details:

https://www.facebook.com/event...