Honorable imitations: Ranking the 20 best portrayals of actual politicians

Let's say it three times: Jack Stanton is Bill Clinton. While most of "Primary Colors" is based in fiction, Joe Klein's portrayal of a Clintonesque figure is spot on, and the film version, as portrayed by John Travolta, is just as close to the bone. While the two have few similar physical characteristics, Travolta nails Clinton's folksy charm and ability to turn into a cunning political animal at the drop of a dime. 

Long before his days as Uncle Joe, Joe Biden was a stalwart senator who was more interested in protecting his own image while also trying to keep the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings concerning the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court from becoming a circus. As such, Greg Kinnear doesn't play Biden as the grandfatherly character some know and love to this day. Rather, we see him as a complicated man who had a track record of supporting women's rights, but also kept women from speaking at Thomas' hearing, likely ensuring his confirmation by Biden's own hand.

When tasked with playing a presidential candidate in a film that spends more time focusing on the vice presidential candidate, it's easy just to go into acting cruise control, but Ed Harris, as John McCain, wasn't having any of that. Harris lends a steady hand to the late Maverick senator without making his performance about being the smallest part of his own campaign. Harris gives McCain a level-headed humanity that carries throughout the film, even as he concedes the choice of Sarah Palin as better than doing nothing in a quiet moment with his dejected campaign manager (Woody Harrelson).

As the other half of the starring duo of "Game Change," Julianne Moore was tasked with humanizing what had quickly become a caricature in vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Moore succeeds in her task, not by emphasizing Palin's aloofness and increasing gaffes, but by honing in on her as a politician who, like most other politicians, has more on the ball than she's given credit for. While her performance is credible and compelling. you'll have to wait just a bit more to see who we think gave the best Palin performance.

Richard Nixon is one of the more lampooned and spoofed presidents in pop culture, but among the throng of "I'm not a crook!" impersonations, there are a few gems. One of which is Frank Langella's take on the disgraced commander in chief in Ron Howard's "Frost/Nixon," based on the landmark interviews between Nixon and journalist David Frost. Choosing not to do a straight up impersonation of Nixon, Langella treats his subject with an equal dose of defiance and resignation, as Nixon agrees to do the interviews to set the record straight as he sees it, while also struggling to come to terms with how society views him.

Oliver Stone is no stranger to presidential biopics, but to direct one while the subject is still in office felt like an interesting choice at best and a guided attack at worse. That said, Josh Brolin turns in an even-handed and engaging performance as George W. Bush. He gave him equal time as a rambunctious youth always in search of approval from his father and the slightly aloof and reformed man who finds himself thrust into history in the wake of the events of 9/11 and a war that threatened to stain his legacy.

Australian actor Jason Clarke gives an uncanny performance as Edward "Ted" Kennedy during the episode that would define much of his life and career as a Kennedy in "Chappaquiddick." Much was made about the story — Kennedy was driving a car with staffer Mary Jo Kopechne as a passenger when he accidentally drove off a bridge in the seaside town of Chappaquiddick, Maine, the latter of whom died in the submerged car. Clarke manages to give an ambiguous but open performance within a performance, as Kennedy tries to maintain the veneer of a politician, treating tragedy as an old friend while still trying to seek the acceptance of his diminished father (Bruce Dern).

Loosely based on author Randy Shilts' "The Mayor of Castro Street, "Milk" features Sean Penn, sans his usual grimace, as gay activist and politician Harvey Milk as he makes his transition from New York City to San Francisco and subsequently into politics. While some thought Penn's take on Milk was borderline stereotypical, those who knew Milk said Penn not only did him justice with his overall demeanor, but effectively conveyed Milk as a serious politician as well.

An account of the early days of Winston Churchill's tenure as Britain's prime minister against the backdrop of WWII, "Darkest Hour" features Gary Oldman in a brilliant but almost recognizable performance as Churchill. Focusing on a number of Churchill's quirks and eccentricities, the film also gives viewers a glimpse into Churchill's vulnerabilities, expertly delivered by Oldman with commanding power. Not only a highlight of Oldman's career, but the definitive depiction of one of history's most important leaders of the 20th century.

What happens when you take one of our finest actresses and mix her with one of the more controversial politicians in modern history? A performance that far outshines the film it's nestled in. Meryl Streep's take on Margaret Thatcher is uncanny, and as much criticism that was leveled at "The Iron Lady" itself, none of it fell on Streep's performance. 

Initially a second choice for director Stephen Frears, Michael Sheen would take on the role of embattled British Prime Minister Tony Blair in three films, 2003's "The Deal," 2006's "The Queen" and 2010's "The Special Relationship." Each film featured Blair at a different point in his controversial career, with Sheen walking a balancing act between what BBC critic Mark Davies called an "overeager puppy" and "something more sinister and cynical," a comparison some would say is apropos to the real Blair himself and a compliment, if anything, to Sheen.

While Frank Langella's take on disgraced former President Richard Nixon is one of subtlety and fiery resignation, Anthony Hopkins delivers what could be described as more of an animalistic performance in Oliver Stone's "Nixon." Animalistic in that Hopkins seems to project the id of Nixon, a political animal, whose ferocity often found its home somewhere between Quaker guilt and outright rejection. There's almost a hint of "Richard III" in Hopkins' portrayal — as Nixon, never the beloved politician, sought to prove his worth through spiteful will, laced with paranoia.

Forest Whitaker earned an Oscar for his performance of Ugandan warlord/dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland." Delivering his performance under a sinister-cool yet often explosive demeanor, Whitaker embodied a man whose reign of terror made him an international figure of derision in the years before his 1979 ouster.

Originally filling the shoes of LBJ on Broadway, Bryan Cranston reprises the role in HBO's 2016 version of "All the Way," a dramatization of the early portion of Johnson's presidency in the wake of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Cranston embodies the role not so much as a caricature, as done by Woody Harrelson in "LBJ," but with a heft and gravitas that qualifies his performance as definitive.

There have been numerous depictions of the Kennedy family on film and TV over the years, but Bruce Greenwood's portrayal of John F. Kennedy in the middle of a high-pressure situation stands out as the best in "Thirteen Days," a dramatization of the Cuban Missile Crisis. While a starring vehicle for Kevin Costner as White House aide Kenny O'Donnell, Greenwood's performance gave viewers a rare glimpse of a non-Camelot depiction. In this film, Kennedy, flanked by brother Bobby (Steven Culp) and O'Donnell, shows a strength and gravitas under pressure not seen since William Devane's performance of the tragic president in 1974's "The Missiles of October."

Tina Fey represents a bit of an anomaly on our list. The majority of the performances are dramatic in nature and don't attempt to lampoon as opposed to portray a real-life figure. While Julianne Moore made our list with her turn as Sarah Palin, it would be a crime not to highlight the even better depiction from Fey. Her portrayal of the former Alaskan governor was so spot on, it transcended the normal spoofing you'd see on a show like "Saturday Night Live." Fey wasn't doing a caricature of Palin; she embodied her, replete with quirks and mannerisms that even drew the knowing ire of the real Palin when their paths crossed on air in 2008.

Few people cared about, or were interested, in the story of America's second president more than when Paul Giamatti lit up the small screen in the HBO miniseries "John Adams." Taking viewers on a journey through the statesman's life from before the Revolutionary War until after his single term in office, Giamatti gave audiences a bold and compelling performance, giving us all a reason to reconsider the legacy of a founding father.

One might think it's daunting to have one's finest work so indelibly tied to that of a monster, but Bruno Ganz bears that distinction with his deft and frenzied take on Adolf Hitler during his final hours in "Downfall." Ganz does far more than what could be asked in such a role, but as the beleaguered Nazi leader, he manages to effectively act out the sheer paranoia and desperation Hitler exhibited as the walls closed in on him. Ganz delicately balanced just enough humanity to make his performance sinisterly seductive in selling to audiences that at the end of the day, a madman is still often just a man.

Outside the uncanny resemblance Ben Kingsley had to the slain politician and philosopher, his warmth and gentle take on the Mahatma in Richard Attenborough's epic "Gandhi" was nothing short of inspiring in its execution. Kingsley, a largely unknown actor at the time outside of his native England, exploded onto the stage in this breakout performance, earning himself an Oscar and igniting a career that exists to this day.

Some may feel it's a bit of a no-brainer to choose arguably the best actor of our generation for the top spot, but it's hard not to look at Daniel Day-Lewis' Oscar-winning performance as Abraham Lincoln as possibly the finest of all political figures. Like the challenge Paul Giamatti faced as John Adams, there were virtually no true recordings of Lincoln's voice outside of anecdotal mentions that stated Lincoln did not have the supposed timber that so many previous portrayals might have suggested. Day-Lewis gave his Lincoln an unexpectedly high pitch that the longer you listened to it, the better it sounded, especially as he told a story in a war room or as he castigated his cabinet. A stellar performance of an iconic statesman and president.