Malia Obama embarking on a screenwriting career in the entertainment industry proves that children of presidents can emerge from the long shadow of life in the public eye and forge their own paths. There seems to be ample space for self-actualization for the offspring of some of the former commanders-in-chief in the television and film industry.
Some presidents, like Ronald Reagan, began their careers in Hollywood. Others, like Donald Trump, forged a path to the Oval Office through reality television. Some say there’s a fine line between politics and theater, so perhaps it’s not strange that many children of presidents gravitate toward careers in the entertainment industry.
There’s obviously a great deal of recency bias here, given the relative infancy of cinema and television; it absolutely seems to be something of a recurring trend in recent years, but who does what, and where can you find their credits?
Patti Davis
Patti Davis is the daughter of former president Ronald Reagan in his second marriage to Nancy Reagan. Like all of her parents and siblings, she could not resist the lure of Hollywood. However, she took the time to study drama at Northwestern University and the University of Southern California. Much of her acting career coincided with her father’s presidency. She guest starred on popular tv shows like CHiPs, Fantasy Island, and The Love Boat. She appeared in the films The Curse of the Pink Panther and Tango & Cash. and wrote the script for Sacrifices of the Heart. Patti became a controversial figure during and after her father’s presidency as she rebelled against her parents’ conservative politics. In 1994, she became the first child of a US president to appear on the cover of Playboy and pose for a nude pictorial. Today she is the author of numerous books and newspaper articles.
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton is the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Secretary of State. In 2011, while writing her dissertation for a doctorate in philosophy from Oxford University, Clinton became a special correspondent for NBC News. She co-founded the production company Hidden Light with her mother and Sam Branson. In 2014, she produced the documentary Of Many, followed by the award-winning documentaries Lyra and Into Her Hands in 2022.
That same year, she appeared on an episode of the TV series Derry Girls and appeared with her mother in the documentary Gutsy, which she also co-produced. The latter featured a selection of famous trailblazing women, including Jane Goodall and Gloria Steinem, and celebrities like Mariska Hargitay, Wanda Sykes, Megan Thee Stallion, and Kim Kardashian. Clinton also hosts the podcast In Fact with Chelsea Clinton.
Steven Ford
Steven Ford is the son of the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, and his wife, Betty, founder of The Betty Ford Center. He began his career as an actor in 1981, playing the recurring part of Andy Richards on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. He played numerous minor roles, including Armageddon, Black Hawk Down, When Harry Met Sally, and Transformers.
Jenna Bush Hager
Jenna Busch Hager is a well-known broadcast journalist and co-host of NBC’s Today with Hoda & Jenna. She is also the child of a powerful political clan. She is the daughter of George W. Bush and the granddaughter of George H.W. Bush. Her father and grandfather were America’s 41st and 43rd Presidents, respectively. Despite her political pedigree, Hager eventually pursued a career in journalism as a correspondent for NBC News before becoming a contributor on the Today Show. She is also a board member of the Greenwich International Film Festival.
Caroline Kennedy
As the daughter of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Caroline Kennedy is the cherished child of America’s “Camelot Years.” After graduating from Harvard in 1980, she became a research assistant at the Film and Television Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She was a coordinating producer on the film Don’t Eat The Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Columbia University and is currently the United States Ambassador to Australia since 2021.
Malia Obama
The oldest daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama grew up in The White House during her father’s two presidential terms. After graduating from high school in 2016, Malia took a gap year before attending Harvard University. She interned at the New York film studio of The Weinstein Company to learn about film production. Malia graduated from Harvard University in 2021. Per Variety, she is one of the writers for the satirical horror series Swarm starring Dominique Fishback on Amazon Prime Video. She is also collaborating with Stephen and Donald Glover on an undisclosed series for Amazon.
Maureen Reagan
Maureen Reagan was the daughter of actors Ronald Reagan in his first marriage to Academy Award winner Jane Wyman. As a young woman, she followed in their footsteps, becoming an actor in her own right. Maureen debuted on the silver screen in 1964 in Kissin’ Cousins opposite Elvis Presley. She later appeared on several TV shows, including The Love Boat, The Partridge Family, The Specialist, and Death Takes a Holiday. Her father became the 40th President of the United States in 1981 and was widely considered America’s first ‘Hollywood President.’
Michael Reagan
As the son of late President Ronald Reagan and his first wife, Jane Wyman, Michael Reagan is proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Like his famous parents and sister, Maureen, he became an actor. However, his career began after his father ascended to the Oval Office with an appearance on his mother’s tv show Falcon Crest. In 1987, Michael became the host of the game show Lingo. He later became a political commentator, appearing on the Today Show, CNN, Fox News, Good Morning America, and NewsMax.
Ron Reagan
Ron Reagan is the youngest child of President Ronald Reagan and his second wife, Nancy. He took a long and winding path to a career in television, but eventually found his way into the family business. Shortly before his father’s presidency, Ron dropped out of Yale University to embark on a career as a ballet dancer. In 1986, during his father’s second term, Ron hosted Saturday Night Live. Ron also appeared in the movie Soul Man. In 1991, he began a career as the host of The Ron Reagan Show. While his eponymous late-night talk show was short-lived, he became the co-host of MSNBC’s Connected: Coast to Coast with Monica Crowley.
The Trumps
Long before Donald Trump became America’s first reality TV president, he was raising his children Ivanka, Don Jr., and Eric’s profiles on television. In 1997, his 15-years old daughter Ivanka co-hosted the Miss Teen USA Pageant, a show he co-owned. Ivanka, Don Jr., and Eric became boardroom advisors and judges on his reality TV show, The Apprentice. Ivanka also became a guest judge on Season 3 of Project Runway the same year. She also played herself in Season 4, Episode 6 of Gossip Girl in 2010. Later, the Trump children parlayed their fame into helping their father launch a successful bid for The White House. Ivanka served as an advisor to her father during his one-term presidency. While she has exited the political arena to focus on raising her family, her brothers continue to support their recently indicted father’s campaign for a second presidential term.
Conclusion
It’s fascinating how some of the children of U.S. presidents have found their way to careers in film and television. Some were in the entertainment industry before their parent’s elections, while others embarked on Hollywood careers after the fact. Some presidential progeny are hardworking and talented, while others have languished under the burden of their parent’s fame. Most people can relate to the challenge of building their own identity outside of their family, but it must be significantly more difficult when your parent was the leader of the free world. For many presidential children, the story is still unfolding, and only time will tell what lies ahead.