President Biden enlists Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, and more screen presidents for State of the Union advice
Uncle Joe is entering his streamer era.
How do you do, fellow Americans?
Ahead of Thursday evening's State of the Union address, the White House posted a video in which President Joe Biden speaks on Zoom with the actors behind famous screen presidents, including Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Geena Davis, Tony Goldwyn, and Bill Pullman. "Some of you might know what a big speech like I have to do is coming up — State of the Union," Biden says. "Any advice you have for me in delivering my speech?"
Freeman, who played President Tom Beck in the sci-fi thriller Deep Impact, explained the most powerful tool in a president's arsenal. "In my capacity as president, all I had to deal with was a meteor," he joked. "One of the things that I came out of that with in my speech [is that] hope is the strongest force we have in this country. It is the most useful and the most effective."
Goldwyn, who starred as President Fitzgerald Grant III in seven seasons of Scandal, advised Biden to highlight the American people in his speech. "Looking back at my own presidency, I behaved very badly, uh, in a lot of situations,” Goldwyn quipped. "One piece of advice that meant a lot to me when I was president… tell them that you exist for them. Tell them that they make you a better man." He also had some advice for after the conclusion of the address: "When I used to give big speeches, I would always wind down with popcorn and red wine."
Davis, who portrayed President Mackenzie Allen on Commander in Chief, acknowledged the constant stream of new problems that a POTUS must solve. "I know from experience, obviously, what a tough job it is," she said. "When I was president, it seemed like every week there was some new crisis that I had to face."
"You did a hell of a job," Biden responded.
"I do feel I should just point out one thing that always rears remembering: There's no crying in politics," Davis said in reference to perhaps her most iconic project, A League of Their Own.
"Well, my hope is my politics doesn't make anybody else cry," Biden said. (Probably an impossible goal for any president, to be honest.)
Douglas, who played President Andrew Shepherd in The American President, emphasized the importance of a strong romantic partner. "From my experience of being commander-in-chief, I learned that having a loving partner changes everything," he said. "Love and compassion as a leader are strengths, they're not weaknesses and are key to your character. So let that shine through in your speech — and don't forget to save a dance for the First Lady in the East room."
Pullman, who led the U.S. through an alien invasion as President Thomas J. Whitmore in Independence Day, stressed the importance of unity. "I had it easy — we just had invaders from outer space coming in wanting to mess with us, and that tends to unify people," he said. "I'm not so sure it was the greatest speech ever, but I did manage to say two things. One is that we can't be consumed by our petty differences, and we will be united in our common interests. And somehow these words became something to remember."
"There's nothing beyond our capacity," Biden said in his concluding remarks. I believe that. Hey, come see me at the White House. I'm very serious. I'd love to meet you all in person. I never spoke to so many presidents all at one time."
Watch the full video above.
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