M Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan (1911–2004), the 40th President (1981–1989), was a former Hollywood actor and California governor who became a defining figure of late 20th-century politics. He implemented sweeping economic changes known as “Reaganomics” (tax cuts, deregulation, and increased defense spending), and took a hard stance against the Soviet Union, whom he famously urged to “tear down this wall!” Reagan’s sunny optimism and communication skills earned him the nickname “The Great Communicator.”

Interesting anecdote: Years before his presidency, Reagan co-starred in a lighthearted 1951 movie called “Bedtime for Bonzo,” in which his character tries to teach human morals to a chimpanzee named Bonzo. This Hollywood past was often joked about during his political career, but Reagan embraced it, using self-deprecating humor to turn the novelty of having acted with a chimp into an endearing footnote of his journey to the White House.