Julia Louis-Dreyfus: 'Veep' HBO Star And Other Actresses Who Made It To The White House [PHOTOS]

By Cristina Merrill | April 23 2012 2:18 PM

Photo: Reuters

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays vice president Selina Meyer in the new HBO comedy series “Veep.”

Photo: Reuters

Joan Allen

Joan Allen earned an Oscar nomination for her role as vice presidential hopeful Laine Hanson in the 2000 film “The Contender." The president is played by Jeff Bridges.

Photo: Reuters

Glenn Close

Glenn Close played Vice President Kathryn Bennett to Harrison Ford’s president in the 1997 film “Air Force One.”

Photo: Reuters

Geena Davis

Geena Davis played President Mackenzie Allen in the short-lived television series “Commander in Chief."

Photo: Reuters

Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore played former vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin in the HBO movie “Game Change.”

Photo: Reuters

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep played former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady” and senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw in “The Manchurian Candidate." She nabbed an Oscar for her Thatcher role, and several award nominations for "The Manchurian Candidate."

Photo: Reuters

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler played Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton, respectively, in "Saturday Night Live" sketches.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is getting rave reviews for her role as Selina Meyer in Veep, a new HBO comedy series about an ambitious senator-turned-vice president who is comically stymied by her relative lack of influence. As HBO describes it, Meyer holds the least effectual post in the most powerful office in the world.

The show is scripted, but the actors also do some improvisation, which shouldn't be a problem for the former Seinfeld actress.

Dreyfus joins a regrettably short list of actresses who have played White House politicos. Fortunately, Dreyfus' character is joined by other powerful women, such as her can-do chief of staff Amy Brookheimer (played by Anna Chlumsky of My Girl fame) and protective executive assistant Sue Wilson (played by Sufe Bradshaw).

Click through to see actresses who have played White House bigwigs and hopefuls. Who gets your vote?