24 actors who played the President of the United States — and how they compare to the real thing

The most interesting people in the world are those who become president. What does it take to get to the top? And what happens when we take them down from their lofty status and find the humans inside them?

The best movies and TV shows do just that. But it always helps to look the part. So we put together a list of actors who played former presidents and how they compared to real life.

We didn't include fictional presidents — apologies to the corny bloviator in "Independence Day" and the sexual predator in "Love Actually"— and some presidents, like James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, surprisingly haven't received very dedicated pop culture depictions. For all you William Henry Harrison fans who want something more than a glorified cameo in a Western movie, sorry, you'll just have to wait a little longer.

This list also doesn't include any parodies. So while "Saturday Night Live" has some excellent impressions, they're not on this list.

Here are 24 actors who played the President of the United States and how they compared to the real thing.

For America's first president, George Washington doesn't have too many dedicated biopics. The fullest adaptation of his life is the 1984 CBS miniseries "George Washington," where he was played by Barry Bostwick.

The series covered his life from age 11 to 51, just before he began his presidency, and is based on James Thomas Flexner's mammoth biography.

He's a bit more rosy-cheeked, with rounder features, in Gilbert Stuart's famous 1796 portrait.

The best image we have of Washington wss painted in 1796, where Washington looks pretty different from Bostwick.

For our second president, John Adams, we have Paul Giamatti's portrayal.

He played the American politician in the 2008 HBO miniseries "John Adams."