by Michael Ray (retrieved 7 March, 2016, britannica.com)

The transition from the red carpet to the halls of power has been a smooth one for many politicians. Name recognition puts celebrities a step ahead of potential competitors, and success as an entertainer, be it on screen, on stage, or on the athletic field, brings with it no small amount of credibility.After all, if a person can excel in one extremely challenging, extremely public endeavor, why not another? This list was adapted from a post that originally appeared on the Britannica Blog.

10) The Gipper

Perhaps the best known celebrity politician in recent memory is Ronald Reagan. As he evolved from radio announcer to Hollywood actor to California governor to U.S. president, Reagan perfected his timing and delivery, crafting a public persona that earned him the nickname “the Great Communicator”.

9) The Hoopster

After concluding a professional basketball career with the New York Knicks, Hall of Famer Bill Bradley turned to politics. Without having held a lesser office he was elected to the U.S. Senate from New Jersey in 1978 and served three six-year terms. A liberal Democrat, he announced his candidacy for the U.S. presidency on Jan. 12, 1999, but lost the Democratic nomination to Al Gore.

8) The Southpaw

The Philippines have been home to a number of colorful political figures, and in 2010 boxer Manny Pacquiao rode a wave of popularity into the national legislature. As perhaps the best pound-for-pound fighter of his generation, the “Pac-Man” rose from poverty to global superstardom, and, after his election, he divided his time between lawmaking duties and training for his next bout.

7) The Underdog

Filipino actor Joseph Estrada made a career of playing tough guys who fight a crooked establishment. Truth veered rather dramatically away from fiction after Estrada was elected president of the Philippines in 1998, however, when a massive bribery and corruption scandal brought his government down amidst nationwide protests.

6) The Dame

British actress Glenda Jackson rose from modest beginnings to become one of the finest stage and screen performers of her day. She won a pair of Academy Awards before turning to politics in 1992, when she won a seat in the House of Commons as a Labour candidate. Although she failed in a bid to become mayor of London in 2000, she successfully defended her parliamentary seat in 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2010.

5) The Governator

The 2003 California gubernatorial election, necessitated by recall of sitting governor Gray Davis, was political theater at its most theatrical, with a flood of unlikely candidates from every imaginable background. In a field that included diminutive actor Gary Coleman, former baseball commissioner Pete Ueberroth, Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, and political pundit Arianna Huffington, former bodybuilder and action star Arnold Schwarzenegger emerged as the winner, inheriting the state’s colossal budget crisis.

4) The Salsero

Not content simply to be one of the world’s most popular and influential salsa musicians, Rubén Blades forged a successful career as a film actor. Always ready to tackle social issues through his music, Blades tried to influence policy directly by running for president of Panama in 1994. Although unsuccessful, he remained politically involved in his native country, and in 2004, he was appointed to the cabinet of President Martín Torrijos to serve as minister of tourism.

3) The Wrestler

The world of professional wrestling is rife with outrageous plots wherein an established bad guy (“heel”) will turn good guy (“face”) to further the overall narrative. But few could have predicted that longtime heel Jesse “the Body” Ventura would turn “face” in a storyline that led to the Minnesota governor’s office. Running as a Reform Party candidate, he won a three-way battle that saw him post the Reform Party’s most notable victory. Schwarzenegger’s later electoral success meant that two members of the cast of the 1987 action film Predator had been elected governor of a U.S. state, leading speculators to wonder at the possible political aspirations of fellow castmate Carl Weathers.

2) The Tunesmith

Songwriter Sonny Bono excelled at self-deprecation, positioning himself as the straight man for the comic jabs of his partner (and one-time wife) Cher. The earnestness of his lyrics, most notably in Sonny and Cher’s biggest hit, I Got You Babe, reflected an optimistic core that fueled his later career in public service. After winning election as mayor of Palm Springs, California, in 1988, Bono won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

1) The Receiver

Professional football player Steve Largent retired from the NFL in 1989 having captured virtually every career receiving record. After 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and a short stint as a marketing consultant, Largent successfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for four terms (1994-2002).