Clay Aiken of ‘American Idol’ fame running for Congress from North Carolina

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From Hollywood to The White House! Long before Ronald Reagan became the President of the United States, he made a name for himself on the silver screen in movies such as "Kings Row" and "The Killers." In 1947, Reagan developed an interest in politics after he became the president of the Screen Actors Guild, before serving two terms as the governor of California in 1966 and again in 1970. It wasn't until 1980 when Reagan became the 40th U.S. president as a conservative Republican and won two terms.

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Politicians are not typically known for their sense of humor, so it is surprising to see a writer and performer on "Saturday Night Live," transition into a successful politician. Al Franken got his start on the iconic sketch comedy show in the 1970s and later worked as a writer and political talk show host. On July 7, 2009, Franken was sworn in as the Senator of Minnesota, a position he held until he resigned on Jan. 2, 2018, amid allegations of sexual harassment. To this day, many publicly feel he resigned too soon without a proper investigation.

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The Governator! Who knew that this weight-lifter-turned-actor would later become the Mayor of California? Famed for his roles in "The Terminator" and "Conan The Barbarian" (pictured l.), Arnold Schwarzenegger flexed his muscles in government instead when he was named the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011.

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You may know her as the golden girl of Hollywood, but after her days on the silver screen were through, Shirley Temple moved on to showcase her talents on a very different platform. After a failed attempt to run for congress in 1967, Temple was appointed Representative to the 24th United Nations General Assembly by President Nixon in 1969. She was then appointed the United States Ambassador to Ghana, a position she held from 1989- 1992, and later the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, a position she held from 1989 until her death in 1992.

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From the wrestling ring to the political ring, Jesse Ventura made an unprecedented leap from a professional wrestler to a respected politician. After his days of fighting were over, Ventura entered politics and became the Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, from 1991 to 1995. Later, he went on to become the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999-2003, but decided not to run for re-election and is now a visiting fellow at Harvard.

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While Arnold Schwarzenegger was the candidate who snagged the title of Governor of California in 2003, he was not the only actor who was vying for the win. Child star and "Different Strokes" actor Gary Coleman threw his name in the ring, along with Mary Carey, an adult film actress. Carey ran as a publicity stunt and Coleman ran as a satirical comment on the recall.

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It turns out that there is more to Jerry Springer than his tabloid talk show! The journalist turned TV host began his career as a political reporter, which transitioned into a career in politics. In 1970, Springer ran for congress, but lost to the incumbent Republican. Unwilling to give up his political aspirations, Springer was elected the 56th Mayor of Cincinnati and held the position from 1977-1978.

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He may be an Oscar-winning director and actor, but that didn't stop Clint Eastwood from setting his sights on politics! The legendary star ran for his office in his small hometown of Carmel, California back in 1986, after his plans to build a small building next door to his restaurant were rejected by the town's council. Clint got a whopping 72.5% of the vote and he served one-two year term.

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Former "American Idol" contestant, who came in second place on the singing competition show in 2003, announced he's running for Congress. The 43-year-old singer and actor announced his bid to run for Congress as a Democrat in North Carolina on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022. Aiken tweeted: "We need powerful voices more than ever, so I'm running for Congress. And my voice is even stronger now!"

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Donald Trump originally made a name for himself in the business industry before trying his hand in reality television. After hosting and co-producing his reality series "The Apprentice" from 2004 to 2015, Trump decided to was time to tackle another dream of his and ran for president. In what was considered the most highly-contested and divisive election in modern history, Trump was elected as President of the United States and took office in January of 2017.

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During the '60s and '70s, he was known as Cher's other half, but it wasn't long before the pop star changed his tune and said goodbye to "Sonny and Cher." The late star became the mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988, before becoming the congressman for California's 44th district from 1994 until his tragic death in a skiing accident while still in office in 1998.

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In 2010, Haitian-born rapper Wyclef Jean decided he had more to give to the world than his music -- he filed for candidacy in the 2010 Haitian presidential election. Unfortunately, the three-time Grammy winner was deemed ineligible to run because he did not reach the requirement of being a five year resident of Haiti.