Hannibal Lecter for Prime Minister!

In a Turner Classic Movies survey, film fans chose Sir Anthony Hopkins, Harrison Ford and Sir Ben Kingsley as their favourite movie politicians.

May  4 2005

Sir Anthony Hopkins is the actor most Brits would like to see become Prime Minister.

On the eve of our fair nation's General Election, Turner Classic Movies asked 1,000 film fans which actor they'd vote in to No.10, the only criterion being that said star had to have played a world leader.

'The Silence of the Lambs' actor topped the poll, following star turns as Prime Minister David Lloyd George in 'Young Winston' and disgraced US President Richard Nixon in Oliver Stone’s 'Nixon'.

Harrison Ford came second, having played the butt-kicking (but sadly fictional) US President James Marshall in 'Air Force One'.

And Sir Ben Kingsley was third, having won an Oscar as the rather more sedate Indian leader Gandhi in Lord Attenborough's 1982 film.

Elsewhere Hugh Grant (a hopelessly romantic British Prime Minister in 'Love Actually') and John Travolta (the Bill Clinton-esque Governor Jack Stanton in 'Primary Colors') both made it onto the list, while Peter Sellers, who played crackpot President Merkin Muffley in 'Dr Strangelove', was voted in at (but thankfully not to) No.10.