By now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to many that Barack Obama was offered a part in the hit TV series, Severance. The former President turned down the offer, and this comes in stark contrast to Donald Trump, who is said to have forced his way into a film that would go on to make a whopping $359 million.
But, before we get to how Donald Trump became a part of the blockbuster film, here’s a quick rundown of what went down when the makers of Severance got in touch with Barack Obama.
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Ben Stiller, who is the executive producer of the series, revealed to talk show host Jimmy Kimmel that he had pitched the offer to the former President. However, he didn’t do it “in person.”
“I didn’t ask him in person. I knew someone who knew his lawyer,” Stiller said. He then shared that he sent Obama an email, asking him whether he would like to take up a voiceover gig for the show. He disclosed Obama’s response to his mail, saying, “Two days later, I get an email back from President Barack Obama saying, ‘Hey, Ben. Big fan of the show. Don’t think I have time in my schedule to make this happen.'”
While Barack Obama might not have felt the need to extend his presence to other mediums, Donald Trump, on the other hand, seems to have arm-twisted people into getting such opportunities.
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Speaking to Business Insider about his hit 1992 directorial Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Chris Columbus dropped a bombshell about how Trump became a part of the film, saying, “Like most locations in New York City, you just pay a fee and you are allowed to shoot in that location. We approached The Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time, because we wanted to shoot in the lobby. We couldn’t rebuild The Plaza on a soundstage.”
Columbus continued, “Trump said OK. We paid the fee, but he also said, “The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie.” So we agreed to put him in the movie, and when we screened it for the first time the oddest thing happened: People cheered when Trump showed up on-screen. So I said to my editor, “Leave him in the movie. It’s a moment for the audience.” But he did bully his way into the movie.”
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The response might have boosted Donald Trump to make more cameo appearances in such projects, as he was seen in Season 2 of Sex and the City and an episode of The Job.
