Playing POTUS (dir. John Greenbaum)

By: Adam Freed

There was a time when politicians had no problem laughing at themselves.  Poking playful fun at the President of the United States is a time honored tradition that began at the dawn of the television era.  The history of the men and women who have playfully lampooned political candidates, as well as the evolutionary process the industry has incurred, is delightfully outlined in John Greenbaum’s effervescent documentary Playing POTUS.  While people may assume that the business of poking fun at the sitting president began with Saturday Night Live, the artform actually finds its origins with comedian Vaughn Meader, who in 1962 released a number one album, The First Family, in which he playfully impersonated the Kennedy family.  While Greenbaum’s film is long on contemporary interviews with performers who have embodied former and current politicians, the strength of Playing POTUS is the comprehensive nature with which the film paints the history and complexity of the finite craft.

Even though American history is primarily littered with good-natured presidents who were willing to accept comedic renderings of their persona as something that comes with the job, powerful pushback is not a completely unfamiliar response either.  Greenbaum’s entertaining documentary does a deep dive into the feud between Richard Nixon and The Smothers Brothers, likely the first hint at political influence within the world of entertainment.  Even for the most devout followers of late night comedy, Playing POTUS offers a warchest of archival footage and insightful conversation that provides historical context but also speaks directly to the intent and impact that the artists themselves have had on the nation’s political landscape.  In a deeply moving moment, former SNL cast member Kate McKinnon reflects on the fact that it was perhaps her impersonation of former first lady, and Democratic nominee for president Hillary Clinton, that partially kept America at arms length from the would-be commander in chief.

The lion's share of interview time is occupied by Dana Carvey (Wayne’s World, SNL) as it was his supreme lampoon of George H.W. Bush, that set the gold standard for presidential ribbing.  As Playing POTUS provides, it was Bush’s good natured response to Carvey’s success that marked the gold standard in  Oval Office recognition of the world of comedy.  In contrast, Greenbaum’s film would be remiss if it didn’t weigh in on the current political landscape in which the idea of leadership emulating Bush’s thick skin seems an impossibility.  Beneath the light hearted and humorous nature of Playing POTUS, stands a stern warning that losing the ability to laugh as a society foretells dark days ahead.  While John Greenbaum’s film doesn’t pretend to predict the future, it certainly provides a wonderful look back at the gifted entertainers who have smoothed some of the rough edges of political leadership through the decades.

Target Score 8/10 - Playing POTUS acts just as well as a lesson in American history as it does a lesson in American comedy.  John Greenbaum’s film boasts interviews with the marquee names of those who have playfully lampooned sitting and former U.S. presidents.  From Ferrell to Carvey, Rudolph to Key & Peele, there is no stone left unturned when it comes to hearing the backstories and motivations of the gifted performers who have entertained America through the ages. 

Playing POTUS was reviewed as part of Movie Archer's coverage of the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival.