Ronald Reagan — Movies, Bio, Popularity, Filmography & Fame Trend

Summary

Updated 2026-07-17

He turned from leading man to Cold War hardliner, presided over tax cuts and a tripled national debt, survived a bullet, and reshaped the Republican Party into the vehicle for American conservatism that still runs on his mythology.

Biography

About

Born in Tampico, Illinois, in 1911, Reagan worked as a sports broadcaster in Iowa before moving to California in 1937 to become a film actor. He led the Screen Actors Guild twice and spent the 1950s hosting General Electric Theater, but his 1964 "A Time for Choosing" speech marked the pivot: elected governor of California in 1966, he balanced budgets and cracked down on campus protests. After losing the 1976 Republican primaries to Gerald Ford, he won a landslide over Jimmy Carter in 1980 and began implementing "Reaganomics"—deregulation, tax cuts, military spending—while escalating the arms r…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

said17 Jun 1966

I would have voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

— As quoted in Los Angeles Times (17 June 1966)

Ronald Reagan

said20 Oct 1965

I favor the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and it must be enforced at the point of a bayonet, if necessary.

— As quoted in The Los Angeles Times (20 October 1965)

Ronald Reagan

said1965

Some seem to forget that I’ve worked with those on movies and television. I warn you. Television may be exciting, but always take what you watch or read with a grain of salt.

— Where's the Rest of Me? First Edition (1965)

Ronald Reagan

said1965