What films has Donald Trump been in? From Zoolander to Home Alone 2 - the former president’s TV and movie appearances

Trump resigned from the Screen Actors Guild after it launched a disciplinary hearing into him, citing the US Capitol attack

Former US president Donald Trump has found himself at the centre of conflict and controversy again, after he resigned from the US Screen Actors Guild with a scathing letter.

Trump had appeared in many TV shows and movies prior to becoming president of the United States in 2016.

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The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) represents over 160,000 media professionals, journalists and actors, with Trump’s membership spanning 30 years.

Former President Donald Trump was previously best known for his role on the US version of The Apprentice (Picture: Getty Images)Former President Donald Trump was previously best known for his role on the US version of The Apprentice (Picture: Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump was previously best known for his role on the US version of The Apprentice (Picture: Getty Images)

So what TV programmes and movies has the former president appeared in - and why did he quit SAG?

What television shows and movies has Trump been in?

The media mogul featured in a string of television shows and movies prior to his political career, from being the face of ‘The Apprentice’ to his famous role in Home Alone 2.

Trump did not miss an excuse to list his appearances in his resignation letter to SAG, writing: “While I’m not familiar with your work, I’m very proud of my work on movies such as Home Alone 2, Zoolander and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps; and television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Saturday Night Lives, and of course, one of the most successful shows in television history, The Apprentice – to name just a few!"

According to Trump, he earned $214 million from 14 seasons of The Apprentice which he co-produced and presented at Trump Towers in New York.

The billionaire has featured in over a dozen films - in 90 percent of these appearances he played himself.

He has also appeared on over 20 television shows, including WrestleMania 23’s Battle of the Billionaires (though thankfully not in a leotard) and Sex in the City where he watched on as an elderly wealth friend tries to seduce Samantha.

It has also emerged that Trump ‘bullied’ his way to an appearance in Home Alone 2, with Director Chris Columbus telling Insider that he demanded a part in the film, as well as paying fees, in order to film on his property.

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In the famous Christmas movie he gives Macaulay Culkin directions inside the Plaza Hotel, which he had investments in at the time.

Trump was also included in Zoolander, where he appears at the VH1 Fashion Awards with wife Melania, discussing the greatness of self-obsessed male model Derek Zoolander.

On 5 February, Trump told the guild: “I also greatly helped the cable news television business (said to be a dying platform with not much time left until I got involved in politics), and created thousands of jobs at networks such as MSDNC and Fake News CNN, among many others.”

Why did Trump resign from SAG-AFTRA?

In a ‘You can’t fire me, I quit’ style letter, Donald Trump told the union it had “done little for its members, and nothing for [him]” and he was unaware of any work the union had actually carried out.

He opened his letter to the guild with “I write to you today regarding the so-called Disciplinary Committee hearing aimed at revoking my union membership. Who cares!”

This came as the union sought to expel him from their membership due to allegations that he incited violence at the Capitol Hill riots on 6 January.

Trump is the first US president in history to be impeached twice, and is currently awaiting a trial hearing in the Senate.

The union was due to meet to discuss the right disciplinary action to take against the former president, and it’s been reported that it was going to strip Trump of his membership, which he has held since 1989.

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He wrote in the letter "I no longer wish to be associated with your union" before referring to the disciplinary action against him as a "blatant attempt at free media attention to distract from your dismal record".

Is he the only person aggrieved by the union?

The letter also discusses ‘lawsuits from celebrated actors’, by which he refers to grievances against the guild in 2020 from actors such as Mark Hamill and Whoopi Goldberg.

Several actors took part in a video where they complained about inaction from the guild, including cutting its health plan.

Mr Trump wrote: "Your organisation has done little for its members, and nothing for me – besides collecting dues and promoting dangerous un-American policies and ideas – as evident by your massive unemployment rates and lawsuits from celebrated actors, who even recorded a video asking, ‘Why isn’t the union fighting for me?’”

How has SAG-AFTRA responded?

The letter was published on SAG-AFTRA’s website, with a response from SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris and National Executive Director, David White.

He simply replied “Thank you.”

The union’s president, Gabrielle Carteris had previously referred to Trump’s allegations of fake news as a “wanton disregard for the truth”.

She said: "Donald Trump attacked the values that this union holds most sacred – democracy, truth, respect for our fellow Americans of all races and faiths, and the sanctity of the free press," Ms Carteris said last month.

"There’s a straight line from his wanton disregard for the truth to the attacks on journalists perpetrated by his followers."

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White said that Trump's actions were a threat to journalists and press freedom.

He said: “Our most important role as a union is the protection of our members. The unfortunate truth is, this individual’s words and actions over the past four years have presented actual harm to our broadcast journalist members.

"The board’s resolution addresses this effort to undermine freedom of the press and reaffirms the principles on which our democratic society rests, and which we must all work to protect and preserve."

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