In a time of extreme polarization, how does Hollywood portray a POTUS with broad audience appeal? That question is at the heart of our multi-part series on Hollywood Presidents, starting with special guest Rod Lurie, the first to create an independent President in a major TV series, Commander in Chief (starring Geena Davis as President Mackenzie Allen in 2005). “I definitely made her an independent, then tried to keep the topics we were dealing with something that both sides could relate to,” says Lurie. Lurie himself has a plotline worth tracing. A West Point-educated military veteran, his 1999 film Deterrence featured the first Jewish American President negotiating a nuclear conflict with Iraq. “I always figured that you shouldn't go to school to study film,” Lurie confides. “ You should go and study what you want to make movies about. I was always fascinated by leadership and character. And there's no better school for leadership than West Point.” Lurie also weighs in on the many high-level military appointees who didn’t last long in the Trump White House, the sadly performative nature of our current Congress, and the even greater difficulties of creating a mainstream show or movie today with political content. Entertaining and insightful, profane yet profound, Lurie provides a memorable half-hour on the cultural dimensions of hyperpartisanship and polarization. How does Hollywood choose its Presidents? Let’s hear from one who’s created a few: Rod Lurie, a product of West Point and a Hollywood original. Original Music by Ryan Adair Rooney Our Guest Rod Lurie Twitter: @RodLurie Instagram: @RodLurie Commander in Chief (TV Series 2005–2006) Deterrence (1999) The Contender (2000) The Outpost (2020) Additional Resources Jeffrey Resner (4/6/08). “Guns and Moses.” Politico Hollywood’s Fictional Presidents & the Challenges of a Polarized Audience. The Purple Principle in Print Find us online! Twitter: @purpleprincipl Facebook: @thepurpleprinciplepodcast Instagram: @thepurpleprinciplepodcast Our website: https://fluentknowledge.com/shows/the-purple-principle/ Sign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2UfFSja