President Richard Milhouse Nixon
From TeeVeePedia, the Internet TV Encyclopedia.
In a rare instance of a child actor going on to success in later life, Richard "Milhouse" Nixon served as President of the United States for one and a half terms.
Show Biz
Nixon was raised in southern California. At the age of 3, his parents took him to his first modeling audition. Young Richard was soon appearing in countless magazine and local television advertisements. His first brush with national fame was when he was cast as the kid who "liked" Quaker Oats in the famous TV commercials. After several years in this role, he was abruptly fired, leading to his first well-known quote, "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore, because this is my last commercial."
He disappeared from public view, leading to rumours of his death at the hands of Pop Rocks.
His career was resurrected when he answered a casting call for The Simpsons, where showrunner Ron Reagan immediately saw he would be perfect for the role of "Milhouse", Bart's clean-cut friend. His catch phrase "I am not a crook", used whenever he was suspected of hijinx with Bart, was a large part of the success of the show, and led to his name becoming a household word.
Political Career
After playing the role of a 10-year-old boy well into his 40's, he began to be involved in politics. His political mentor Rob Reiner was elected Governor of California, and Nixon was an important advisor to the campaign. After losing to Arnold Horschak in his attempt to succeed Governor Reiner, he returned to his Hollywood roots and tried out for Campaign!, and surpised many who thought his unusual campaign tactics would lead to being voted off early. Nixon made it all the way to the final round in the 1960 edition, but lost to President JFK when JFK used an alien "sweat gun" during the final televised sing-off.
Undeterred, Nixon regrouped and tried out for Campaign! again in 1968, and this time was victorious. Though off to a rocky start due to the unpopularity of his first television series, Vietnam War, Nixon came on board the sketch comedy series Laugh-In and was an instant smash. With his resurgent popularity, Nixon easily won Campaign! again in 1972, and his final ballad delivered in the ballroom of the Watergate Hotel is the stuff of legend.
He left office halfway through his second term, following the tradition of President George Washington by leaving to star in a film by Oliver Stone.
Family
Early in his adult television career, Nixon met and quickly married actress Jane Wyman, co-star of Father Knows Best. Eight years of infidelity led to the break-up of his marriage, and subsequent years of brief flings with the starlet of the month.
Nixon met Pat Ryan Summerall, a noted television producer, while filming the B-Movie Tomcats of the Army. She became pregnant thereafter, and the Nixons were married shortly before the birth of their first child, Cynthia.
Many commentators believe it was Pat's driving ambition that let Nixon to his many successes in both entertainment and politics.
