• Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon made an appearance on "Colbert" Wednesday night. Keep clicking for other celebrities who have expressed interest in running for office. Photo: John Carl D'Annibale / 20043499A
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Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon made an appearance on "Colbert" Wednesday night. Keep clicking for other celebrities who have expressed interest in running for office.

Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon made an appearance on "Colbert" Wednesday night. Keep clicking for other celebrities who have expressed interest in running for office.

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale
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Ben Affleck

While talking politics with New York Times journalist Chip McGrath, Affleck ambiguously said he was "disillusioned" by what he had seen in real life. "I like the idea of running for office," Affleck admitted. "I think there’s something noble in public service."
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Ben Affleck

While talking politics with New York Times journalist Chip McGrath, Affleck ambiguously said he was "disillusioned" by what he had seen in real life. "I like the idea of running for office," Affleck
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Will Smith

One month before the 2016 election, actor Will Smith appeared on CBS and warned, "If people keep saying all the crazy kinds of stuff they’ve been saying on the news lately about walls and Muslims, they’re going to force me into the political arena." When asked about what exactly he would run for, Smith said, "I mean, I gotta be the president … What else would I run for?”
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Will Smith

One month before the 2016 election, actor Will Smith appeared on CBS and warned, "If people keep saying all the crazy kinds of stuff they’ve been saying on the news lately about walls and Muslims,
... more
Photo: Epsilon/Getty Images
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Kanye West

During the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye concluded his acceptance speech by announcing his 2020 bid for president: "And yes, as you probably could've guessed by this moment, I have decided in 2020 to run for president."

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Kanye West

During the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye concluded his acceptance speech by announcing his 2020 bid for president: "And yes, as you probably could've guessed by this moment, I have decided in
... more
Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
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Mark Cuban

When Business Insider asked Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban whether he would seek the highest office, Cuban responded with a maybe: "We will see." 
Mark Cuban

When Business Insider asked Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban whether he would seek the highest office, Cuban responded with a maybe: "We will see." 
Photo: Mike Fuentes, Associated Press
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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, Johnson was asked if he would ever seek the presidency. "I wouldn't rule it out," he said.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, Johnson was asked if he would ever seek the presidency. "I wouldn't rule it out," he said.
Photo: Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage
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Angelina Jolie

In a 2014 interview with Vanity Fair, Angelina Jolie said she was "open" to pursuing a life of politics or public service.
Angelina Jolie

In a 2014 interview with Vanity Fair, Angelina Jolie said she was "open" to pursuing a life of politics or public service.
Photo: KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP/Getty Images
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Tim McGraw

Country singer Tim McGraw has long expressed interest in politics. In 2006, he told Esquire magazine he would consider running for Tennessee senate or governor when he was older. "I think it's something I'd do well," McGraw said.
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Tim McGraw

Country singer Tim McGraw has long expressed interest in politics. In 2006, he told Esquire magazine he would consider running for Tennessee senate or governor when he was older. "I think it's
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Ron Perlman

The day after Trump was elected, Hellboy actor Ron Perlman joked about his bid for presidency on Facebook. "I am hereby using my immense Facebook presence to announce my candidacy for President of United States, 2020," Perlman wrote.
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Ron Perlman

The day after Trump was elected, Hellboy actor Ron Perlman joked about his bid for presidency on Facebook. "I am hereby using my immense Facebook presence to announce my candidacy for President of
... more
Photo: Universal Pictures| MCT
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Fran Drescher

Fran Drescher, the star of the 90s sitcom "The Nanny" said "maybe" when asked by The Hill if she'd run for office.
Fran Drescher

Fran Drescher, the star of the 90s sitcom "The Nanny" said "maybe" when asked by The Hill if she'd run for office.
Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images
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Chris Rock

Two days after Donald Trump's victory, Chris Rock tweeted "I'm gonna run in 2020 wish me luck" and posted a photo of himself with the caption: "The only thing white is the house. #Rock2020"
Chris Rock

Two days after Donald Trump's victory, Chris Rock tweeted "I'm gonna run in 2020 wish me luck" and posted a photo of himself with the caption: "The only thing white is the house. #Rock2020"
Photo: Lori Van Buren, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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Katy Perry

In an Instagram photo showing pop artist Katy Perry standing next to Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Perry teased her 2020 run for the highest office by captioning the photo with three numbers: "42, 43, 46?!"

Source: Katyperry
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Katy Perry

In an Instagram photo showing pop artist Katy Perry standing next to Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Perry teased her 2020 run for the highest office by captioning the photo with three numbers: "42,
... more
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Roseanne Barr

Comedian Roseanne Barr placed sixth in the 2012 general election and received more than 48,000 votes. Her surprising political run have led many to believe she's not done with politics.
Roseanne Barr

Comedian Roseanne Barr placed sixth in the 2012 general election and received more than 48,000 votes. Her surprising political run have led many to believe she's not done with politics.
Photo: Evan Agostini, ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Mark Zuckerberg 

Zuckerberg hasn't expressed any interest in running office; In fact, hes flat out denied it. Nonetheless, that hasn't stopped many from speculating thanks to a 2017 tour he took around the country to visit every state. Accompanying him was David Plouffe, Barack Obama's former campaign manager. 
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Mark Zuckerberg 

Zuckerberg hasn't expressed any interest in running office; In fact, hes flat out denied it. Nonetheless, that hasn't stopped many from speculating thanks to a 2017 tour he took around the
... more
Photo: Eric Risberg, STF
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Ashley Judd

In 2013, Ashley Judd almost ran against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The actress even met with Washington and Kentucky Democrats in preparation for the run, but eventually backed out because she needed to focus on her family. Still, she remains politically active. In 2017, Judd spoke at the "Women's March" in Washington D.C., hinting at another possible political ambition.
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Ashley Judd

In 2013, Ashley Judd almost ran against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The actress even met with Washington and Kentucky Democrats in preparation for the run, but eventually
... more
Photo: Carlo Allegri, FRE
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Kendrick Lamar

In the 2015 hip-hop song "King Kunta," Lamar said that after his career as a rapper is done, "I should probably run for Mayor" of Compton.
Kendrick Lamar

In the 2015 hip-hop song "King Kunta," Lamar said that after his career as a rapper is done, "I should probably run for Mayor" of Compton.
Photo: Brian Van Der Brug, TNS
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Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon answers questions from the press at the Delaney Hotel on Wednesday, April 5, 2018 in Hoosick Falls, N.Y. Nixon and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith Enck answered questions from residents who were affected by their water supplies being polluted with a toxic manufacturing chemical four years ago. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union) less
Gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon answers questions from the press at the Delaney Hotel on Wednesday, April 5, 2018 in Hoosick Falls, N.Y. Nixon and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional ... more
Photo: Lori Van Buren
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-- PHOTO MOVED IN ADVANCE AND NOT FOR USE - ONLINE OR IN PRINT - BEFORE SEPT. 6, 2015. -- Steven Colbert on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, Aug. 24, 2015. Colbert will be the second person to host “The Late Show,” CBS’s marquee late-night franchise, succeeding David Letterman, for whom it was created. (Damon Winter/The New York Times) ORG XMIT: XNYT27 less
-- PHOTO MOVED IN ADVANCE AND NOT FOR USE - ONLINE OR IN PRINT - BEFORE SEPT. 6, 2015. -- Steven Colbert on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, Aug. 24, 2015. Colbert will be the second person to ... more
Photo: DAMON WINTER
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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Photo: Drew Angerer
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(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 3, 2018, US President Donald Trump speaks in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Trump on Sunday said there will be a "big price to pay" after what he called a "mindless CHEMICAL attack" in Syria, allegedly involving chlorine gas. Trump also called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad an "animal." "President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Trump said in a pair of tweets which began with a discussion of the attack in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, where rescue workers alleged that regime loyalists had used chlorine gas. / AFP PHOTO / Olivier DoulieryOLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images less
(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 3, 2018, US President Donald Trump speaks in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Trump on Sunday said there will be a "big price to pay" after what ... more
Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY
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Cynthia Nixon made an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Wednesday, making her case for being governor of New York and explaining why her celebrity run for office was different than President Donald Trump's campaign two years ago.

In the early stages of the campaign, Nixon, an actress most known for her role on the HBO series "Sex and the City," has garnered more media attention than Zephyr Teachout, a professor who ran in the Democratic primary against Cuomo four years ago.

"I'm running because I am a life-long New Yorker and I love this state and I just know we could do so much better," Nixon told Colbert.

"Because we're a blue state, we're a proudly Democratic state but we've got a governor in their who governs like a Republican."

She faulted Cuomo's record as not progressive, saying he hasn't passed voting reforms and campaign finance reforms. "We want to be closing racial and economic inequity here and we're just not." In the past, Cuomo has pointed to a number of political victories, including passage of same-sex marriage in New York as proof of his progressive bonafides. On Wednesday, he proposed restoring the voting rights of parolees.

"Because we're a blue state, we're a proudly Democratic state but we've got a governor in their who governs like a Republican."

Colbert noted Cuomo called her run for office "silly," and suggested that Trump's tumultuous tenure in the White House shows "amateurs" might not be the best choice for higher office.

"Should governor of New York before the first job you have?" he asked.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with celebrity in politics. It gives you a platform but it's what do you choose to do with that platform," she said.

Colbert held up a picture of a campaigning Nixon that was taken with her campaign slogan displayed behind her.

"Why Cynthia for New York why not Nixon for New York," he wisecracked.

Nixon used the host's allusion to President Richard Nixon to throw out a zinger about Cuomo, the son of Gov. Mario M. Cuomo.

"The alliteration? It's not really the alliteration that I'm hiding from," she said. "My mother used to say that she grew up during World War II with a father named Adolf and that she lived through the 1970s with a husband named Nixon. So I am aware of the dubious nature of my last name. But I have to say if given a choice I'd rather say I was the good Nixon rather than the bad Cuomo." "