‪Actor would send Obama to the Rockies‬

Reid Scott stars as Dan Egan, a heartless D.C. political legend, in the HBO political series “Veep.” A New York native, Scott graduated from Syracuse University and is an actor, writer and musician. His acting career began with a role on the popular soap “All My Children” and a part in the Broadway play “Cargo.” Other notable roles include featured roles in “That ’70s Show,” “What I Like About You,” “It’s All Relative,” “Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “CSI: NY.” He became known for his roles in the primetime hits “American Dreams” “Bones,” “My Boys” and “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” and most recently starred in Showtime’s “The Big C.”

ROBIN BRONK: If you had five minutes in the Oval Office with President Obama, what would you discuss with him? What issue would you like him to know about?

REID SCOTT:  I’d talk to him about transparency. Specifically, I would speak about giving the people even more access to information, and the power to make even more decisions. In this day and age, with the technology available to most of us, there’s no reason our representatives need to make every decision for us. I think there’s a misconception that the masses can’t think for themselves. That’s just wrong. Government exists to serve us, not the other way around. We can speak up, reach out, have our voices heard and effect our own change. It’s time to let the people rule.

 

RB: If you could ask President Obama one question, what would that be?

RS: I’d ask him how his second term will be different from his first.

RB: What piece of advice would you give President Obama as he’s campaigning for the upcoming election?

RS: I [would] tell him to go for it. Stop playing it safe. We don’t need a popular president, we need an effective one. History won’t care that such and such a president was the kind of guy you’d like to have a beer with. History will remember the president who made America a better place.

 

RB: If you were going to send the president to one of your favorite places in the United States for one day, where would that be? Why?

RS: I’d send him to the high peaks of the Rockies. There’s an amazing energy I feel in the mountains. I visit there almost every year and always come back refreshed, renewed and with a much clearer perspective. 

 

RB: What piece of music would you recommend that President Obama add to his collection? Why?

RS: “All Things Must Pass” by George Harrison. What one man can do when he decides to do something for himself. Brilliant.

 

RB: Would you ever consider a political career?

RS: I’d consider it, sure, but probably only on a local level. I’d need to see the effect of my influence first-hand, and be a real part of the community it touches.

Robin Bronk is CEO of The Creative Coalition — the leading national, nonprofit, nonpartisan public advocacy organization of the entertainment industry. Bronk is a frequent speaker on the role of the entertainment industry in public advocacy campaigns and represents The Creative Coalition and its legislative agenda before members of Congress and the White House. She produced the feature film “Poliwood,” airing on Showtime, and edited the recently published book Art & Soul. Bronk pens this weekly column with assistance from Risa Kotek.

---