Actors who've played 16th president Abraham Lincoln on film, TV, stage
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Daniel Day-Lewis may win an Oscar for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, but several other notable actors have also embodied the 16th president.
Dreamworks
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Joseph Henabery: The silent movie actor claims the very first appearance as Lincoln in 1915's "Birth of a Nation."
David W. Griffith Corp.
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Henry Fonda: In another early portrayal of Lincoln on film, Fonda played the president in 1939's fictionalized biography "Young Mr. Lincoln."
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
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Gregory Peck: Peck, who had the height for the role, portrayed Lincoln in the 1982 TV series "The Blue and the Gray."
CBS
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Hal Holbrook: The veteran character actor played Lincoln in two TV miniseries -- "North and South" and "North and South, Book 2" -- in 1985 and 1986, respectively.
NBC
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Sam Waterston: Waterston played Lincoln in the 1988 TV movie "Lincoln" alongside Mary Tyler Moore and also starred in the 1994 Broadway revival of Robert E. Sherwood's "Abe Lincoln in Illinois," earning a Tony nomination for his performance.
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Brendan Fraser: In one of the funnier portrayals of Honest Abe, Fraser's character in 2000's "Bedazzled" asks the devil to make him president of the United States, but ends up as Lincoln on the night of his assassination.
20th Century Fox
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Gerald Bestrom: The actor first embraced his Lincoln-esque looks in 1986, later becoming a full-time impersonator. He appeared as Lincoln in Robert Redford's 2010 movie "The Conspirator," about the only woman charged in the assassination.
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Benjamin Walker: Wearing a stovepipe hat and wielding an ax, Walker played Lincoln in Tim Burton's 2012 critical flop, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter."
20th Century Fox
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And while Daniel Day-Lewis's portrayal of Lincoln could set the bar for future performances, the role almost wasn't his. Director Steven Spielberg's first choice was actually Liam Neeson, but he backed out in 2010.
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