January 13, 2011

John Boehner's Acting Career

House Speaker Played Warden in 'Shawshank Redemption'

WEST CHESTER, OH - (The Comedy News) - In the midst of his third term as a member of Congress for Ohio, then Representative John Boehner took some time to pursue a little-known hobby of his: acting.

In the winter of 1994, Boehner was cast as Warden Samuel Norton of Shawshank Prison, a fictional prison in the state of Maine during the 1940s. There, he would act opposite renowned actors such as Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, and Clancy Brown.

"Making Shawshank was so much fun to do. We in Congress were pretty sure there would be a republican revolution in November, so I made sure that I could take some free time to try a side project," explained the House Speaker. "Stephen King, who wrote the original novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, called me on the car phone. Said, 'I want you, John. I want you to be Warden Norton in Shawshank.' I did the role, the flick was great, the rest is history. I also haven't worn thick-rimmed glasses since then. Not my best look!"

The highly acclaimed film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, but did not win a single one of them. The year 1994 did have several classics that Shawshank went up against, such as Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, Speed, and Dumb and Dumber.

Speaker Boehner did not indicate that he intends to act anywhere in the near future other than the House of Representatives floor.

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