'Homeland' Star Says Obama Watches Show While Pretending to Work

'Homeland' Star Says Obama Watches Show While Pretending to Work

“Homeland” star Damian Lewis has become quite chummy with the Commander in Chief.

Seems President Barack Obama is a big fan of Lewis’ Showtime terrorism-themed series, and the pair even communicate via email. A recent exchange, shared by the actor while appearing on a British talk show, brought up a long-simmering fear some Americans have about the president’s religious persuasion.

During an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show Saturday night, the Emmy-winning actor says the president wanted a signed DVD box set of the Showtime hit to give to the Teamsters labor union (the president has previously revealed Homeland is his favorite show). Lewis says co-star Claire Danes wrote something along the lines of, “I was a fan of yours long before you were a fan of ours.” But when it was the British-born Lewis’ turn, the actor says he jokingly wrote: “From one Muslim to another.”

It’s fine for an American president to take time out to unwind with a popular TV show. But Lewis’s interview also included this nugget, the kind of revelation that would have been a mini-scandal had Obama’s predecessor uttered it.

Lewis adds that he asked the president during a dinner how he finds time to watch the show. “Aren’t you busy running the free world?” the actor recalls asking. Lewis, while impersonating the president’s speech cadence, says Obama replied: “On Saturday afternoons. Michelle, she takes the two girls, they go play tennis. I go into the Oval Office. I pretend I’m gonna work and I switch on Homeland.”

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.