What I Learned Playing Speaker of the House in 'Reagan'

We find ourselves in polarized times. It's been reported that for over a year, our former President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi refused to speak to one another. That simply can't happen in a democracy like ours where conversation is essential to getting anything done.

When I agreed to take on the role of Tip O'Neill in a biopic of Ronald Reagan, that was on my mind—thinking back to less polarized times when two leaders who believed in completely different things nonetheless managed to get along.

Today, some question how close O'Neill and Reagan really were, but I got the impression that, especially after Reagan was shot, they became friends.

I also believe that politics wore them both down. To have someone from the other side who you could shake hands with and have a beer with was important to both men. It was almost out of necessity that they became friends because, as the saying goes, in Washington if you want one you should get a dog.

The challenge for me as an actor was that Dennis Quaid, who played the Gipper, and I didn't have many scenes together, so we both did a little bit more than what was written in the script, adding certain elements to show that these two could be friends despite their rivalry of sorts.

Dennis had a big load to carry playing Reagan. He was playing in practically every scene. As one of his supporting actors, I had to come in and, even in the very first rehearsal, show something that he might either like or dislike.

When Dennis saw me take a beat after a line, he said: "I like that."

He's a very open and receptive actor and we had to make the most of the little time we had together, so we got creative. And in a way, the same might be said for Reagan and O'Neill's relationship.

They were on opposing teams, one a die-hard Democrat the other a rock-ribbed Republican, but they managed to create something precious and long-lasting out of the short time they had together and in the process showed us, 40 years later, how we should behave.

In one of our scenes together, Dennis asks me: "Is it 6 p.m. yet?" That meant that after 6 o'clock, all the yelling and arguing stopped and people went to get a beer together, no matter which side you were on.

In the 1960's Senate Majority Leader Everett Dirksen would call President Lyndon Johnson every name under the sun, and then they'd have a good laugh and a stiff drink.

LBJ once said: "Everett, I wouldn't call a dog what you call me!" To which Dirksen replied: "Well, I took an oath to tell the truth." Then they'd open up a bottle of Scotch and get things done.

That style of backroom politics may be too idealistic now, but I still wish we had it. It's clear that O'Neill and Reagan didn't agree on a lot, but they were willing to give a little in order to find common ground.

Reagan would often remind his more ideological aides, "half a loaf is better than none" and "someone who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is an 80 percent friend, not a 20 percent enemy."

Imagine how our political culture would change if we all thought like that today.

O'Neill was an old guard Liberal. I share his politics and I wish we had more leaders like him today. But I also admire Reagan for standing up for what he believed in as well.

I think a lot of good things could happen today if our leaders would just sit down and have a beer together, talk with somebody instead of at them. That's what we've lost. Now that our COVID masks are off, it's time for the walls to come down as well.

Tip O'Neill was as tough as they come, but if you had a good point, he wanted to hear it. Sometimes he wanted to hear it just so he could have a better argument to fight you with the next time, but he also listened, and that's something all of us can do a better job of.

These two Irishmen would expect nothing less of us.

Dan Lauria is an actor and writer best known for playing Jack Arnold on "The Wonder Years". Reagan releases in theaters in 2024.

All views expressed in this article are the author's own.

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