History Main / InvisiblePresident

Whenever a scene calls for the President, but the show is meant to be set "in the real world" (and thus, a fictional president is undesirable, and an [[ThePoorMansSubstitute impersonator]] wouldn't be sufficiently convincing), the President is generally implemented as HeWhoMustNotBeSeen, especially TheFaceless. If the President is vague to the point that even the President’s name is never said, this is done to keep the show from [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece being dated once the president’s term is over]] (think of how every sitting president since George H. W. Bush has been parodied on WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons while the titular family stays the same age). The British counterpart would be the appearance of the outstretched hand of the Monarch or Prime Minister, unseen on the other side of the door.

Whenever a scene calls for the President, but the show is meant to be set "in the real world" (and thus, a fictional president is undesirable, and an [[ThePoorMansSubstitute impersonator]] wouldn't be sufficiently convincing), the President is generally implemented as HeWhoMustNotBeSeen, especially TheFaceless. If the President is vague to the point that even the President’s name is never said, this is done to keep the show from [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece being dated once the president’s term is over]] (think of how [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bart and Lisa Simpson]] were the same age from George H.W. Bush's presidency onward). The British counterpart would be the appearance of the outstretched hand of the Monarch or Prime Minister, unseen on the other side of the door.

* {{ZigZagged}} in ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal''. The president in early strips was a dim-witted, grey-haired white man who, although never identified by name, was clearly intended to be George W. Bush. Following the 2008 presidential election, the president was African-American, but was significantly older than then-president Barack Obama, with a bald pate, grey beard and glasses. His election opponent, who appeared in a single strip, also strongly resembled Mitt Romney. During the Trump administration, the president was always either off panel or in silhouette.

* {{ZigZagged}} in ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal''. The president in early strips was a dim-witted, grey-haired white man who, although never identified by name, was clearly intended to be George W. Bush. Following the 2008 presidential election, the president was African-American, but was significantly older than then-president Barack Obama, with a bald pate and glasses. His election opponent, who appeared in a single strip, also strongly resembled Mitt Romney. During the Trump administration, the president was always either off panel or in silhouette.

* {{ZigZagged}} in ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal''. The president in early strips was a dim-witted, grey-haired white man who, although never identified by name, was clearly intended to be George W. Bush. Following the 2008 presidential election, the president was African-American, but was significantly older than then-president Barack Obama, with a bald pate, goatee and glasses. His election opponent, who appeared in a single strip, also strongly resembled Mitt Romney. During the Trump administration, the president was always either off panel or in silhouette.

* {{ZigZagged}} in ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal''. The president in early strips was a dim-witted, grey-haired white man who, although never identified by name, was clearly intended to be George W. Bush. Following the 2008 presidential election, the president was African-American, but was significantly older than then-president Barack Obama, with a bald pate and glasses. His election opponent, who appeared in a single strip, also strongly resembled Mitt Romney. During the Trump administration, the president was always either off panel or in silhouette.

* {{ZigZagged}} in ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal''. The president in early strips was a dim-witted, grey-haired white man who, although never identified by name, was clearly intended to be George W. Bush. Following the 2008 presidential election, the president was African-American, but was significantly older than then-president Barack Obama, with a bald pate and glasses. His election opponent, who appeared in a single strip, also strongly resembled Mitt Romney. During the Trump administration, the president was always either off panel or in silhouette, but

* There's a double-whammy in the ''Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures'' novel ''The Dying Days''; it's set in 1997, but at the time of publication (1996) both the American and British national elections were being contested, thus meaning that the identities of both the President and the Prime Minister are deliberately kept vague.

* ''Film/JapansLongestDay'': In this film about the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, Hirohito's face is never shown clearly. His face can be glimpsed a couple of times from a distance and not quite in focus, but for most of the movie we see the back of his head, or we see his gloved hands as he grips his chair, or his face is hidden by a Scenery Censor. It was considered taboo at this time to show the Emperor's face onscreen (and it would remain taboo until a Russian film about Hirohito called The Sun was shown in Japan in 2006).

* ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'': Director Galloway is explicitly described as President Obama's National Security Advisor and repeatedly states that he's acting on behalf of the president. He spends the whole film making bad decisions and butting heads with the military, making himself a [[StrawCharacter Strawman Political]] of President Obama's defense policies.

* One of Creator/RobertRankin's rather insane stories (his most common thread involves Elvis with a time-traveling sprout lodged in his head) features Prince Charles as a love interest for one of the semi-protagonists, including some quite surprising scenes...

* Footage of Blair and [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush Bush]] appeared in an episode of ''Series/{{Spooks}}'' about a state visit of the latter.
* A Season 1 episode of ''Series/ThirdWatch'' had UsefulNotes/HillaryClinton, then the first lady, walking past the main police officers en route to a debate with Republican Rudolph Giuliani during the 2000 Senate campaign.
* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' steamrolled this trope in their first episode. The president getting who enters Air Force One is, to all intents and purposes, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush in practically every respect. He's actually played by Steve Bridges who certainly isn't unfamiliar with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDPAUi3VPSo playing the role]]. Archive footage of GWB is also used in the series, such as one of him getting into a helicopter as the NCIS learn of an attempt to take down the helicopter.
* Real footage of Prince Charles was used and redubbed for the finale of ''Series/LookAroundYou'', to make it look like Prince Charles was actually presenting the Look Around You Award. They even go so far as to make him express an interest in a sex-change device and later get attacked by a mad scientist with a skin spray.
* While the actual president never appeared in ''Series/TheXFiles'', a large photo of UsefulNotes/BillClinton was clearly visible in Skinner's office throughout several seasons. However, no pictures of UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush ever appeared after his election.
* Canada's last two Prime Ministers, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper, both claim cameo appearances as themselves on ''Series/CornerGas''. Many Canadian politicians have also been known to cameo in sketch comedy shows such as the Royal Canadian Air Farce.
* A first season episode of ''Series/{{JAG}}'' used stock footage of UsefulNotes/BillClinton jogging through a park, edited to look like Harm, who was jogging the other way, passed him.
** The second season opener starts with UsefulNotes/BillClinton presenting Harm with the Distinguished Flying Cross. Again stock footage was edited into the show.
** In one episode, Bud Roberts carried the so-called "football" for UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush, and archived footage of the President was used in the episode.
** Stock footage of the presidents of the time were often seen in the background in the bullpen scenes. Later seasons featured regular background footage of then-SECDEF Donald Rumsfeld.
* Averted in two ways in ''Series/LieToMe''. The show has a habit of using still images of famous people to illustrate whatever emotion they're talking about, and a solid majority of these seem to be recent US Presidents (as well as Presidential candidates and Vice Presidents). In addition, President Obama has been referred by name to at least twice so far by the characters in the show.
* UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher famously appeared as herself in a sketch she wrote for ''Series/YesMinister''.
* In ''Series/TheJeffersons'' (season 4, George and Jimmy) President [[UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter Carter]] was invited by George Jefferson to stay at his house.
* When the Prime Minister is the main character, you can't very well keep him invisible, and hence ''[[Series/YesMinister Yes, Prime Minister]]'' averts this trope.

* In an episode of ''Series/HannahMontana'' the Obama girls are big fans of Hannah's (just like every other living person under 13) so she is visited by the president. He is shown only from the back and addresses her as "Miley." When Lily gasps "How did ''he'' know?" Miley brushes it off with "Well, he ''is'' leader of the free world. I think he can keep a secret."
* This was deliberately set up and then subverted in the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics. Given how many portrayals of the Queen in fiction are limited to a shot from behind of a (usually [[TheVoiceless voiceless]]) grey-haired head in a pastel pink hat, with a corgi trotting around nearby, when Creator/DanielCraig-as-Film/JamesBond walks down a Buckingham palace corridor and steps through a door, that's precisely what he seems to be met with. Then she turns around, and it's the real deal. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing. (There were seditious rumours that it may not have been the actual Queen who followed Bond in parachuting out of a helicopter into the stadium, however.)

* ''Series/MrRobot'' prominently features footage of President Obama using out-of-context and/or dubbed dialogue to make it seem like he's commenting on events in the series.
* Obviously averted in ''Series/{{Veep}}'' [[spoiler:once Selena becomes President]].

* While he is never named, President Obama can be clearly seen in photographs on the wall of Konrad's penthouse in ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine''.
* A fictional US President, whose name is never mentioned, is clearly visible in ''VideoGame/WorldInConflict'' cutscenes.

* British Prime Minister UsefulNotes/TonyBlair appeared as himself in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' in 2004, becoming the first serving leader to do so.
* Al Gore, then-Vice President, appeared as himself in ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' in 2000. He reappeared 3 years later as his future self, "Al Gore, First emperor of the moon and [[MemeticMutation Inventor of the Environment]]."
** Al Gore's daughter just happens to be a writer for ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''...
** And of course, the President of Earth in 3000 is UsefulNotes/RichardNixon's Head.
** In a flashback to Fry's childhood, a young Barack Obama appears working as a delivery boy at the same pizza parlor Fry would later work at (before being frozen).
* A fictional president bearing a passing resemblance to George Bush appears in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', albeit in a parallel universe run by the [[KnightTemplar Justice Lords]], who now decide when (or if) elections are held. Played straighter in ''Unlimited'', where in the aftermath of [[spoiler:the Watchtower being overridden and firing on Earth]], J'onn receives a call from the President, who is not clearly shown.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'': Plastic Man [[RecognitionFailure doesn't recognize]] President Obama at the end of "Cry Freedom Fighters!"

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', in accordance to its EqualOpportunityOffender and RippedFromTheHeadlines philosophy of satire, has also averted this trope, having addressed UsefulNotes/BillClinton, UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush, ''and'' UsefulNotes/BarackObama both by name and on-screen during its run. One prominent exception to this is UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, who was substituted with Mr. Garrison in an episode satirizing the 2015 Republican primary as [[ItWillNeverCatchOn they didn't expect Trump to actually become President a year later]]. His surprise victory forced them to keep using Garrison instead of Trump himself.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' had two episodes which had the President appear as a minor character. One episode had him look similar to then-President George W. Bush as well as having a Texan accent but he was never named. Another episode had him dressed as George Washington, saying he's going for a "retro look". This was probably done to avoid dating the episode but he still had the Texan accent which strongly implies they're still Bush.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' obscures both the faces of Her Highness the Queen and His Holiness the Pope. And yet Alucard still flirts with the former.

* ''ComicBook/JimmysBastards'' (also by Ennis) uses "the current administration" (written in 2017-2018) when the villains are discussing what would happen if they were to use their GenderBender phlebotinum on the U.S. According to them, said reaction would involve firing Tomahawks at the UK (finding somewhere else to play golf) and modifying his gender views to include "grabbing women by the dick". These are clearly references to the president at the time, UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump.
* Used in ''ComicBook/LargoWinch'' when Largo's company gets targeted by a foreign plot to destroy the U.S. economy [[spoiler:by secretly buying up majority shares in most Wall Street companies and running them into the ground at the same time, all for less than the cost of a missile barrage]]. Once the details are learned, he's debriefed at the same time as the President, who has a FaceFramedInShadow and ScaryShinyGlasses.

[[folder:Fanworks]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* The 2007 ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' movie featured a president whose face was blocked by a pair of feet wearing red socks, who asked an assistant to bring him a Ding-Dong [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush with a Texas accent]]. This is his only appearance in the film, though the Secretary of Defense later mentions that the current crisis could define his presidency, and after the climax, he [[spoiler:dissolves Sector 7 and orders the remains of the Decepticons be dumped in a very deep ocean trench]].

* Another obvious Invisible LBJ "appears" in the 1966 film ''Film/BatmanTheMovie''. A close-up from the "President's" perspective (thus faceless) shows him reclining in his seat, stroking his dog, and congratulating the Dynamic Duo on the phone, in a cartoonishly stereotypical Texan accent (he even says "Howdy!") provided by Fort Worth-born Van Williams of ''Radio/TheGreenHornet''.
* ''Film/OurManFlint'' from 1966 has a scene where the President, addressing the world to announce capitulation to the bad guys, is told to stall -- he hems and haws in a Johnson-esque drawl.
* ''[[Film/DrGoldfootAndTheBikiniMachine Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs]]'' (1966). The President is only an LBJ-sounding voice on the {{hotline}} to Colonel Benson, always preempted by the strains of "Hail to the Chief".
* The reenactment of [[UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln Lincoln's]] assassination by John Wilkes Booth in the ''Film/NationalTreasure'' sequel shows only Lincoln's back and a part of his head ''even though it is very obvious'' that it's him and using his name and likeness is legal under the protection of the First Amendment.
* A short from ''Film/TheThreeStooges'' has them prospecting for gold and inadvertently breaking into a federal gold vault. They explain they were trying to pay for a sick kid's operation to a heard but not seen [[UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt FDR]], who pardons them and pays for the operation, because he's a swell guy.

* ''Film/MissionToMoscow'' shows the back of FDR's head as the President is appointing Joseph Davis as U.S. Ambassador to Moscow.

* ''Film/VirginiaCity'': When Julie is begging UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln for mercy, all we see is the back of Lincoln's head and his silhouette on the paper he's reading.
* ''Film/TheSpyWhoDumpedMe'': This trope is deployed not with a political leader, but with Edward Snowden, notorious hacker and spy. Morgan calls her old boyfriend Snowden to hack into the flash drive. The actor who plays Snowden is only shown from behind.
* ''Film/TheYellowRollsRoyce'': King George V and Queen Mary are in attendence at the Ascot Gold Cup, where Charles has a horse running. They're only shown from behind or the neck down.
* ''Film/NeverLookAway'': Only the back of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler's head is visible, as Elizabeth hands him a bouquet as he passes by in a motorcade.
* ''Film/ThatNightInVarennes'' is about the flight of King UsefulNotes/LouisXVI and Queen UsefulNotes/MarieAntoinette from [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution revolutionary]] Paris, and their capture in the country town of Varennes, as told from the perspective of the passengers of another carriage traveling behind on the same road. The king and queen are seen only briefly, and only from the waist down, in a scene where Creator/ThomasPaine and Countess Sophie peer from the stairs down below through the doorway to the royal family's room.

* Creator/StephenKing's novel ''Literature/{{Dreamcatcher}}'' was finished in mid-November 2000, at which time the outcome of the US presidential election was still in doubt; as such, when the President gives a national address regarding the events of the novel, the book strains to avoid mentioning whether the president was meant to be UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush or UsefulNotes/AlGore.
* From Creator/TomClancy's ''Literature/JackRyan'' series: In an unusual case, ''Executive Orders'' does not refer to the President of Iraq by name when he is assassinated. What little characterization there is is entirely in line with Saddam Hussein (who was still in power when the book was published). Noteworthy in that Saddam Hussein was one of the few heads of state who would probably have been referred to by name in normal conversation, and that the book also uses invented leaders for Iran, India, and Russia.
* In ''Literature/AngelsAndDemons'', the deceased [[UsefulNotes/ThePope Pope's]] name and nationality are never stated, although it's pretty obvious that he was a highly-fictionalized John Paul II (Incumbent at the time of its writing). The film adaptation names him "Pius XIII", from a brief glimpse of his ring before it's destroyed.

* There's a double-whammy in the Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures novel ''The Dying Days''; it's set in 1997, but at the time of publication (1996) both the American and British national elections were being contested, thus meaning that the identities of both the President and the Prime Minister are deliberately kept vague.

* The POTUS in ''Series/{{Succession}}'' is only referred to as the "California Raisin". He is never shown, nor is his side of the voice call heard whenever he speaks to Logan

* ''Series/{{Taken}}'': With the exception of UsefulNotes/GeraldFord and UsefulNotes/BillClinton, every U.S. President from UsefulNotes/HarryTruman to the then incumbent UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush is mentioned or at least alluded to in the series. However, UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy's brief meeting with Owen in "High Hopes" is the only time that a President ever interacts with one of the characters on screen. The audience's view of his face is distorted by the vat containing one of the alien bodies discovered at Roswell. This is because StockFootage of Kennedy's television address to the American people regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis is seen later in the episode. Real footage of two other Presidents is seen in later episodes: UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush during the 1980 presidential election in which he was the Republican vice-presidential candidate in "Maintenance" and UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan giving a speech before the United Nations General Assembly concerning aliens in "Charlie and Lisa".
* In ''Series/HannahMontana'', Miley points out that she's intolerant to raspberries after a childhood incident where she won a pie eating contest, and puked on the Governor of Tennessee when he presented her the award. The Governor is only shown from the back, and is not identified, though the flashback happens in 1999, during which Don Sundquist served as Governor.

* ''WesternAnimation/SchoolhouseRock'': In "I'm Just a Bill", the viewers see nothing but one of the President's arms when the Bill imagines the President signs it. When the President does turn the Bill into a Law, it happens offscreen and the viewers only know it happens because somebody shows up to announce the news.
* The ''WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim'' cartoon used a generic president. The practice was {{lampshade|Hanging}}d by whoever was meeting/kidnapping him and always introducing himself with "I'm one of those generic presidents they use to keep cartoons from becoming dated."

* In the {{WesternAnimation/Batman|TheAnimatedSeries}} / WesternAnimation/{{Superman|TheAnimatedSeries}} crossover "World's Finest" Superman stops a hijacking of UsefulNotes/AirForceOne. After the rescue, they cut to Superman saying "Happy I could help out, Mr. President," through the window of the President's limo, which then drives off.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Because they have to sign off on the hiring, whenever the US government hires Manga/{{Golgo 13}}, the president in office at the time of the story's writing will make an appearance.

** We see the back of JFK's head in an early '60s ''ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS''(!) comic book, uttering his famous "Let me say this about that...", and he's talking off-panel in a WonderWartHog comic of the era.

* Then-president UsefulNotes/BillClinton actually delivered the eulogy at [[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman Superman's funeral]]. His face was clearly visible, and UsefulNotes/{{Hillary|RodhamClinton}} was there, too.

* The usual unwritten policy at both Marvel and DC was that the president's face could be shown, but his name never be used; he would always just be called "Mr. President". Marvel broke this rule with a few appearances by UsefulNotes/BarackObama in which he's referred to by name. DC went the opposite route in 2000 when ComicBook/LexLuthor [[PresidentEvil was elected president]]. Ever since then, the president in the DCU has always been a fictional character, which obviously allows them to do whatever they want with him. Until the ''Comicbook/New52'', which had Bush (at the end of the first arc of [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]]) and later Obama.
* The original run of ''ComicBook/SuicideSquad'' includes Ronald Reagan in a very prominent and extremely unflattering role in while he is portrayed as a [[BitchInSheepsClothing charming but self-centered]] politician whose only concern is his own legacy and is fully willing to throw Amanda Waller under the bus to keep his own use of the Squad under wraps. However as mentioned above his name is never mentioned (unlike his Soviet counterpart Gorbachev, who is named explicitly in his appearances).
* ComicBook/SavageDragon does this quite a bit. When the protagonist wakes up in the first issue with a specific form of amnesia, he mentions that George Bush (senior) is the president but has no information regarding his own name. Later in the series, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all make appearances while in office. This trope is also played with since Dragon himself nearly became the president at one point.

* A double-sized issue of ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' has Cap (in his alternate guise as [=USAgent=]) trying to stop a Serpent Society plot to contaminate the drinking water of Washington D.C. with a chemical that turns people into LizardFolk. Cap ends up at the White House, where he gets attacked by a reptilian Reagan. When the effects of the toxin wear off, Ron is dazed and confused, but otherwise unharmed.
* Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt play a fairly large role in the adult comic ''DocDare''.
* Played with in the ComicBook/{{Runaways}}[=/=]ComicBook/YoungAvengers ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'' crossover miniseries. During the final battle against Chrell, Speed grabs Molly Hayes and Klara Prast and dumps them somewhere far away from the fighting. Klara looks around and suddenly exclaims "Mr. President!" [[spoiler:It turns out they've been dropped off in front of Mt. Rushmore.]]
* In ''ComicBook/BuckDanny'', both Kennedy and Reagan appear on panel, the latter being actually referred to by name (which by the way makes ComicBookTime harder than ever to swallow as the main characters did not noticeably age between both stories).
* An issue of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' has Captain America speaking via viewscreen with Jimmy Carter.
* During the CrisisCrossover ''ComicBook/Millennium1988'' Ronald Reagan is depicted as the President [[spoiler:and First Lady Nancy has been murdered and replaced by a Manhunter]]!

[[folder:Fan Fic]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* Another controversial use was in ''Film/{{Contact}}'' where the filmmakers cut together and digitally altered footage of UsefulNotes/BillClinton to make it sound like he was talking about the extra-terrestrial message. The White House was not pleased since they felt that it could imply that the President co-operated with and supported this particular film.
* A clip of UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan appeared in ''Film/AlienNation'', the producers using the "If not us, who? If not now, when?" quote from his second inaugural address to reference the legislation that recognized the aliens as refugees (and future citizens).

* ''Film/ToLiveAndDieInLA'' had William Peterson as a Secret Service agent trying to take out a terrorist during a speech by President Reagan. We don't see him, as the scene takes place on a rooftop, but audio clips of "the Gipper" are played to make it seem like the speech is in progress. The President doesn't appear again, as the film is about the ''other'' job of the Secret Service: stopping counterfeiters.

** Averted in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums "The Sound of Drums"]], which has the Master kill off a fake president who likely was designed to be a parody of then-president George W. Bush.

* During the BeachEpisode of ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' where a worldwide spell switches everyone's bodies, Touma sits down in a lounge and watches [[PsychoLesbian Kuroko]] make a presidential address in place of Obama.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'': The POV character of the first chapter is simply "the Prime Minister". The real PM at the time these scenes take place was UsefulNotes/JohnMajor, but there are several references that make it unlikely this PM is based on him (for example, Fudge refers to the PM's predecessor as "he", when Major's predecessor was UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher), so he might just be wholly fictional.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' only refers to the Prime Minister as "the Prime Minister", and gives no descriptors besides that he is male. From inferences drawn from clues given in the series about its timeline, this scene takes place in summer 1996, which - assuming he's not just a wholly fictional character - would make him UsefulNotes/JohnMajor.

* ''Film/ThatNightInVarennes'' is about the flight of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette from revolutionary Paris, and their capture in the country town of Varennes, as told from the perspective of the passengers of another carriage traveling behind on the same road. The king and queen are seen only briefly, and only from the waist down, in a scene where Tom Paine and Countess Sophie peer from the stairs down below through the doorway to the royal family's room.

** The classic serial [[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E5TheGreenDeath "The Green Death"]] also portrayed the Prime Minister as an outstretched hand and as the unheard half of a telephone conversation with TheBrigadier. In the phone conversation, he was called "Jeremy", a reference to the then leader of the Liberal Party Jeremy Thorpe (who was never Prime Minister). This was an allusion to the brief resurgence in popularity the Liberal Party was seeing in the early 1970s after their severe decline following WW2.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' may or may not be an exception, with President Eden [[spoiler: being a computer]].
** It probably counts as an exception, since we do -- in a manner of speaking -- get to see his face. [[spoiler: That is, his monitor.]] There is also some uncertainty as to whether he legally speaking ''is'' the President, since the person to tell the surviving Enclave that he was a part of the previous President's cabinet was Eden himself, and we do know he lies and bends the truth...

* Hilariously subverted in ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'', as seen [[http://grrlpowercomic.com/archives/1707 here]]

[[folder:Film]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'' has a brief shot of President Eisenhower being briefed on the situation with the Giant, seen from the back. A portrait of Ike is visible in an earlier scene, hanging in the mayor's office.

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'', UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen shows up offscreen at an auction to bid on a crate of candy bars (ItMakesSenseInContext), and Wonka later mentions offhand that he "really must answer that note from the Queen."

* In a meta version of this trope, Creator/ClintEastwood appeared at the 2012 Republican Convention and appeared to have a conversation with an empty chair representing President Obama. Immediately, the Internet was awash in pictures of vacant chairs, and a new [[Memes/USPolitics meme]] was born.