Jane Fonda: Politics Didn't Matter in Playing Nancy Reagan

It's an unlikely role for actress Jane Fonda. In "The Butler," a new movie directed by Lee Daniels, Fonda plays former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

"The idea that I could play Nancy Reagan was just too much to resist," she said while promoting the movie, reports Politico. "I thought it would be fun to play her."

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Fonda, who was called Hanoi Jane by critics for protesting the Vietnam War and traveling to Hanoi at the height of the conflict, acknowledged her political differences with the wife of former President Ronald Reagan.

"I know people say, 'Oh my gosh, Jane Fonda is playing Nancy Reagan.' But I don't think that whatever difference there might be in our politics really matters. As an actor, I approach her as a human being," she said, adding: "I happen to know that she's not unhappy that I'm playing her."

Meanwhile, former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush are getting an early look at "The Butler" before it hits the big screen.

The movie will be screened privately for the Bushes at their family vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine, this week, according to the New York Post.

"The Butler" tells the story of Cecil Gaines, a White House butler who served eight presidents. Actor Forest Whitaker stars in the film, which hits theaters nationwide Aug. 16.