Actress: Obama should refuel with his family

Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated actress and Massachusetts native Marcia Cross started acting at a young age and studied at the renowned Juilliard School. Marcia starred in several of television’s longest-running and most popular series, including “Desperate Housewives,” “Everwood” and “Melrose Place.”

She began her acting career on the stage, and moved on to featured roles in hit soap operas, including “The Edge of Night,” “Another World” and “One Life to Live.” After graduating from Juilliard, Marcia went on to earn her master’s degree in psychology, a subject she remains passionate about to this day.

{mosads}ROBIN BRONK: If you had five minutes in the Oval Office with President Obama, what would you discuss with him?  What issue would you like him to know about?

MARCIA CROSS: If I had five minutes with the president, I would ask him about having the audacity to hope and how he thinks that has translated thus far into his presidency. 

RB: If you could ask President Obama one question, what would that be?

MC: I would want to know, off the record, what he thinks is working in our political system and where he thinks it has derailed, specifically in regard to Citizens United. I also would ask him how he has gone about making decisions on where and what to compromise in order to get things done.

RB: What piece of advice would you give President Obama as he’s campaigning for the upcoming election?

MC: The advice I would give the president as he hits the election trail would be to forget about politics and speak from his truth, which of course would not get him reelected. So in the same breath I would say, “Never mind, do what you have to do.”

RB: If you were going to send the president to one of your favorite places in the United States for one day, where would that be? Why?

MC: If I could send the president somewhere in United States it would be to a private oasis of his choice where he could be with the women in his life. A little family refuel in the middle of campaigning, because being president or the wife or daughters of one can’t be easy.

RB: What piece of music would you recommend that President Obama add to his collection? Why?

MC: If I could give the president any CD it would be “What to Remember When Waking” by the poet David Whyte. Or I would say shut it all down and listen to your soul.

RB: Would you ever consider a political career?

MC: I have none of what it takes to be a politician, but I am devoted to changing the world for the good in whatever ways possible. 

Robin Bronk is CEO of The Creative Coalition — the leading national, nonprofit, nonpartisan public advocacy organization of the entertainment industry. Bronk is a frequent speaker on the role of the entertainment industry in public advocacy campaigns and represents The Creative Coalition and its legislative agenda before members of Congress and the White House. She produced the feature film “Poliwood,” airing on Showtime, and edited the recently published book Art & Soul. Bronk pens this weekly column with assistance from Risa Kotek.