A cameo invitation was extended to former President Barack Obama for the upcoming sci-fi series "3 Body Problem", created by the minds behind Game of Thrones. However, Obama gracefully declined, lightening the rejection with a humorous note.
David Benioff revealed to USA Today that he and co-showrunner D.B. Weiss attempted to enlist the 44th President of the United States for a cameo appearance, but Obama jokingly declined, citing his preference to reserve himself for a real alien invasion.
"Obama penned a rather amusing note when we reached out to him for a cameo," Benioff revealed. "It essentially conveyed, 'If there ever happens to be a real alien invasion, I reckon I should probably save myself for that crisis.'""He's keeping his options open in case of a genuine event," Weiss quipped.
Obama has expressed admiration for the source material, Liu Cixin's novel The Three-Body Problem, noting in 2017 that the science fiction narrative provided a soothing escape amid the demands of the presidency. He reflected that his daily challenges of governing seemed trivial when contrasted with the looming possibility of extraterrestrial intervention.
The subject of Obama and aliens has come up before. In 2021, Obama humorously recounted that when he was first elected, he asked insiders about the existence of secret facilities housing alien specimens.