With audiences returning to theaters for the just-released “Director’s Cut” of the hit film “Reagan” – featuring 10 minutes of new footage – audiences are once again seeing veteran actor Mark Moses portraying one of the least-known but most influential figures of the Reagan presidency.
Judge William P. Clark rarely sought the spotlight. Yet, as Ronald Reagan’s trusted adviser, national security adviser, deputy secretary of state and secretary of the interior, he became one of the president’s closest confidants.
For Moses, researching Clark revealed something he hadn’t expected.
“He was really Ronald Reagan’s right-hand man,” Moses told the film’s producer, Mark Joseph, on his podcast “The Mark Joseph Show.”
The more he studied the relationship, the more he came to believe Reagan possessed a leadership quality that often receives less attention than his speeches or political philosophy.
“He listened,” Moses said. “I think people who are good managers – smart leaders – listen to people.”
The man behind the president
Unlike many historical figures portrayed on screen, Clark wasn’t instantly recognizable. That meant Moses had to build the performance from research rather than public memory. He read biographies, watched Senate confirmation hearings and studied Clark’s calm, understated manner.
What emerged wasn’t a flamboyant political operator. It was a quiet problem-solver.
“He answered questions calmly,” Moses recalled. “He didn’t get riled up.” Clark’s reserved personality, Moses says, made him an ideal complement to Reagan’s more outgoing public style.
The value of trust
One story especially stayed with Moses.
According to Clark’s own recollections, Reagan regularly asked him to meet privately with former presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Clark would return with observations and advice gathered from each of them.
To Moses, the practice revealed something important about Reagan’s leadership.
“He gathered information,” Moses said. Rather than assuming he had every answer, Reagan sought perspectives from experienced people – even political rivals.
For Moses, that willingness to listen distinguished Reagan from many modern leaders.
Revisiting Reagan
Like many Americans of his generation, Moses admits his first impressions of Reagan were shaped by the politics of the moment.
As a young man living in New York, he didn’t vote for Reagan and remembers being surprised by the size of Reagan’s 1980 landslide victory.
Researching the film, however, offered a broader perspective.
“There were successes and failures,” Moses said. He also noted that dozens of countries embraced democracy during Reagan’s presidency, a historical development he believes deserves serious consideration alongside the usual political debates that continue today.
Dennis Quaid’s Reagan
Working opposite Dennis Quaid gave Moses another appreciation for the real Reagan. Where Reagan projected warmth and optimism, Clark often served as the quieter presence beside him.
“It was a good Mutt-and-Jeff team,” Moses said.
He believes Quaid captured not only Reagan’s mannerisms, but also the optimism that made him such an effective communicator. That optimism, Moses says, worked because it was balanced by trusted advisers who weren’t afraid to offer honest counsel.
Television, film – and storytelling
With memorable roles in “Mad Men,” “Desperate Housewives,” “The Last Ship” and numerous films, Moses has spent decades moving between television and movies.
The distinction, he says, has changed dramatically.
“When I started, there was a big stigma,” he recalled. Today, many of the strongest dramatic stories are told on television, while theatrical films increasingly focus on large-scale spectacle.
Still, he believes movies retain a unique magic. “A film transports you,” he said, recalling the experience of sitting in a theater and becoming immersed in another world.
A different kind of politician
Joseph asked whether Moses had ever considered running for office himself. His answer came quickly.
“No way.”
Although he worries that the battlefield of modern politics discourages some thoughtful public servants from stepping forward, he still believes good government ultimately depends on talented people motivated by service rather than personal ambition.
“I hope young people don’t get too jaded,” he said. “There are a lot of good, hardworking people in government.”
Hope matters
Researching Bill Clark ultimately changed the way Moses thinks about leadership. Clark, he says, viewed public service as a calling rather than simply a career. More importantly, he believed Reagan gave Americans something many presidents struggle to provide.
Hope.
“When you look to a president,” Moses reflected, “it’s very important that you have hope – and that hope is based on something positive.”
For Moses, that’s the enduring lesson of both Bill Clark and Ronald Reagan. That relationship may not be the “Reagan” movie’s most famous story. But through Mark Moses’ performance, it becomes one of its most revealing – showing that behind one of America’s most recognizable presidents stood a trusted friend who knew that leadership often begins not with speaking, but with listening.
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