A Sci-Fi Legend Played Abraham Lincoln In This Made-For-TV Civil War Movie
From science fiction to American history, some actors can do it all. One of sci-fi's most iconic stars proved his range when he was cast as Abraham Lincoln.
In the 1998 sci-fi television film The Day Lincoln Was Shot, Lance Henriksen portrayed Abraham Lincoln. While best known for his work in sci-fi movies like Aliens and Millennium, Henriksen's role as Lincoln was based on Jim Bishop's nonfiction book of the same name. The story, which chronicles the assassination of Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, had previously been adapted for television in 1956 with Raymond Massey playing the titular role.
Premiering on TNT on April 12, 1998, The Day Lincoln Was Shot featured Rob Morrow as John Wilkes Booth, with other notable actors including Wil Wheaton, Jeremy Sisto, and Titus Welliver. Reviews of the movie were mixed, with praise for Henriksen's performance but criticism for Morrow's portrayal of Booth and a script that failed to provide insight into Booth's mindset.
Critics also noted that the film took liberties with historical accuracy, such as changing the timeline of Booth's attempts to assassinate Lincoln, focusing on speculative love scenes between Booth and Lucy Hale, and including a cabinet meeting with a contentious discussion about hanging Confederate leaders.
Despite these inaccuracies, the film may not have been a significant concern for most viewers who weren't closely following historical details. The same can be said for more recent adaptations such as the Apple TV+ series Manhunt, which also adapts historical facts for storytelling purposes.
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