Tom Hanks

Outside California, the name Mervyn Dymally means nothing, but since 1966, Merv has been in the public life in the State. Elected as California’s first African American State Senator, Merv became Lt. Governor under Jerry Brown. Defeated for re-election in 1982, Merv went on to unseat Democratic Congressman Charlie Wilson (not the Texas Charlie Wilson, the one Tom Hanks played in the movie) to serve a few terms in Congress before becoming the Ambassador to a forgettable Caribbean country.