Barack Obama Declined A Cameo In 3 Body Problem For A Very Funny Reason

Based on the sprawling 2006 sci-fi novel "The Three-Body Problem" by Cixin Liu, Netflix's new series "3 Body Problem" is an ambitious tale that takes place across multiple time frames, and boasts an interweaving narrative involving space aliens, an invasion from the planet Trisolaris, and a strange, climate-disaster-themed virtual reality video game. Liu's novel was the first in a three-book series called "Remembrance of Earth's Past," a series with deeply involved mythology complex enough to rival "Dune." One might require a quick read-up on the Fermi Paradox, the Alcubierre Drive, and notions of quantum entanglement before cracking it. 

All eight episodes of "3 Body Problem" will debut on the same day, and it looks to be as ambitious as the book. The series will star notable actors like Benedict Wong, Jovan Adepo, Eiza González, Rosalind Chao, and Jonathan Pryce. The showrunners, perhaps to save themselves massive headaches, have declared openly that they won't stick terribly close to the novels. Overall, prepare for an alien invasion story.

Naturally, if one wants to tell the story of a global alien invasion, politicians would need to become involved. Presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and queens would all want to chime in on the state of world safety, and likely stand on the front lines to greet the visitors to see if they're friendly. Or hide in a bunker in case they aren't. As such, it shouldn't come as a surprise that show co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss invited former president Barack Obama to appear on the show. 

According to a new article in USA Today, Obama turned them down, thinking it would be better to wait for a real-life alien invasion. 

Benioff, feeling ambitious, thought they would merely ask Obama if an appearance was possible. He turned them down, but, being polite, he was good enough to provide a reason. Benioff noted that Obama claimed to be withholding his diplomatic skills for real-world alien visitations. Benioff said: 

"He did sign a very funny note though, when we tried to get him for a cameo. [...] It was to the effect of, 'In case there ever is a real alien invasion, I think I should probably save myself for that crisis.'"

Weiss summed up by saying: "He wants to keep his powder dry in case there's a real thing." 

The inspiration to ask Obama came from a 2017 interview with the New York Times when the former president said that he was a big fan of the original novel. He also noted that an alien crisis would dwarf his political concerns, permitting him to temporarily ignore the issues he regularly faced talking to Congress. Obama even recommended it on an end-of-the-year reading list. The Nobel-winning former president is famously well-read and releases annual lists of the best new books of the year; it's hard to come by a better recommendation. 

/Film very much enjoyed "3 Body Problem," calling it "brazenly nerdy," which was, I assure you, a very, very positive thing. For those who can easily define the word "syzygy," this will be the series of you. Our ultimate score was an 8 out of 10.

"3 Body Problem" season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.