Bob Alexander is the main antagonist of the 1993 film Dave.
He was portrayed by Frank Langella, who also portrayed Boris Balkan in The Ninth Gate, Dawg Brown in Cutthroat Island, Rodney Cole in Unknown, Clare Quilty in the 1997 film adaptation of Lolita, and Skeletor in Masters of the Universe.
Biography[]
Bob Alexander is a former senator turned White House Chief of Staff under President William "Bill" Harrison Mitchell. One day, Bob hires Dave Kovic, the hero of the film, to impersonate Mitchell at a Hotel he's speaking at. Dave thinks it's a matter of security, but it's really to cover up Mitchell's extramarital affair with a White House staffer. Mitchell suffers a severe stroke during the rendezvous, leaving him in a coma. Bob and Communications Director Alan Reed convince Dave to continue impersonating Mitchell. They tell him that Vice President Gary Nance is mentally unbalanced, but in reality, Bob doesn't want the Vice President in charge because Nance's honesty and good nature would get in the way of his own Presidential agenda of lies and Corruption. Bob, Alan, the secret service and the medical staff are the only people who are aware of the switch. First Lady Ellen Mitchell leads a separate life, rarely seeing the President. With the switch of Dave and the President being successful, Bob sends Nance on an twelve-nation goodwill tour of Africa.
Bob sets a plan sets in motion and frames Nance for a savings and loans fraud, which he and Mitchell were involved in, which will force Nance to resign and have Dave nominate him as the next Vice President, where upon "Mitchell" will have a more serious/fatal stroke and Bob will ascend to the Presidency. Dave's enthusiasm revives Mitchell's popularity among the public, other politicians and the media. After Dave visits a homeless shelter, Bob forges Mitchell's signature on the veto of a funding bill that supports the shelter and others like it. When the First Lady talks to Dave about the veto, Dave confronts Bob himself about it, who arrogantly insults Dave and offhandedly tells him that if he can cut $650 Million from the federal budget then he can keep the shelters. He also warns Dave to never call him again. Not knowing that Bob didn't mean any of what he said, Dave calls his accountant friend Murray Blum to help him with the cuts. At their 100th Cabinet meeting, which has the press and is being broadcast on TV, Dave manages to cut the $650 million to save the shelters as well as an additional $6 million. Bob becomes even angrier when Dave does this and admits to Alan that he wanted the shelter closed and that Dave is taking over his job.
The next day, Bob confronts Dave about calling a press conference saying that it's his job and insults him again. Dave retaliates by blackmailing Bob into resigning, or he will reveal the switch to the country. Ellen, who learned about the switch the night before, also makes it clear she knows about Dave and the switch as well, and Bob realizes that if he exposes the scheme, he'll be in far more trouble than Dave and face serious prison time. When Nance returns and confronts Dave about the scandal, Dave talks to Alan, who reveals why Bob did it. Bob, while pushing his own candidacy for the presidency, then tells the country about Mitchell's involvement in the savings and loans crime, which now puts Dave in a bad spot. In a televised joint session of Congress, Dave admits to Mitchell's role in the scandal, which Bob, along with his family, friends and supporters watch. However, Dave then introduces evidence provided by Alan that proves that Bob was the masterminded of the savings and loans crime and that Nance was never involved. Bob sees that Alan has betrayed him and all of his friends, family and supporters abandon him. After apologizing to Nance and the entire Country, Dave fakes a stroke and makes a switch with the real Mitchell in an Ambulance en route to the Hospital. Nance becomes Acting President under the terms of the 25th Amendment and is sworn in as President five months later when Mitchell passes away. While Alan still works in the White House, Bob and eight other members of Mitchell's administration are indicted on 34 charges including the savings and loans crime two days after Dave's jobs program passes.