Character actor James Foote, of Sea Cliff, brings Theodore Roosevelt to life

Bill San Antonio

Theodore Roosevelt drove a Toyota Corolla.

He arrived at the historic Oyster Bay train station Saturday afternoon dressed in early 20th century casual wear, there to surprise a tour group not far from his estate-turned-museum at Sagamore Hill.

“Did you come to greet me at the train station?” he called out, and in unison, they replied, “Yes, mister president.”

He, of course, is not the 26th president of the United States, but a historical character actor named James Foote.

Foote, 66, does not live at Sagamore Hill, but in Sea Cliff, where he has resided for most of his life.

It is Foote who drives the Toyota Corolla, who changes from his baseball cap to a straw hat, who’s been paid to dress like the original Rough Rider for so many years he made a career off it.

“You get the feeling he’s like a favorite uncle or something,” Foote said.

Roosevelt, who was also New York’s 33rd governor, lived at Sagamore Hill from 1885 until his death in 1919.

During his presidency, he’d spend his summers away from Washington at the estate, which reopened in July following a multi-year renovation.

Foote’s interest in Roosevelt took hold upon taking a trip to Sagamore Hill as a Cub Scout, but the physical metamorphosis was gradual.

Foote began wearing glasses in 1957, and nearly a decade later grew a mustache after being drafted into the Navy shortly after his graduation from North Shore High School in 1968.

Following his discharge from the Pacific in 1972, Foote, then working as a machinist, was invited to a New Year’s Eve costume party — which he attended dressed as Roosevelt.

“Next thing you know, somebody says can you march in the parade on Memorial Day, of course, there’s your 15 minutes,” he said. “Then someone else asks if you can come talk to the Boy Scouts, sure, another 15 minutes.”

As Foote’s notoriety expanded, so too did his wardrobe.

His standard Roosevelt motif includes a tan jacket, brown vest and polka-dot bowtie, with matching brown pants tucked into riding boots, rounded wire-frame glasses and a straw hat, though he said he also has full Rough Rider regalia and an African safari outfit.

But Foote does more as Roosevelt than posing for photos and greeting crowds.

He re-enacts speeches, surprises Sagamore Hill visitors and has played the role of Theodore Roosevelt on the History Channel and “The Colbert Report.”

“When you dress like a historical character, you ought to know something about that historical character, because people will ask you questions,” he said.

“Once you start reading about [Roosevelt], you find him so fascinating, so involved in so many different things and an expert in so many different things that you can’t help but admire the guy with awe and wonder.”

The machine shop where Foote worked eventually went under, but when it came time to find work, he simply upped his fee and made more frequent appearances as Roosevelt.

He told the New York Times in 2008 he logs up to 20,000 miles each year for events and appearances as the former president.

“Friends, life is a great adventure, and I want to say to you, accept it in such a spirit,” he bellowed to the Oyster Bay crowd while in character Saturday, standing atop a replica of the Derby-Hall Bandstand that Roosevelt himself once used to give speeches.

The more Foote studied Roosevelt, the more fascinated he became of the former president’s passion for learning and thirst for adventure.

These days, his travels often take him to school auditoriums, where he’s able to pass on Roosevelt’s legacy as a cult hero and Republican and Progressive leader.

“People still have a lot to learn about what he preached about,” he said, “that you can’t let your guard down for a minute, that we’re a great nation when we work together as citizens.”

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