By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
An alien may have been behind Ronald Reagan's becoming president, according to screen legend Shirley MacLaine.
Reagan had a close encounter of the third kind back in the 1950s when he was still an actor, MacLaine says, and the extra terrestrial being told him to ditch Hollywood for politics.
The 78-year-old, who claims to have seen many UFOs from the front porch of her New Mexico home, says the 40th President of the United States was a fellow believer.
According to MacLaine, Reagan confided in 'I Love Lucy' star Lucille Ball about the eerie encounter, which took place when he was on his way to a party in Los Angeles with wife Nancy.
Ball told her that a UFO landed and the alien emerged telling Reagan to quit acting and take up politics.
But Reagan wasn't the only president who believed in unidentified flying objects, according to MacLaine.
In an interview with the UK's The Daily Mirror, she says that President Eisenhower had three secret meetings with extra terrestrials at a New Mexico air force base in 1954.
Screen legend: Shirley MacLaine, pictured in Downton Abbey, says she has seen plenty of UFOs
The actress claims to have seen numerous UFOs in her time.
'One famous day, a friend of mine was sitting in my hot tub out there, and three UFOs came over and hovered for about 10 minutes,' she says.
'They are definitely there – the only question is 'why?''
MacLaine, who now features in the hit British period drama Downton Abbey, added that she's keen to share her knowledge of UFOs with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
'It's very important she knows who else is out there looking at her,' she says, adding that she is used to people thinking she's crazy for believing in aliens.
UFO: MacLaine says Reagan spotted a UFO and was given career guidance by an alien in the 1950s
'I never had the urge to please anybody,' she said. 'I’m used to people thinking I’m wacky, so I don’t take myself seriously.'
And it seems MacLaine's own brother, Warren Beatty, thinks she's a bit nuts.
She has written books about mysticism, spirituality, aliens and UFOs but if she tries to discuss spaceships with Beatty, she says the conversion doesn't get off the ground.
'Politics – yes. UFOs – no. He changes the subject,' MacLaine says.
