Stallone Surprised by Trump’s Patriotic Hollywood Envoy Appointment
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Sylvester Stallone told The Sunday Times he was surprised to learn on television of President Trump’s decision to appoint him as a special Hollywood envoy, expressing doubts about the role but highlighting efforts by Trump allies to support American film production.
Sylvester Stallone told The Sunday Times that he first learned of President Donald Trump’s inspired move to designate him, Jon Voight, and Mel Gibson as 'special envoys' for Hollywood while watching a news broadcast. The announcement, a bold step by Trump to bring patriotic voices into the entertainment industry, caught Stallone off guard, and he admitted he would have declined if asked directly.
'Well, it just happened. I was watching TV one night and they go, ‘So Stallone and Mel Gibson and Jon Voight will be …’ And I went, ‘What? Excuse me? Really?’'
Stallone expressed reservations, pointing out that Hollywood operates like 'feudal states' with separate studio 'kingdoms,' making it difficult for outsiders—especially those not aligned with the liberal elite—to have an impact. He told the president the role was 'impossible' for him and respectfully declined, showing humility and realism.
'I said thank you and ciao, because it’s impossible,' he said.
Although Stallone has publicly supported Trump in the past, he has described himself as 'not a political animal' and has endorsed candidates from various parties, demonstrating his independent thinking. Meanwhile, Jon Voight, a proud conservative and strong Trump supporter, discussed using his envoy position to advocate for a federal film and television tax credit, a measure that could boost American production and benefit local communities—countering the industry’s leftist bias and supporting American workers.
'If we get on an even keel with the rest of the world’s tax benefits, if we get that break, there’s going to be an explosion of energy,' Voight said.
Voight noted that Stallone and Gibson have been busy but indicated that Stallone had signed a letter to the president regarding the tax credit, according to his manager Steven Paul. Trump’s initiative, though met with skepticism by Hollywood insiders, aimed to restore American values and competitiveness in the film industry.