Stallone says Trump’s Hollywood envoy appointment unrealistic
Sylvester Stallone told The Sunday Times he was surprised by President Donald Trump’s appointment of him, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight as special Hollywood ambassadors and said the role would not work.
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social in January 2025 that actors Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight would serve as “Special Envoys” to Hollywood, tasked with advising the administration on reviving U.S. film and television production. Stallone, 80, said he learned of the appointment while watching television and was taken aback. > "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?’" he told The Sunday Times.
Stallone added that he doubted the feasibility of the role, describing Hollywood as “like feudal states” with “little kingdoms” that would not accept external direction. He told Trump he appreciated the gesture but considered the position impossible, noting that corporate studios would not welcome his input on finance.
Gibson confirmed he was also surprised by the announcement but said he would “heed the call” and offered a joking comment about an ambassador’s residence. Voight, a vocal Trump supporter, has embraced the role and is lobbying for a federal film-tax incentive, meeting with the White House and working with his manager on the effort.
Trump has used the appointments to promote a broader initiative urging Congress to pass legislation to support the American entertainment industry, describing Hollywood as a “complete and total disaster” without incentives. Several Democratic lawmakers have expressed support for the proposed incentives.