Stallone Says He Learned of Trump’s Hollywood Envoy Role From Television

Sylvester Stallone told The Sunday Times that he first learned of President Donald Trump’s designation of him, Jon Voight and Mel Gibson as “special envoys” for Hollywood while watching a news broadcast. He said the announcement surprised him and that he would have declined the appointment 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 added that he had reservations because Hollywood operates like “feudal states” with separate studio “kingdoms,” making it difficult for an outsider to influence them. He told the president that the role was “impossible” for him and thanked him before ending the conversation.

“I said thank you and ciao, because it’s impossible,” he said.

While Stallone has publicly supported Trump in the past, he has also described himself as “not a political animal” and has endorsed candidates from various parties. In a separate interview, Jon Voight discussed using his envoy position to advocate for a federal film and television tax credit, suggesting it could boost production and benefit local communities.

“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.