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Actor Sylvester Stallone says he did not explicitly agree to serve as one of President Donald Trump’s “special ambassadors” to Hollywood, describing the appointment as something that simply happened.
In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Stallone said he was watching television when he learned that Trump had named him, along with actors Mel Gibson and Jon Voight, to the role.
“I went, ‘What? I said, ‘Excuse me? Really?’” Stallone said, adding that he would have declined had he been asked beforehand.
Trump announced the three actors as special ambassadors in January 2025, saying they would serve as his “eyes and ears” and help bring film and television production back to Hollywood.
Stallone said he had reservations because of the way Hollywood operates, comparing its major studios to “feudal states” with their own interests and decision-making structures.
He also said he told Trump that the arrangement “won’t work”.
“I said thank you and ciao, because it’s impossible,” Stallone said, explaining that Hollywood is a corporate industry and studio executives would not necessarily want advice from him on financial matters.
Despite his reservations about the appointment, Stallone has spoken positively about Trump. He attended a party at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort following the 2024 election and described the president-elect as a “mythical character,” saying he was “in awe” of what Trump had accomplished.
The Hollywood appointment has remained relevant as the Trump administration has pursued policies aimed at increasing domestic film and television production. In August 2026, Trump urged Congress to pass federal tax incentives to support entertainment production in the United States.
Stallone, meanwhile, said his own reluctance was not about political affiliation but about whether such a role could realistically influence Hollywood’s corporate structure.
