Sylvester Stallone Recounts Surprise Hollywood Ambassador Appointment by Donald Trump, Explains Refusal

Actor Sylvester Stallone recently shared his unexpected reaction to being appointed a special ambassador to Hollywood by former President Donald Trump.

In January 2025, just days before his anticipated second inauguration, Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that Stallone, Mel Gibson, and Jon Voight would serve as "Special Envoys." He described their role as being his "eyes and ears" in the entertainment industry and advising him on strategies to bring film and television production back to the United States.

During a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the 80-year-old star, renowned for his role in "Rocky," recounted how he discovered the appointment while watching television.

"I was watching TV one night, and they go, ‘So Stallone and Mel Gibson and Jon Voight will be …’ And I went, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Excuse me? Really?’ Because if they had asked me in the beginning, I would have said, ‘This is not possible,'" Stallone stated.

Stallone expressed his reservations about accepting the position, believing it would not be feasible. When questioned about his hesitation after Trump's announcement, Stallone responded, "Yes. Yes, because Hollywood, I guess it’s like feudal states."

"They have their little kingdoms," he elaborated. "You don’t go in and tell six studios how to do things. And Mel Gibson and Jon Voight, we’re kind of do-our-own-thing people. No, it won’t work."

The "Tulsa King" actor later explained his perspective directly to Trump.

"I said thank you and ciao, because it’s impossible," Stallone recalled. "Hollywood works, and it will evolve."

"It’s corporate, and corporate people won’t want to hear me tell them about finance," he added.

Trump's Vision for Hollywood

In his original post on January 16, 2025, Trump declared, "It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California."

He continued, "They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE! These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!"

At the time, Mel Gibson, 70, also confirmed his surprise, indicating he had no prior knowledge of the presidential appointment.

"I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised," Gibson told Variety in January 2025. "Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can."

Gibson playfully added, "Any chance the position comes with an Ambassador’s residence?"

Stallone's Relationship with Trump and Political Stance

Despite his reluctance regarding the ambassadorial role, Stallone appears to maintain an amicable relationship with Trump. He offered considerable praise for the former president during a speech following Trump's victory in the November 2024 election.

Days after the election, Stallone introduced Trump at the America First Policy Institute Gala, held at Trump's Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

"We’re in the presence of a really mythical character," Stallone said of Trump. "I love mythology. And this individual does not exist on this planet. Nobody in the world could have pulled off what he pulled off, so I’m in awe."

He further added, "When George Washington defended his country, he had no idea that he was gonna change the world. Because without him, you could imagine what the world would look like. Guess what? We got the second George Washington."

Stallone was later selected as a 2025 Kennedy Center honoree, with Trump personally naming him among that year’s recipients, alongside George Strait, KISS, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford.

While Stallone has publicly supported Republican figures such as John McCain and Trump, his political contributions have not been exclusively partisan. Over the years, he has made financial donations to both major political parties, supporting various Democratic candidates and committees, including former President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee, as well as Republican campaigns.

Jon Voight's Engagement and Congressional Support

Meanwhile, Jon Voight, a steadfast supporter of Trump, appears to have embraced his role as a special ambassador. He has engaged with the White House and actively advocated for policies aimed at repatriating film and television production to the U.S., particularly focusing on a federal film tax incentive. Voight has been working on this initiative with his manager Steven Paul and Paul’s associate Scott Karol.

Following a meeting with the trio at the end of August 2025, Trump publicly endorsed a federal film and television production incentive, urging Congress to enact bipartisan legislation to "save" the American entertainment industry.

In a Truth Social post on August 31, Trump declared that "Hollywood is a Complete and Total Disaster" and noted a "no incentive" for productions to remain in the U.S. He mentioned that meetings were being arranged with leaders from both parties and called on Republicans and Democrats to "immediately craft Legislation to save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America."

Subsequently, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representative Laura Friedman (D-CA) issued statements expressing their support for Trump's proposition.

When asked by the Hollywood Reporter earlier this month whether Stallone and Gibson were involved in his ongoing efforts, Voight responded, "They’ve been very busy, both of those guys actually have been extremely busy."

However, Steven Paul, who joined Voight for the interview, clarified, "Sly’s been doing his TV show, but Sly’s been very involved and he signed our letter."