Sylvester Stallone rejects Trump's Hollywood ambassador role

Sylvester Stallone has revealed that he learned of his appointment as a ‘special ambassador’ to Hollywood through television rather than direct consultation. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the actor explained that he was surprised to hear his name, alongside Mel Gibson and Jon Voight, being announced by President Donald Trump as special envoys tasked with bringing film and television production back to the United States.

Stallone stated that he had previously informed Trump that the role would be ‘impossible’ to fulfill. He compared the Hollywood studio system to ‘feudal states’ with their own ‘little kingdoms,’ arguing that it is not feasible to dictate how major studios operate. He noted that he, Gibson, and Voight are independent-minded individuals who prefer to ‘do our own thing.’

The original January 2025 announcement by Trump aimed to use the trio as his ‘eyes and ears’ to reverse the loss of industry business to foreign countries. While Stallone has expressed admiration for Trump in the past, he emphasized his decision to decline the active role, telling the president, ‘thank you and ciao, because it is impossible.’