Stallone Says Trump Named Him Hollywood Ambassador Without Consent

Sylvester Stallone said he first heard that President Donald Trump had named him, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight special ambassadors to Hollywood while watching television news. Trump made the January 2025 Truth Social announcement days before his second inauguration, calling the three his eyes and ears in a troubled Hollywood and tasking them with helping return film and TV production to the United States. In a September 2026 Times of London interview, Stallone said that if consulted he would have refused, likened the studios to feudal kingdoms, and told Trump thank you and ciao because the assignment was impossible and corporate leaders would not take financial direction from him. The role carried no clearly defined statutory powers. Gibson said he too learned of the appointment by tweet, was just as surprised, and would still heed the call as a citizen. Voight stayed involved: he and producer Steven Paul submitted a 2025 plan to support the U.S. film industry, and Voight later held a press conference on a federal film tax incentive. Gibson has proposed a U.S.-Italy co-production initiative. Trump awarded Stallone a Kennedy Center Honor last December, with Kiss, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait and Michael Crawford. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.