Stallone Learned of Trump's Hollywood Ambassador Role from TV News

<figure><img alt="President Donald Trump speaks at the State Department Kennedy Center Honors medal presentation dinner at the U.S. Department of State on December 06, 2025 in Washington, DC." src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/LLNVCOQRSRC2NJ32ZYJVN7XN4U.jpg?auth=990f9a5d5b2b1b5dbcb3291c56e32616016f24c91dc798137f50fa1b2beea0f0&amp;smart=true&amp;width=3322&amp;height=1869" /><figcaption>Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>Actor Sylvester Stallone stated that he learned about being appointed by President Donald Trump as one of the “special ambassadors” to Hollywood through television news. Stallone, along with actors Jon Voight and Mel Gibson, was selected by Trump in January 2025 to help “bring Hollywood” back from foreign investors and to act as the president’s representatives in the U.S. film industry.</p><p>In an interview with <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/celebrity/article/sylvester-stallone-interview-zf823c2cb" rel="" target="_self" title="https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/celebrity/article/sylvester-stallone-interview-zf823c2cb">The Sunday Times</a>, Stallone expressed surprise at the announcement. He said, “Well, it just happened. 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.’”</p><img alt="Sylvester Stallone was given a medal by Donald Trump after being named among the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees last December. / Kevin Lamarque / Kevin Lamarque/Reuters" height="3810" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/V3FJRJASKRAUTDE7I77VLWZHNU.JPG?auth=38bc54012b264a3e1ce4034d9d1ae89cef3a549dcbd4dccfe4ca76c13d1f69d0&amp;smart=true&amp;width=5715&amp;height=3810" width="5715" /><p>Stallone also mentioned his skepticism regarding Trump’s initiative to use the three actors to revive the “Golden Age of Hollywood,” stating, “Because Hollywood, I guess it’s like feudal states. They have their little kingdoms. 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.”</p><p>He further explained that he had to decline the role after informing Trump that the idea was “impossible.” Stallone noted, “Hollywood works and it will evolve. It’s corporate and corporate people won’t want to hear me tell them about finance.”</p><p>Gibson also expressed surprise at the announcement, stating in a statement to Variety that he learned about his appointment through Trump’s social media. He said, “I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised. Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can.”</p><img alt="Mel Gibson was blacklisted from Hollywood for years for making vile antisemitic comments. / Amanda Edwards / Getty Images" height="574" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/N5FKWV27RRDGBGMYGO3N3YXQNQ.jpg?auth=2061cc8462317bb30f83f147b09e2da8dbf14cd03748352606a7ec8e7584dc7d&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1020&amp;height=574" width="1020" /><p>Stallone, Gibson, and Voight were appointed to their roles after publicly supporting Trump. Earlier this month, Voight mentioned to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/jon-voight-hollywood-ambassador-trump-production-tax-credit-1236702881/" rel="" target="_self" title="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/jon-voight-hollywood-ambassador-trump-production-tax-credit-1236702881/">The Hollywood Reporter</a> that he used his position to advocate for a federal film and television tax credit, stating, “If we get on an even keel with the rest of the world’s tax benefits, if we get that break, there’s going to be an explosion of energy.”</p><p>The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.</p>