Sylvester Stallone said he first learned he’d been named one of President Donald Trump’s “special ambassadors” to Hollywood while watching television, the actor told The Sunday Times and confirmed in a new interview reported by Variety.
In the interview, Stallone recalled the moment he saw the announcement on TV and was surprised to find his name alongside Mel Gibson and Jon Voight, saying, “What? Excuse me? Really?” Variety reports he told Trump the appointment would be “impossible.”
Variety quotes Stallone saying he told the president that the plan “won’t work” and that he responded to the appointment by saying “thank you and ciao,” adding that Hollywood “works” and studios “won’t want to hear me tell them about finance.”
The three were first announced by Trump on Truth Social in January 2025 when he named Stallone, Gibson and Voight as “Special Ambassadors” to “bring Hollywood back” after business losses, a statement first reported by Variety at the time and cited again in recent coverage.
Stallone also told Variety he has spoken warmly of Trump in the past, recalling introducing the then-president-elect at Mar-a-Lago and describing the moment as being “in awe” of what Trump achieved, remarks the outlet included from the same interview.
This article covers Stallone’s account of how he learned about the appointment and his description of declining the role; it does not assert any additional actions by the White House beyond the public announcement reported in 2025.
Sources
- Variety — interview text confirming Stallone learned of the appointment on TV, his quoted reaction and his “thank you and ciao” remark.
- The Hollywood Reporter — reporting that Stallone said he didn’t necessarily sign up for the role and that he was surprised by the announcement.
