Sylvester Stallone has revealed that he was surprised by former President Donald Trump's announcement naming him, along with Mel Gibson and Jon Voight, as special ambassadors to Hollywood.

Trump announced the appointments on his Truth Social platform days before his second inauguration in January 2025. He described the role as a way for the three actors to serve as his "eyes and ears" in Hollywood and advise on efforts to bring film and television production back to the U.S.

Stallone, 80, recalled in a recent interview with The Sunday Times that 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 said.

The actor expressed reservations about the role, telling the outlet that he believed it was not feasible due to the nature of Hollywood. "Yes. Yes, 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. No, it won’t work," Stallone explained.

Stallone said he later explained his reasoning to Trump, telling him, "thank you and ciao, because it’s impossible." He added, "Hollywood works, and it will evolve. It’s corporate, and corporate people won’t want to hear me tell them about finance."

In his January 2025 post, Trump stated it was his honor to announce Voight, Gibson, and Stallone as "Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California." He added that they would serve as "Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood... BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!"

At the time of the announcement, Mel Gibson also expressed surprise, telling Variety that he learned of his appointment via a tweet and was as surprised as everyone else. However, he stated, "Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can."

Jon Voight, a vocal supporter of Trump, has actively engaged with his role. He has met with the White House and advocated for policies such as a federal film tax incentive to encourage production in the U.S. Voight, along with his manager Steven Paul and associate Scott Karol, has been working on these efforts.

Trump has publicly supported the idea of a federal film and television production incentive. In an August 31 Truth Social post, he declared "Hollywood is a Complete and Total Disaster" and called for bipartisan legislation to "save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America."

In separate statements following Trump's proposal, U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Laura Friedman (D-CA) voiced their support for the initiative.

Despite Stallone's initial reaction to the ambassadorship, he has a history of public support for Trump. He introduced Trump at the America First Policy Institute Gala in Palm Beach, Florida, following Trump's victory in the November 2024 election, praising him as a "mythical character" and the "second George Washington."

Stallone was also named a 2025 Kennedy Center honoree, a selection personally made by Trump. Stallone's political contributions have historically been mixed, with donations to both Democratic and Republican candidates and committees over the years.