Stallone says Trump blindsided him with Hollywood ambassador role

Sylvester Stallone has claimed he was blindsided by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to make him an "ambassador" for Hollywood.

In January 2025, the American leader named the Rocky actor, Mel Gibson, and Jon Voight as "special envoys" tasked with "bringing back" the entertainment industry.

But in an interview for The Sunday Times published this week, Stallone recalled how he learned of his appointment while watching television.

"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?'" he remembered. "I said, 'Excuse me? Really?' Because if they had asked me in the beginning, I would have said, 'This is not possible.'"

Stallone, who has voiced support for Trump, went on to describe how he rejected the ambassadorship at first.

"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," the 80-year-old continued, before recounting what he initially told Trump's team. "I said thank you and ciao (goodbye), because it's impossible. Hollywood works and it will evolve. It's corporate and corporate people won't want to hear me tell them about finance."

Stallone didn't elaborate on whether he's had further talks with Trump about his role as an ambassador to Hollywood and what the gig entails.

Representatives for the White House have not yet responded to the comments.

Most recently, the Rambo star has been working on the crime drama series, Tulsa King.

Season four is set to premiere via Paramount+ on 16 October.