Trump Appoints Mel Gibson, Other Movie Stars to Key Roles

President-elect Donald Trump appointed actors Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, and Jon Voight as special Hollywood envoys Thursday on Truth Social. The announcement caught at least one appointee by surprise.

Trump described the trio as his “eyes and ears” in Hollywood, California, calling it “a great but very troubled place” that needs revitalization.

“They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!” Trump wrote. “It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!” 

Gibson, director, and star of “Braveheart,” which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director in 1995, appeared unaware of the appointment. “This is the first I’m hearing of it,” Gibson told the media, though he later told reporters he would “heed the call.” His films as director have earned multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture nominations for “Hacksaw Ridge” in 2016. 

Stallone’s career spans nearly five decades, highlighted by the creation of two iconic franchises. His “Rocky” series earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay in 1976, with the original film winning Best Picture. The “Rambo” franchise has generated over $800 million in worldwide box office revenue, while the “Rocky” series, including its “Creed” spinoffs, has earned more than $1.7 billion globally. 

Voight, whose career breakthrough came with 1969’s “Midnight Cowboy,” secured an Academy Award for Best Actor in “Coming Home” (1978). His recent work includes an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Mickey Donovan in the television series “Ray Donovan” (2013-2020). 

The announcement comes as U.S. film and television production faces its steepest decline in recent years. Industry data shows that overall production has fallen 26% from the 2021 levels. In the greater Los Angeles area, production dropped 5.6% from 2023, reaching their lowest point since the pandemic year of 2020. 

At a November gala at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Stallone demonstrated his support by comparing Trump to the nation’s first president. “Trump is the second George Washington,” Stallone declared, praising the president-elect’s “awe-inspiring accomplishments.” 

Voight recently released a video address criticizing Trump’s political opponents, Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, stating, “They will destroy the American dream. They are corrupt.” He had previously praised Trump as “the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln.

The Los Angeles entertainment industry currently faces multiple challenges. Recent wildfires have caused significant damage to production facilities and homes in the region, with Gibson among those who lost properties in the blazes. The domestic box office has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with revenues still not reaching 2018 figures. 

Trump’s announcement did not detail specific responsibilities or authority for the special envoys, leaving questions about their role in addressing these industry challenges.

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