Sylvester Stallone says he turned down Trump’s Hollywood ambassador role because it was ‘impossible’

Sylvester Stallone has revealed that he turned down the role of special ambassador to Hollywood offered to him by Donald Trump, saying the position proved impossible to carry out.

Trump announced Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight as special ambassadors to Hollywood in January 2025, describing them as advisers who would help bring film production and business back to the US.

Nearly two years after the announcement, Stallone said he ultimately decided not to take on the role. According to Variety, he explained that the position did not come with a clear or workable way to accomplish what was expected.

“I said thank you and ciao,” Stallone said, describing his response after deciding the assignment was “impossible”.

The actor had initially been named alongside Gibson and Voight as part of Trump's effort to address Hollywood's decline in domestic production and the industry's growing reliance on filming overseas. Trump said the three actors would serve as his “eyes and ears” and bring him suggestions for revitalising the entertainment business.

The appointment was never a formal government ambassador position with clearly defined statutory powers. The trio were instead presented as special envoys and advisers to the president on Hollywood-related issues.

While Stallone has now distanced himself from the assignment, Voight has remained involved in efforts connected to Trump's Hollywood agenda. In 2025, Voight and producer Steven Paul submitted a plan to the administration proposing measures intended to support the US film industry.

Stallone's comments clarify that although he accepted Trump's announcement publicly at the time, he ultimately concluded that the role itself was not workable.