Mel Gisbson (left); Donald Trump (right).Photo:VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; Joe Raedle/Getty
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; Joe Raedle/Getty
Mel Gibsonsaid he was “surprised” to learn thatDonald Trumpnamed him,Sylvester StalloneandJon Voight"special ambassadors" to Hollywood, which he called a “great but very troubled place.”
“I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised,” Gibson, whoseMalibu house was destroyed in the Los Angeles fires, toldFox News Digital. “Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can. Any chance the position comes with an Ambassador’s residence?”
The president-elect, 78, made the announcement on hisTruth Socialplatform on Thursday, Jan. 16, when he revealed that the three actors will be his “eyes and ears” as they serve as his special envoys for the entertainment industry in the upcoming term.
“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. “I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood.”
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further information on the role and what it would require of the actors.
Donald Trump greets actor Sylvester Stallone onstage at the America First Policy Institute Gala held at Mar-a-Lago on Nov. 14, 2024.Joe Raedle/Getty
Joe Raedle/Getty
All three actors have previously expressed support for Trump over the years.
Gibson, 69,apparently saluted Trumpat a 2021 UFC event andquestioned Vice President Kamala Harris' IQ last year, while Stallone, 78, called Trump “the second George Washington” following his election victory during a speech at Mar-A-Lago.
“And I’ll just say this, and I mean it. When George Washington defended his country, he had no idea that he was going to change the world,” Stallone said at the time. “Because without him, you can’t imagine what the world would look like. Guess what? We got the second George Washington. Congratulations!”
(left to right) Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Jon Voight.Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty; VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; Jon Kopaloff/Getty
Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty; VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; Jon Kopaloff/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The trio won’t be the only special envoys in Trump’s administration who started in entertainment. Back in December, the president-elect announced on Truth Social thatMark Burnett— the British television producer behindThe Apprentice— would be his special envoy to the United Kingdom.
At the time, Trump wrote that Burnett would “work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges.”
Trump’s second swearing-in ceremony will take place on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. He’ll also be holding a “Make America Great Again Victory Rally” at 3 p.m. local time at Capital One Arena on Jan. 19.
The event, which he called “a victory rally you’ll never forget," will be his first in Washington, D.C., since the rally that led to theJan. 6 attack on the Capitolin 2021.
source: people.com
