Sylvester Stallone has revealed that he never agreed to Trump's appointment as a "special ambassador" to Hollywood nearly two years ago. The three-time Oscar nominee said he told Trump the position was "impossible" and would have rejected it had he been consulted beforehand. Stallone explained that Hollywood operates like independent fiefdoms controlled by major studios, making such a centralised ambassadorship impractical. He learned of the appointment by watching television, when Trump simultaneously announced Mel Gibson and Jon Voight for the same role.

Stallone's objection centres on the structural reality of Hollywood's corporate landscape. He argued that the industry is autonomous and corporate-led, unlikely to accept direction from an external figure regarding finance or operations. Whilst Stallone declined the role, Trump has pursued related initiatives with the other appointees—meeting with Jon Voight about federal film and television tax incentives, and supporting Mel Gibson's proposed Italy-US co-production agreement as a pilot for international partnerships.