Sylvester Stallone says he had a simple message for President Donald Trump after unexpectedly learning he had been named one of the president’s special ambassadors to Hollywood: Thanks, but no thanks.

The 80-year-old “Rocky” star revealed that he wasn’t consulted before Trump announced in January 2025 that Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight would serve as “Special Ambassadors” to Hollywood. In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Stallone said he discovered his new role the same way much of the public did — by watching television.

“I was watching TV one night, and they go, ‘So Stallone and Mel Gibson and Jon Voight will be …’ And I went, ‘What?'” Stallone recalled. “I said, ‘Excuse me? Really?'”

Had someone asked him beforehand, Stallone said his answer would have been that the assignment was “not possible.”

Trump announced the three actors as special envoys days before his second inauguration, saying they would serve as his “eyes and ears” in Hollywood and offer ideas for bringing more film and television production back to the United States. At the time, the exact responsibilities associated with the newly created positions were unclear.

Stallone said he was skeptical that three actors could accomplish the task because of the way Hollywood operates.

“Hollywood, I guess it’s like feudal states,” he told The Sunday Times. “They have their little kingdoms.”

Stallone said he eventually explained his position directly to Trump.

“I said thank you and ciao, because it’s impossible,” he recalled. “Hollywood works, and it will evolve,” Stallone added that the industry is heavily corporate and studio executives would be unlikely to look to him for advice on financial decisions.

His response differed from Gibson’s. Gibson also said he had no warning of the appointment but publicly indicated he was willing to help. Voight, meanwhile, has become more actively involved in efforts to encourage domestic film and television production.

Stallone’s reluctance to take on the ambassador role comes despite his previous public praise of Trump. Shortly after the 2024 presidential election, Stallone introduced Trump at an America First Policy Institute event at Mar-a-Lago, calling him a “mythical character” and comparing his historical significance to George Washington.

The actor’s political history, however, has included support for figures from both major parties.

More than a year after the unusual appointment, efforts to boost American film production have continued. Voight and others have advocated for a federal film production incentive, while lawmakers from both parties have expressed interest in legislation intended to encourage more movies and television shows to be made in the United States.

Stallone, however, appears content to leave the job of reshaping Hollywood to others.

His reaction to the unexpected assignment was characteristically brief: “Thank you and ciao.”