London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 31, 2026

'Trump vs. Hollywood' filmmaker discusses celebrities who lost jobs for conservative views

'Trump vs. Hollywood' filmmaker discusses celebrities who lost jobs for conservative views

Filmmaker Daphne Barak appeared on Monday’s “Mornings with Maria” to discuss her new documentary “Trump vs. Hollywood.” 

In the film, she speaks to a number of conservatives who have publicly declared their support for Donald Trump such as Kristy Swanson, Scott Baio, Kid Rock, Brett Ratner, Isaiah Washington, Kevin Sorbo. The stars explain how sharing their political views has cost them work in Hollywood.

Barak, who is personal friends with Trump, explained to the host that her documentary paints a picture of a deeply divided America.

“It came actually from close friend Jon Voight and President Trump,” she told the host. “We wanted to talk to others that either were scared to voice their opinion or, if they did, they never talked really in-depth about how it hurt them. You have Scott Baio saying, ‘Hey, we’re willing to talk with the other side, why aren’t they willing to talk to us?’ You have Dean Cain, he was independent right until he really announced he was supporting President Trump, he was very liked. He said ‘suddenly people say I’m not educated, I’m like the base.’ As if the base is not educated, right? And he’s a Princeton grad.”

She explained that she didn’t want the documentary to be viewed as a pro-Trump piece, but rather an exploration of the current divide between politics and show business. That’s why she reached out to people behind-the-scenes such as director Bret Ratner, who she noted claims that filmmakers are just “picking people by talent.”


Daphne Barak and Jon Voight at Mar-a-Lago in 2019, in Palm Beach, Fla. Barak appeared on 'Mornings with Maria' to discuss her documentary 'Trump vs. Hollywood.'


However, she noted that the actors she talked with for the film are “all sharing that they cannot really prove in writing that they were not included in an audition, but you know, they get phone calls and they know.”

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter shortly after a meeting at the White House with the president, Barak explained how Voight, a vocal supporter of Trump, helped her develop the idea for the film.

“I talked with Jon Voight, who is a very close friend of ours, sort of like a father figure. He’s always been a big conservative. Jon and another friend said how impossible it can be to say that they support Trump. So, I was thinking maybe we do something about that. Instead of putting [Jon] there, we decided to ask other people, younger people,” she explained. “Jon was extremely involved behind the scenes, like a mentor. We started with 10 Trump supporters, asking them to open up as never before about how painful and sometimes shameful it was for them to get out of ‘the closet’ and say, ‘We are supporting Trump.’”

She went on to note that she used to be a liberal and that she and her husband, Bill Gunasti, even hosted Hillary Clinton at her home in the past.

“Bill and I have friends from both sides of the aisle,” she concluded. “So, I just said, let’s talk to the other side, too, not only actors but people behind the scenes, like acclaimed director Brett Ratner, Avi Lerner, who is always a friend, Sylvester Stallone, Mark Geragos, the famous attorney, Eric Roberts and everything.”

"Trump vs. Hollywood" is available Dec. 14 on Google Play, iTunes and Amazon.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Andy Burnham has Announces Plans to Redistribute Income Tax Revenue to English Mayors
Early-Release Scheme Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Reoffending and Prison Recalls Rise
Police Phone Checks Followed Report on Murder of MI5 Agent Inside Sinn Féin
Archbishop of Canterbury Reaffirms £100 Million Reparative Justice Fund During Ghana Visit
Charities Allege French Police Used Tear Gas Against Channel Migrants
Norwegian Teenager Convicted Over Iran-Linked Murder Plot in Britain
Christian Organisations File Charity Complaints Against Amnesty International UK
Ofgem Tightens Grid Connection Rules for New Data Centres
FTSE 100 Reaches Record High Despite Global Technology Sell-Off
Millions of UK Households Urged to Check Eligibility for Winter Energy Discount
Labour Restores Parliamentary Whips to Diane Abbott and Joani Reid
UK Supreme Court to Hear Challenge Over Palestine Action Ban
UK Commits More Than £8.4 Billion to Dreadnought Nuclear Submarine Programme
England Declares Severe Drought as Wildfire Burns Near Sizewell Nuclear Site
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% as Middle East Tensions Fuel Inflation Risks
Drought Status Extended Across All of Wales as Heat and Dry Weather Deepen Environmental Strain
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
UK Business Confidence Climbs to Four-Month High
Greater Manchester Gains Expanded Powers Under Regional Funding Reforms
UK Supreme Court to Hear Appeal Over Palestine Action Terror Ban
Shell's Quarterly Profit Doubles to Nearly $10 Billion on Higher Energy Prices
UK Government Removes VAT From Household Electricity Bills
Exceptional Drought Grips Half of England as Wildfire Threatens Sizewell
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% as Inflation Risks Persist
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
The chief executive of the popular gaming company laid off many employees and his pay rose to 38 million dollars
UK Employment Holds Steady as Wage Growth Remains Moderate
England to Introduce Artificial Intelligence into Secondary School Curriculum
Wales Launches £1.2 Billion Industrial Regeneration Programme
High Court Upholds UK Digital Surveillance Framework
Northern Ireland Reaches Budget Agreement on Infrastructure and Public Sector Pay
Home Office Expands Digital Border Checks Nationwide
UK Approves Major North Sea Wind and Carbon Capture Project
The World's Most Terrifying Smartphone: Recording, Documenting, and Reporting to the Regime
Scotland Approves Major Renewable Energy Expansion
UK and United States Sign AI and Semiconductor Cooperation Pact
UK Treasury Tightens Fiscal Controls After Gilt Market Volatility
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 4.5%
UK Unveils £10 Billion NHS Funding Overhaul and Workforce Reform
The AI User Nightmare: Private Claude Conversations Leaked to the Internet
UK: Former Football Association Leaders Call for World Cup Boycott Over FIFA Privatization Plan
Forbidden Love: China severs millions from their virtual partners
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Prince Harry Faces Significant Legal Costs After Insurance Shortfall
FirstGroup Sells Rail Software Business to Tracsis for £48 Million
Victoria and Albert Museum Staff Vote for Strike Action
Norwegian Teenager Convicted Over Contract Killing Plot in Britain
Royal Mail Raises Bulk Mailing Prices by 30%
Immigration Remains Britain's Top Public Concern, Ipsos Survey Finds
Prime Minister Says Social Care Reform Must Precede Assisted Dying Legislation
×