Hollywood celebs Dwayne ‘Rock’ Johnson, Helen Mirren, tell stars to keep political views to themselves
Johnson has waded into politics in the past, most notably with his 2020 endorsement of Joe Biden.
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Johnson has waded into politics in the past, most notably with his 2020 endorsement of Joe Biden.
In an interview with Esquire magazine, A-list actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson eschewed Hollywood's trend toward political activism, saying he believes it has come to dominate public debate.
The 54-year-old “Moana” star said he personally feels the need not to add to the political fray with his own views.
"What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep—need, not want—the main thing the main thing," Johnson said. "And the main thing for me, the thing that in the morning I swing my legs out of bed and I run toward, is creating. It's art. It's storytelling. I've learned I'm going to keep my politics to myself."
Johnson's comments come as some entertainers have questioned the expectation that artists serve as political voices. Earlier this month, Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren argued that artists should focus on storytelling rather than activism.
"Artists are not political animals. We're not politicians. Politicians are politicians. Artists are not politicians," she said at an Italian film festival according to Deadline.
Johnson has waded into politics in the past, most notably with his 2020 endorsement of Joe Biden, whom he said best aligned with his centrist views at the time.
"As a registered Independent for years now with centrist ideologies, I do feel that Vice President Biden and Sen. Harris are the best choice to lead our country, and I am endorsing them to become president and vice president of our United States," Johnson said in a X video at the time.
But ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Johnson revealed that he regretted making the endorsement and was unhappy with the state of the country.
"Am I happy with the state of America now? Well, that answer is no. Do I believe we're going to get better? I believe in that. I'm an optimistic guy and I believe we can get better," he told "Fox Friends Weekend" co-host Will Cain. "The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was what I thought was the best decision for me at that time."
"Am I going to do that again this year? That answer's no. I'm not going to do that," he continued.
Johnson has also since praised President Donald Trump for his response following the assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"Whether you love Donald, don't love Donald, it doesn't matter. They tried to assassinate him. There's no room for that. Despite it being who we were in that moment, I still believe in my core that is not who we are as a country. So him standing up at that moment, we wanted to see that," Johnson said per Fox News.
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