Hollywood pretends the blacklist died in the 1950s.
Robert Davi just proved they're lying.
And the "Die Hard" actor confirmed Hollywood's worst-kept secret about what happens when you support Trump.
Hollywood's Conservative Blacklist Never Ended — It Just Switched Targets
Davi told Raymond Arroyo on the "Arroyo Grande" podcast that his career blacklisting "is still ongoing" despite years of speaking out about conservative discrimination in Hollywood.
"It's still ongoing, but it might be lightening up, I think," Davi explained.
"I don't know, and it's among certain elements of the industry."
The 73-year-old star of "The Goonies," "Die Hard," and the James Bond film "Licence to Kill" has appeared in more than 130 films over his five-decade career.
But that resume hasn't protected him from Hollywood's political purge.
"In other words, you'll never know exactly where the button gets pushed," Davi said about how opportunities mysteriously vanish.
His manager tells him someone is interested in him for a project.
Then it doesn't come through.
"It goes up the flagpole to somebody and then, all of a sudden, it gets wiped out, but it absolutely is because there's no reason for it," Davi stated.
There's no way of gauging how many projects he's lost because of his political leanings, especially since he knows there's some he never even hears about.
Hollywood Executives Made Die Hard Actor an Offer He Couldn't Refuse
Davi revealed that twice during election cycles, entertainment executives approached him with deals.
"In 2016, some execs came to me and said, 'Hey, if you now support so-and-so, name your ticket, and that happened twice, two different elections," Davi told Arroyo.
The message was clear — abandon Trump and the work comes flooding back.
His response?
"Why would I do that?"
This mirrors what actor Antonio Sabato Jr. told Variety in 2020 about his public support for Trump effectively ending his acting career.
"I had to sell everything … I had to pay all my debts. I was blacklisted," Sabato said.
"All my representatives left me, from agents to managers to commercial agents."
James Woods had his agent cut ties for purely political reasons after he posted patriotic content on July 4th.
"It's the 4th of July and I'm feeling patriotic. I don't want to represent you anymore. I mean, I could go on a rant but you know what I'd say," Woods' agent told him.
Even mega-producer Brian Grazer — who created hits like "A Beautiful Mind" and "Apollo 13" — faced career consequences after voting for Trump in 2024.
Industry insiders told Puck News that Grazer's confession "came as a blow" to his longtime partner Ron Howard and stars like Tom Hanks.
Friends of Abe: The Secret Conservative Society That Proved Hollywood Blacklist is Real
For years, Hollywood conservatives met in secret through an organization called Friends of Abe.
The group was founded in 2004 by actor Gary Sinise and had as many as 1,800 members — from major stars like Jon Voight and Clint Eastwood to production crew workers.
Why in secret?
Because Hollywood conservatives face real consequences for their beliefs.
"If you go on movie sets and you wear your Christian cross or you're a believer or you talk about going to church on Sunday — even though churches are closed right now, which is sad to see — you might be fired," Sabato explained.
"Or, if you wear a MAGA hat, you may be fired, or if you say, 'I like what President Trump did the other day,' you might be fired, completely removed."
Friends of Abe disbanded in 2016 after an exhausting IRS investigation demanded membership lists and financial records.
The timing — right before Trump's first presidential campaign — wasn't coincidental.
James Woods, Tim Allen, and Other Closeted Conservatives Stay Silent
Davi's biggest frustration is with "closeted" conservatives in powerful positions who refuse to speak up.
"If they — and there's some powerful ones — and if they did come forward, if they had the courage to come forward, it would help many others that are closeted," Davi said.
People constantly thank him privately for speaking out.
"People come up to him all the time to tell him that they follow him on social media, and thank him for what he's been saying," Fox News reported.
But public support remains dangerous.
Tim Allen joked to Jimmy Kimmel in 2017 that being conservative in Hollywood wasn't easy.
"You get beat up if you don't believe what everybody believes," Allen said.
His hit sitcom "Last Man Standing" was canceled by ABC in 2017 despite strong ratings.
Many suspected Allen's vocal support for conservative causes — including backing Trump — played a role.
The network denied politics influenced the decision.
Nobody believed them.
Davi refuses to let political differences stop him from appreciating great work.
"As opposite ends of the spectrum as I am to Robert De Niro, I'll go see a film that he's in," Davi explained.
He recently watched De Niro's 2009 movie "Everybody's Fine" with his daughter over the holidays.
"I forgive him," Davi joked after watching the film with its "terrific message."
Hollywood won't return the favor.
The industry that lectures America about tolerance and diversity maintains an iron-fisted political orthodoxy.
Support Trump and your career gets destroyed — unless you're powerful enough that they can't touch you.
Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone keep working because they're legends whose value exceeds their politics.
But for every Voight, there are dozens of conservatives who stay silent to protect their families.
Davi understands the stakes.
"If he stayed quiet about his views, 'there's going to be people out there that are going to feel even more isolated,'" Fox News reported.
That's why he keeps speaking out despite the cost.
Hollywood's blacklist never ended.
It just found new targets.
Sources:
- Brie Stimson, "Robert Davi claims Hollywood blacklist persists over Trump support," Fox News, January 15, 2026.
- Rory Carroll, "Club for Hollywood Republicans locked in dispute – caused in part by Trump," The Guardian, June 13, 2017.
- Alan Nafzger, "Blacklisting Conservatives in Hollywood," Populist Policy, December 27, 2024.
- Chris Murphy, "Gina Carano is off 'The Mandalorian' over 'abhorrent and unacceptable' social media posts," The Washington Times, February 11, 2021.
- John Gizzi, "Friends of Abe: A refuge for Hollywood conservatives," Capital Research Center, May 31, 2016.