Josh Duhamel is pushing back against celebrity political grandstanding, and he’s framing it as simple common sense.
The “Ransom Canyon” star, 53, said during a Wednesday appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show” that he deliberately keeps his political opinions to himself, citing respect for his audience — and his bottom line.
“I have real strong opinions about things, but I don’t really talk about it, because it’s, like, why? Why would I, you know, alienate half my audiences?” Mr. Duhamel said. “Because I respect them, I respect their views on things, but I’m not gonna preach to them. They can believe what they want to believe. I’m just here to make cool stuff.”
The actor described his role in entertainment as that of a “court jester,” someone whose job is to entertain, not lecture.
“If I want to preach to you about what I believe politically, I will go run for office,” he said. “Which I’m not going to do, by the way.”
Mr. Duhamel also said he views political silence as a smart career move, not just a matter of principle.
“It makes perfect sense. If you really want to be successful in this business, why would you make half of your audience despise you by your political beliefs? Maybe they don’t care? I don’t know. I look at it as a business decision,” he said.
Host Megyn Kelly noted that she believes the sentiment is gaining traction in Hollywood, pointing to stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Sydney Sweeney who have expressed similar desires to steer clear of political controversy and focus on their craft. Mr. Duhamel agreed the trend “should be” growing.
He also recalled a shirt a friend once wore to greet him at the airport that read, “Nobody cares what actors think,” saying the message “always stuck with me, because it’s true.”
Mr. Duhamel is not alone in that view. KISS frontman Gene Simmons made similar remarks earlier this month, unloading on celebrities who use their platforms to lecture the public. “People in America work hard for their living, and they don’t want to be lectured to by people who live in mansions and drive Rolls-Royces,” Mr. Simmons told TMZ.
This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times’ AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times’ original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
