Zachary Levi says certain actors 'prefer not to work' with him after Trump support

USA Today

23-05-2025

Zachary Levi says certain actors 'prefer not to work' with him after Trump support
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Zachary Levi opens up about therapy, role in 'The Unbreakable Boy'
Zachary Levi opens up to USA TODAY's Ralphie Aversa about his mental health journey and how it informed his role in "The Unbreakable Boy."
Zachary Levi is speaking out about how his conservative beliefs have impacted his work in Hollywood.
The "Shazam!" star opened up in a Variety story published May 22 about the aftermath of voting for President Donald Trump and his vocal vaccine skepticism.
"I know that there are people that would prefer not to work with me now because of my opinions," Levi said. "My team has let me know. They haven't given me any specific names, but there are people who prefer not to work with me at this time. And it's unfortunate. I knew that was probably going to happen. I didn't make this decision blindly or casually."
But still, he says some in the film industry are supportive of his views.
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"I know it to be true because I've gotten messages from lots of people who I won't name but who were very grateful to me for taking the stand that I took," Levi said. "They would tell me, 'I want to do that, but I'm so afraid.' And I would tell them, 'Listen, you're on your journey. I'm on my journey."
"'You've got to keep trusting God. And if you feel compelled to step out in that way, then do it boldly and know that you're going to be OK. And if you don't feel that conviction yet, then don't," Levi said. "It's all good."
Zachary Levi praises left-leaning 'Shazam!' co-star Rachel Zegler
The "Chuck" actor is building a $100 million studio in Austin, as his own creative space outside of Hollywood. He said that "AI is about to be the nail in the coffin, and we wonder why LA has become the Detroit of the entertainment industry."
Variety said the campus for his Wyldwood Studios will include two 20,000-square-foot amphitheaters, a boutique hotel, cabins and a farm-to-table restaurant on 75 acres along the Colorado River banks.
Levi added that "this industry is crumbling around us" and "in order for us to survive, we need to have a space for artists that will foster certified organic human-made content."
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The "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" actor also spoke out about his fellow controversial co-star Rachel Zegler. Zegler wrote, "May Trump supporters … never know peace" on Instagram after Trump won the 2024 election.
Despite their political differences, Levi still praised Zegler during the Variety interview, even though he is "one of those people, obviously."
"I think that we have got to recognize that a lot of times people's decisions are predicated upon the bad information that they're being fed on a regular basis," the "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" alum added. "So should I hate her because she's downstream of all of these voices that are telling her that he's Hitler and the people who vote for him are Nazis? She's a really talented girl, and I do think that she wants the best for the world deep down."
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While Levi voted for Trump, he said, "I was not a fan of Trump's Trumpiness."
"I didn't like a lot of these personal things, the ways that he carries himself a lot of the time. I understand people's aversion," Levi told Variety. "Do I think the whole package is somehow perfect? No. In fact, most people who voted for Donald Trump recognize a lot of the imperfections in all of it. Nobody was saying, 'This is the Orange Messiah.'"
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He holds some conservative views, but Levi said he still boasts a liberal streak.
"I have conservative views, and I have more liberal views. And one of my more liberal views is that particularly growing up in the arts, I've had gay friends my entire life, and I've never, even within my spirituality, seen it as this thing that we need to be fearful of or scorn or bully or anything," Levi said. "I love my gay friends, my gay community."
"Jesus wouldn't bully somebody online or otherwise because they're gay," the actor continued.