Actor Gabriel Basso, who starred in the Netflix thriller The Night Agent and played the young JD Vance in “Hillbilly Elegy,” believes the actor should be entertainers rather than political commentators.
“I don't think an actor should be famous,” Basso said on the “Great Company” podcast on January 31st after being asked if he enjoyed fame when he starred in the popular Netflix series.
The actor spoke out against celebrities who use the platform to provide political messages, saying this is far beyond the scope of their work.
“We say what we were told to say,” he began. “We'll tell you how to say them, we'll tell you where to stand. And we're teaching people how to vote?” he laughed.
Gabriel Basso, star of Netflix series star The Night Agent, said the actor should not talk about politics. (Getty Images)
“Hey, your work is so illegal… You should do your job just as you should be quiet. You should be a clown and entertain people. He continued.
“We are court clowns. We are funny. We are civil servants. We are there to play and entertain,” he added. “And all of a sudden, the clown is in court and starts to look like, 'I want to sit on the throne!”
“No. You shouldn't be there. You're doing a very specific job,” he said.
Gabriel Basso had a dull message for actors who wanted to share how to vote with people. (Getty Images)
“Captain America” star Anthony Mackie warns fans not to compare Trump to “Red Hulk”
Basso said he also applied to government officials. He said he should not promote himself, but speak for the people.
“You should represent me… what are you doing?” he asked.
The actor's comments came in a recent poll that found Republicans dislike most celebrities who share political opinions.
Cardi B will be introducing Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign rally held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Friday, November 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beatty)
For the latest media and culture news, click here
An AP-NORC poll released in December found that 61% of Republicans were strongly/too disapproved of celebrities who spoke about political issues, but 27% also disapproved of approval. 11% were also strongly/somewhat approved.
For Democrats, only 20% were strongly/somewhat disapproved, while 40% were both approved and disapproved, and 39% were strongly/somewhat approved.
Alexander Hall from Fox News contributed to this article.
Click here to get the Fox News app
