Kurt Russell has warned that actors who publicly wade into politics only hurt the craft.
The 69-year-old has previously described himself as a “hardcore” libertarian, but this week told The New York Times that Hollywood performers should see themselves as “court jesters”, where voicing their own opinions on other matters would inhibit them.
“As far as I’m concerned, you should step away from saying anything so that you can still be seen by the audience in any character,” he said.
“There’s no reason entertainers can’t learn just as much as anybody else about a subject, whatever it is. But I think that what’s sad about it is that they lose their status as a court jester. And I’m a court jester. That’s what I was born to do.”
Russell continued: “A court jester is the only one who can walk into the castle and put the king down as long as he doesn’t hit too close to home. I think that’s been a big, important part of all cultures throughout history, and I’d like to see it stay in ours.”
Russell has rarely shared his own political views, but is known to be a staunch supporter of gun-ownership rights.
In 2015, he told The Daily Beast: “I’ve heard some pretty rough things through the years that were really undeserved, but the number one thing was my case was worse, because I couldn’t say, ‘I’m a Republican, sorry.’ I wasn’t a Republican, I was worse: I was a hardcore libertarian.”
He added: “The thing I’ve found is that a lot of liberals in Hollywood are faux-liberals, and a lot of Republicans in Hollywood are faux-conservatives.”
