President-elect Donald Trump is causing fear, trembling, and loathing in equal measure across Hollywood as the pampered entertainment elites come to grips with his impending return to the White House.
Variety reports the angst can be seen everywhere after most – but by no means all – inhabitants of the storied wonderland fell in behind Kamala Harris and are now left almost without comforting in their distress.
They organised zoom calls, personal endorsements, and stumping in key battlegrounds for the Democrat challenger all to no avail even as stars including Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Mark Ruffalo, and Jon Cryer weighed in.
“In 2016, the reaction at the time felt like rage. People were motivated — inspired. They wanted to get up and get going,” one agency insider told Variety. “In 2024, the reaction is much more somber and more resigned.”
Laura Friedman (pictured), a former film producer who won election to the U.S. House last week as a Democrat, told the outlet people in her circles were more distraught than they were eight years ago.
“We have seen his bizarre behavior, his corruption and cronyism — we’ve seen all of that, and yet people still voted for him,” she says. “There’s a lot of fear.”
Variety points out many in Hollywood are still processing the outcome and want to take a moment to listen and reflect before deciding how to respond.
“There’s not a knee-jerk reaction,” says Liana Schwarz, who advises Hollywood donors on issues including climate, protecting democracy and women’s rights. “It is really about being introspective to figure this out.”
For celebrities committed to particular causes, the focus is on how to guard against the threats they see coming in a second Trump term.
“While there is shock, it’s not as deep as it was in 2016,” Schwarz says. “There’s more talk about getting to work versus organizing marches.”