Adam Carolla says camera operators on Hollywood sets walk up to him to say they agree with his politics and ask him to keep their names quiet. An industry that markets itself on inclusion has taught its crews to fear exposure.
Carolla, the comedian and podcaster, made the claim in an interview with Andrew Gold on the Heretics podcast, posted October 26 and watched more than 597,000 times on YouTube. He described Hollywood as a place where political conformity works as a career strategy, from the writers’ room to the camera crew.
“In Hollywood, you’re making a business decision,” Carolla said. “It’s [an] important business decision to go liberal because you will be blackballed and unhireable.”
He placed the pressure inside writers’ rooms: “You walk in with a MAGA hat, you’re not making it back into that room.” Gold asked how many conservatives or Republicans work in those rooms. Carolla answered: “They’re always zero.”
He laid out the calculation facing anyone who might speak: “Do you want to get on the wrong side of the people that are making the decisions about who’s coming to that writer’s room by telling them you voted for Trump? And the answer is you definitely don’t want to do that.” The loud ones, he said, are “all the other preening liars who are just signaling all the time.” The quiet ones come to him on set. “I have people on sets do it to me. Mostly camera guys, like guys who work.” Their line: “I agree with you, but don’t… don’t out me.”
Zachary Levi described the same fear in October 2024 on Instagram Live, saying there are “plenty of people in my industry in Hollywood that are terrified to publicly say that they would vote for Donald Trump.” He told the closeted ones, “y’all, it’s now or never.”
Levi had already seen what exposure costs. After he endorsed Trump at a rally in September 2024, Wil Wheaton posted on Facebook: “Something I love about our nerd community is how welcoming and diverse we are. With that in mind, I think it’s pretty important for anyone who supports Nerd HQ knows who and what they are supporting. What a disappointment. What a disgrace. How disgusting.” Nerd HQ is Levi’s Comic-Con outfit, relaunched in May 2024 as a nonprofit raising money for mental health awareness. In its third Comic-Con year it raised $215,000 for Operation Smile. Wheaton’s post went to the people who support it. Days ago he told Stephen Miller to keep Patrick Stewart’s name out of his mouth.
After the election, the outlet Showbiz411 said the only consolation in Trump’s win was that Levi would never work in mainstream Hollywood again. Levi answered on X: “Oh, it’s all gravy, Roger!” He added: “Enjoy reporting on the sidelines of the Hollywood apocalypse!”
Kevin Sorbo has lived the pattern for years. In January 2018, East Coast ComicCon founder Cliff Galbraith wrote that he would not give Sorbo a place at the convention: “He’s pals with Sean Hannity. I just can’t do it.” In an August interview, Sorbo said Hollywood treats conservatives and Christians like “seventh grade mean girls” and added: “It’s the conservatives that are in the closet now because they saw me get canceled.” Actors stop him at events to say, “Hey man, thanks for being a voice for us.” His reply: “be a voice for yourself, let’s stop letting fear rule your life.”
Dean Cain faced the form-letter version in February, when GalaxyCon passed on him as a guest and an employee’s email said his values did not align with the company’s. Cain posted it on X: “This is how they try to blacklist…” He asked: “What are the ‘values’ that I hold that are not aligned with GalaxyCon’s values?” After speaking with owner Mike Broder, Cain said the two “agreed to disagree on certain things” and that “our values aren’t so far apart.”
Levi, Sorbo and Cain are among the best-known names in the business, and speaking up cost them convention bookings and press insults. A camera operator with a family and a call sheet has more to lose and fewer places to say it. If crew members whisper agreement to Carolla instead of saying it out loud, what is the industry’s talk of inclusion measuring?
I’ve seen the articles written about Broadway version of Glengarry Glen Ross - then specifically make a point to complain about David Mamet supporting Trump.
Back in the 90s and up until 2016 Hollywood made a lot of great movies. Since then - it’s dreck after dreck. Not because all lefties are not talented - some of them are - but because once they eliminated the dissent, there is no one to call them out when they make weird and stupid things