Dwayne Johnson’s choice to stay away from political talk has created strong reactions from other Hollywood stars.
The actor recently told Esquire magazine he will keep his political views private from now on. Wil Wheaton, known for Stand By Me, quickly responded on social media by calling Johnson a “coward.”
George Takei, the Star Trek legend, also shared his thoughts with a short but powerful message: “Silence is complicity.”
Johnson, who is currently 54 years old and promoting Disney’s live-action Moana film, made his position clear during the magazine interview published in June 2026. He said his main focus is creating movies and telling stories rather than discussing politics in public.
“What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep — need, not want — the main thing the main thing. And the main thing for me, the thing that in the morning I swing my legs out of bed and I run towards, is creating. It’s art. It’s storytelling,” Johnson told Esquire.
He also said, “I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself. There are moments when, hey, there’s nothing we can’t talk about. If I’m wrong, I’ll tell you I’m wrong. Or if I feel like I got a leg up and this is the right way to go, I’ll share it with you.”
Johnson expressed frustration with the current political climate during the interview. He told the magazine, “Politics is omnipresent and it’s forever. I don’t like it. I hate it at times. I hate the slinging. I hate all the bullshit that comes with it.”
The Social Media Backlash
The reaction to Johnson’s comments spread quickly on Threads, a social media platform.
Takei, who has been one of Hollywood’s most consistent political voices for years, posted his response without holding back. His three-word message, “Silence is complicity,” got a lot of attention and started more discussion online.
Wheaton then replied to Takei’s post with his own criticism. “So disappointing to find out he is such a coward,” Wheaton wrote.
Wheaton has been very vocal about his political views for years. He publicly criticized Donald Trump and campaigned for Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election. His reaction to Johnson’s stance matched the positions he has held for a long time.
Why Johnson Made This Choice
This is not a sudden decision for Johnson. He had already started moving away from politics in 2024.
Johnson told Fox News in 2024 that he regretted endorsing Joe Biden for president in 2020. He explained that the endorsement created division among his fans and followers.
“The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was one I thought was the best decision for me at that time. I thought back then, when we talk about, ‘Hey, you know, I’m in this position where I have some influence and it’s my job then to exercise my influence and share this is who I’m going to endorse,’” Johnson said in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
He continued, “Am I gonna do that again this year? That answer is no, I’m not gonna do that, because what I realized — what that caused back then — was something that tears me up in my guts, back then and now, which is division.”
Johnson also said, “My goal is to bring this country together. I believe in that. There will be no endorsement. At this level of influence, I will keep my politics to myself. It is between me and the ballot box.”
The actor, who identifies as an Independent voter, also shared his thoughts on how people with different political views should interact. When discussing Bruce Springsteen’s anti-Trump tour, Johnson said, “When I hear you talk about Springsteen, who I love, and this idea that he’s speaking directly to Trump in his concerts, my first thought as you were telling me that, in my head, I went, ‘Oh, then why don’t they talk?’ They should sit down and talk. I don’t know where that goes, but I do know that’s an important step.”
Similar Criticism Faced by Other Actors
Johnson is not the first celebrity to face criticism for staying quiet about politics.
Jennifer Lawrence faced similar scrutiny during the fall of 2025 while promoting her movie Die My Love. She told The New York Times that she was pulling back from political commentary because she doubted its impact.
Lawrence said, “The first Trump administration was so wild and just how can we let this stand? I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. But as we’ve learned, election after election, celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for.”
She also shared her thoughts on protecting her craft, saying, “With this temperature and the way things can turn out, I don’t want to start turning people off to films and to art that could change consciousness or change the world because they don’t like my political opinions.”
Lawrence explained that she channels her political beliefs through her work, noting, “A lot of movies coming out from my production company are expressions of the political landscape and that’s how I feel like I can be helpful.”
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The Broader Hollywood Divide
The debate around Johnson’s stance shows the larger divide in Hollywood about whether celebrities should speak out on political issues.
Some stars continue to speak openly even when there are consequences. Melissa Barrera was dropped from the Scream franchise in 2023 after posting about pro-Palestine content. Mark Ruffalo has remained consistently vocal on political and humanitarian issues.
Others, like Johnson and Lawrence, have decided that public political statements may not be the most effective way to create change. Johnson believes that creating art and telling stories is his main purpose, while Lawrence focuses on expressing her views through the movies her production company makes.
Johnson, whose net worth is estimated at $800 million, continues to focus on his film projects. He is currently on a global press tour for Disney’s live-action Moana, where he returns to play the demigod Maui. The movie is one of Disney’s major upcoming releases, and Johnson’s involvement has created significant buzz.
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