5 stars who were blacklisted over their politics

Susan Sarandon

Standing up for your beliefs in Hollywood can cost you opportunities, and Susan Sarandon is one of the latest to pay that price.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Oscar-winning actress has shown her support for Palestine by attending rallies calling for a ceasefire. 

However, her support didn't sit well with everyone. Sarandon was dropped by her Hollywood representative, United Talent Agency, after backlash over comments about the Jewish community. 

At a rally in New York City, the Rocky Horror Picture Show star claimed Jewish people "are getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim." She later apologized for her remark, but the damage had already been done.

Speaking with The Times, Sarandon recalled how the controversy resulted in her losing her agent and ending her chances of starring in studio films. 

"I was dropped by my agency, my projects were pulled. I've been used as an example of what not to do if you want to continue to work," she said. 

"There are so many people out of work right now since November of last year … who have lost their jobs as custodians, as writers, as painters, as people working in the cafeteria, substitute teachers who have been fired because they tweeted something, or liked a tweet, or asked for a ceasefire," she added.

Sarandon isn't the only actor on the outs in Hollywood due to politics. Keep reading to see other stars who have been blacklisted over their views… 

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Melissa Barrera

Like Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera faced repercussions for her support of Palestine. The young actress was removed from Scream 7 after her pro-Palestine social media posts were labeled antisemitic.

Barrera has used her platform to speak on the Israel-Gaza conflict, including reposting a message that accused Israel of "genocide and ethnic cleansing." 

Spyglass, the production company behind the film, said it maintains "zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech." 

Barrera defended her posts on her Instagram Story, writing, "I believe a group of people are not their leadership and that no governing body should be above criticism."

"I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom," she continued. "Silence is not an option for me."

Zachary Levi

Zachary Levi believes his political beliefs have made him an outsider in Hollywood. 

The Shazam! actor revealed some people in the industry have avoided working with him since he publicly endorsed President Donald Trump. 

"I know that there are people that would prefer not to work with me now because of my opinions. My team has let me know," he said in an interview with Variety. "They haven't given me any specific names, but there are people who prefer not to work with me at this time. And it's unfortunate. I knew that was probably going to happen. I didn't make this decision blindly or casually."

However, Levi explained that not everyone has turned against him.

"While there are some people who might prefer not to work with me anymore, there's a lot of people on that side of the political spectrum who are even more inclined to hire me and to want to do business with me because 'I need some people who voted another way,'" he claimed.

"They see that what I did was at great risk. And they were like, 'You know what? I give you a lot of props for that because that's not an easy thing to do.' And I go, 'I appreciate that,'" he added. 

Stacey Dash

Stacey Dash, who played Cher Horowitz's best friend Dionne Davenport in Clueless, told The Guardian that her conservative stance negatively impacted her acting opportunities.

"I've been blacklisted," the former Fox News contributor said in 2018, adding, "I don't even get to auditions."

Dash claimed that being a Republican in Hollywood can be isolating but insisted that she stood by her beliefs.

"Because I'm Black I'm supposed to therefore be a Democrat, which is absurd. They're supposed to be the party of tolerance. I don't see any tolerance. I've made a choice to stand up for what I believe in and don't think I should be condemned," she said at the time.

However, years later, Dash admitted in an interview with the Daily Mail that she regretted many of her past statements. 

"​​I've lived my life being angry, which is what I was on Fox News. I was the angry, conservative, Black woman," she recalled. "And at that time in my life it was who I was."

She added that her perspective has since changed and that she feels "sorry" for some of the "angry" and "arrogant" things she said in the past.

Rob Schneider

Rob Schneider claimed that Hollywood is "dismantling itself" and said the "blacklisting" of conservative stars is part of the problem.

Schneider, who worked on Saturday Night Live, revealed that once he began publicly sharing his right-leaning beliefs, acting roles quickly dried up. 

"That was it for me starring in movies," he said on the "American Thought Leaders" podcast.

"The act of telling the truth in an age of authoritarianism, in an age of lies, is a courageous act," he continued. "And I'm not saying that I'm courageous. When I think of real courage, I think of … in any major city, the cemeteries of people who gave their, what Lincoln describes, the last full measure of their devotion for this great land."

"Show business, wrong or right, they don't want any controversy.  You know, they don't want you being mouthy or anything, and that makes sense, but I do think that at a certain point, if we're going to have a society and if we're going to continue to have a free society, it's going to require people to step up and be courageous," he added.