Jennifer Lawrence, Ethan Hawke and more stars have gotten real about why they don’t publicly talk about politics.
Politics in the United States has gotten more divisive over the years. While some celebrities have used their influence to advocate for causes like immigration and women’s rights, others have kept their beliefs to themselves. Josh Duhamel revealed during a March 2026 appearance on Megyn Kelly’s eponymous talk show that he doesn’t publicly express his opinions to avoid alienating “half” of his audience.
Other stars, like Lawrence and Hawke, have spoken out in the past but have dialed it back in recent years.
“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,” Lawrence said in a November 2025 interview with The New York Times. “So then what am I doing? I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart. We are so divided.”
Keep scrolling to see what stars have said about their decision to refrain from speaking out about politics:
Neil Patrick Harris
While attending the 2026 Berlin Film Festival, Neil Patrick Harris opened up about why he chooses nonpolitical projects.
“I think we live in a strangely algorithmic and divided world right now. And so as artists, I’m always interested in doing things that are apolitical because we’re all as humans wanting to connect in some way,” he said during a February 2026 panel while discussing his film Sunny Days. “That’s why we experience things together. So when you get to go to a film where you’re caring about the people, you’re caring about the heart of what’s happening.”
Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh, who is Malaysian and resides in Switzerland, explained why she has remained silent about political issues in the United States.
“I don’t think I am in the position to really talk about the political situation in the U.S.,” the Wicked actress said while attending the 2026 Berlin Film Festival. “I cannot presume to say I understand how it is. So, best not to talk about something I don’t know about.”
Kevin James
Throughout his comedy career, Kevin James has avoided the topic of politics. During a February 2026 interview with Variety, the Grown Ups actor opened up about why he’s never ventured down that path.
“Politically, for me to speak on it, there are experts who know much more than I do,” James explained. “I’m just focusing on what I can do, delivering a fun, heartfelt break from the craziness of the world. Everybody carries themselves around all day long with a lot of stress. It’s necessary in some ways, but you also need a break. You’ve got to look around and find the good in things. Otherwise, you’re just not going to function. I want to make people have fun, have hope and get a nice escape in their day.”
Ethan Hawke
When asked if he felt like he had a responsibility to speak out about fascism and politics, Ethan Hawke gave a candid response.
“Alright … the last place you probably want to look for advice in your spiritual counsel is a bunch of jet-lagged, drunk artists talking about their films,” he quipped during a press conference at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival. “I believe in the power of cinema to affect … you know how every night we all dream and those dreams kind of heal us and get us ready for the next day? I feel like, collectively, the whole festival — all of you, all of us here — are responsible for creating an international dream life.”
Hawke added that he is supportive of “anything that fights fascism.” However, he also addressed why he has chosen to avoid being politically outspoken in recent years.
“The last time I spoke publicly about any of this, I was really shocked about how much animosity it was met with,” the actor recalled. “You know, people saying, ‘Actors shouldn’t talk about politics’ and things like that. And I really feel like the answer is the absolute inverse, that everybody should be — we’re all citizens of the world and all of us matter, all of us have a voice and everybody’s welcome to disagree. That’s part of the benefit of living in a free society.”
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence opened up about her “complicated” stance on choosing not to speak out about politics anymore.
“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,” the actress told the New York Times. “I want to protect my craft so that you can still get lost in what I’m doing. And if I can’t say something that’s going to speak to some kind of peace or lowering the temperature or some sort of solution, I don’t want to be a part of the problem. I don’t want to make the problem worse … I try to express my politics through my work. 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.”
Josh Duhamel
Josh Duhamel shared that he doesn’t want to turn fans away from his work in case they disagree with his beliefs.
“I have real strong opinions about things but I don’t really talk about them,” he said during a March 2026 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show. “Why would I alienate half my audience? Because I respect their views on things but I’m not going to preach to them. They can believe what they want.”
The actor added, “I’m just here to make cool stuff.”
