Four-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Woody Allen offered rare praise for President Donald Trump during a new interview with Bill Maher, calling him “a very good actor” and “a pleasure to work with.” The comments came during Maher’s Club Random podcast, where the 89-year-old director discussed cancel culture, politics, and his decades-long film career.
Allen directed Trump in the 1998 film Celebrity, where Trump played himself in a brief cameo. Allen recalled the future president’s professionalism on set, saying he was polite, hit his marks, and had a natural flair for show business. “If he would let me direct him now that he’s president, I think I could do wonders,” Allen joked.
While Allen made clear that he is not a Trump supporter—stating he voted for Kamala Harris and disagrees with Trump on nearly all policy issues—he did not shy away from praising his screen presence. “He was very convincing. He has a charismatic quality as an actor, and I’m surprised he wanted to go into politics.”
Allen also addressed the blacklisting he has faced in recent years, saying he has no resentment toward those who distanced themselves from him, calling them “people who think they are doing good but don’t know they’re wrong.” Despite being cleared by two separate investigations, Allen has been largely cast aside by Hollywood elites, a shift Maher attributed directly to the political left.
In discussing the #MeToo movement, Allen drew a clear line between supporting women’s rights and opposing cancel culture. “Cancel culture is a totally different phenomenon,” he said. “It’s quite a bad thing. It doesn’t serve any purpose.” He compared it to political purges of the past, warning that silencing people is not a valid way to address complex issues.
Though he has no new films planned, Allen revealed he has written a play set to be staged in Europe and has a novel releasing later this month.
