The Conservative Underground in Tinseltown

Hollywood has always been a town of secrets. Some whispered through casting couches, others locked behind closed doors in agent offices. But one of its best-kept—and most ideologically loaded—secrets has been the existence of a conservative underground. From the 1960s to today, being a Republican in Hollywood has often felt like trying to sell a Bible at Burning Man.

For decades, the American film and television industry has leaned visibly left, often proudly so. Celebrities routinely use their platforms to push progressive social causes, endorse Democratic candidates, and deride conservative principles as outdated, bigoted, or out of touch. But behind the red-carpet liberalism, a group of conservative actors, producers, directors, and writers have quietly persisted, surviving in an industry that’s long equated left-wing politics with moral virtue and creative legitimacy.

The 1960s–1980s: Birth of the Conservative Underground

Let’s go back to the 1960s, when the industry was still basking in the post-McCarthy glow of anti-anti-Communism. The blacklist era had just ended, and now the pendulum was swinging hard left. To identify as conservative in Hollywood was suddenly akin to admitting you were a square—anti-progress, anti-freedom, and anti-art.

But some held their ground.

John Wayne wasn’t just a Western icon—he was the face of unapologetic patriotism and rugged American individualism. A staunch anti-communist, Wayne co-founded the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, a group openly critical of communist influence in the film industry. While the left was idolizing Che Guevara and the sexual revolution, Wayne was defending traditional values, backing Barry Goldwater, and insisting that America was worth fighting for.¹

Clint Eastwood, another giant, began cultivating his conservative-libertarian ethos through roles that glorified self-reliance, personal justice, and skepticism of government authority. Dirty Harry wasn’t just entertainment—it was a rebuke of the soft-on-crime policies liberals were championing at the time.²

Then there was Ronald Reagan. After years in film and television, he transitioned from SAG president to two-term governor of California and ultimately President of the United States. Reagan’s time in Hollywood helped shape his political sensibility, and he always credited the industry with sharpening his communication skills—even if it didn’t always return the affection.

The 1990s–2000s: Silent Alliances and Private Fundraisers

By the 1990s, the leftist hold on Hollywood had become nearly absolute. Bill Clinton became a celebrity president, rubbing shoulders with the glitterati while collecting checks from coastal elites. And while actors like Barbra Streisand, Alec Baldwin, and Susan Sarandon were loudly promoting Democratic causes, conservatives in Hollywood began to organize—discreetly.

The emergence of secretive conservative groups like Friends of Abe (named after Abraham Lincoln) in the early 2000s signaled a clear underground resistance. Members included actors like Gary Sinise, Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer, and James Woods—individuals whose views were often met with professional consequences. Meetings were held under the radar, attendees were vetted, and political donations were kept quiet to avoid retaliation.³

James Woods, in particular, became an outspoken conservative voice, especially on social media—earning admiration from the political right and cancellation threats from the Hollywood elite. In 2017, Woods alleged that he had been blacklisted by the industry for his political views.⁴

Mel Gibson, though a controversial figure for other reasons, also leaned right on many issues. His 2004 film The Passion of the Christ—a massive box office success despite near-universal condemnation from mainstream media—was both a testament to his independent production muscle and an indirect middle finger to liberal Hollywood sensibilities.⁵

The Present Day: The Ideological Battleground of Culture

Today, Hollywood liberalism is not just political; it’s cultural orthodoxy. The left’s influence has extended into casting decisions, script development, and award show speeches. Wokeness is now currency. Diversity quotas, ESG metrics, and gender politics are woven into the very DNA of major studios.

Conservatives who don’t toe the line are treated as relics—or worse, threats.

But the underground remains.

Chris Pratt, while careful with his words, has quietly signaled center-right sympathies, drawing ire for everything from attending a church deemed “anti-LGBTQ” to refusing to endorse Joe Biden. Tim Allen, a self-described conservative and libertarian, has spoken openly about the discomfort of being right-wing in Hollywood, once comparing it to living in 1930s Germany.⁶

Voices like Gina Carano, canceled by Disney’s The Mandalorian for a politically incorrect Instagram post, have become martyrs of the conservative resistance. Carano later signed a film deal with The Daily Wire—an emerging conservative media outlet pushing into film and culture wars.⁷

Conclusion: The Great Cultural Disparity

Hollywood may dominate the global cultural landscape, but it’s not a monolith. For every red-carpet virtue signal, there’s a shadow network of conservative creatives who still believe in America as a force for good, who question progressive orthodoxy, and who remain committed to telling stories from the right side of history—even if they must whisper while doing so.

In the end, the battle for Hollywood’s soul is more than partisan politics—it’s about who gets to tell the American story.

And for conservatives, that story is far from over.

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Endnotes:

Footnotes

1. “John Wayne’s Conservative Legacy,” National Review, 2019. ↩
2. Michael Medved, Hollywood vs. America, HarperCollins, 1992. ↩
3. “Friends of Abe: Hollywood’s Conservative Secret Society,” The Atlantic, 2014. ↩
4. “James Woods Claims Blacklisting,” Fox News, 2017. ↩
5. “The Passion of the Christ: Culture Clash at the Box Office,” Wall Street Journal, 2004. ↩
6. “Tim Allen: Being a Conservative in Hollywood Is Like ’30s Germany’,” The Hollywood Reporter, 2017. ↩
7. “Gina Carano Signs Film Deal with The Daily Wire After Disney Firing,” Variety, 2021. ↩

Angela Robinson | Columnist, Direct Line News. Contact Angela.Robinson@mcgopclub.com

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