Actor Nick Searcy, known for his roles in the FX television show “Justified” and Guillermo Del Toro’s film “The Shape of Water,” recently spoke to The Epoch Times and discussed what it’s like to be politically conservative in Hollywood, his documentaries about Jan. 6, and his new book, “Justify This: A Career Without Compromise.”
Mr. Searcy’s first book, which will be released on May 28, pays homage to his time working on the critically acclaimed series “Justified” and reflects on his steadfast approach to his career.
“I haven’t had to pretend I was somebody I wasn’t to get where I wanted to go,” Mr. Searcy stated. “So many people say you can’t function in Hollywood if you’re not a liberal Democrat.” He remained resolute in his beliefs, even in an industry built on the art of pretense, he said. “I didn’t know I was supposed to keep my mouth shut about what I thought.”
He spoke about the political standards in Hollywood.
“There’s only one standard. You will be promoted and embraced by Hollywood if you tell the liberal lie,” he said. He lamented the challenges faced by conservative newcomers, citing examples such as Gina Carano, and the industry’s selective treatment of political dissent.
Ms. Carano was fired from her role in the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian” after sharing a social media post equating the experience of Republicans in present-day America to that of Jewish people during the Holocaust. The post, featuring a historic image from the 1941 Lviv pogroms, stirred significant backlash due to its perceived anti-Semitic undertones.
Ms. Carano had also shared social media posts equating former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial to the movie “Groundhog Day” and questioning billionaire Jeffrey Epstein’s cause of death. These, coupled with her post about the Holocaust, led to her swift removal from the show.
Other Conservative Actors
Mr. Searcy said actors such as Jon Voight and James Woods, who are vocal about their conservative politics, enjoy a level of security with their careers.“They are Oscar nominees and Oscar winners, they are headliners,” he said, compared to an actor just starting their careers.
He said he doesn’t talk politics on set.
He criticized Oscar winner Robert De Niro for the actor’s vocal opposition to President Trump. “Not only is he not paying the price, he’s being rewarded. There’s big money in a lot of what happens in Hollywood.”
Mr. Searcy noted the shift in support for celebrities such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Mr. Johnson recently stated in an interview that he would not endorse President Joe Biden again.
“Immediately there were articles about how horrible he was on set, and how he was always late,” Mr. Searcy said, adding that prior to this, Mr. Johnson enjoyed his stature as a beloved figure in Hollywood.
Mr. Searcy said this response to political dissent is meant to send a message to everyone else in Hollywood.
“You’re making millions of dollars. Do you want to keep making millions of dollars? You don’t do stuff like this,” he said. He highlighted the industry’s punitive measures against those who diverge from the mainstream narrative, citing personal encounters with blacklisting.
“They think by joining the mob that they’re never going to come for them, but the mob comes for everybody,” he said, describing what he called “leftist-on-leftist crime.”
“If you give the mob the power to cancel anyone, they’re gonna eventually get around to you.”
Discussing the politicization of Hollywood, Mr. Searcy expressed concern over its departure from capitalist principles.
“That’s what show business is supposed to be. You put on a show and if people like the show, you make money.” He critiqued the rise of politically driven content, attributing it to the dominance of streaming services subsidizing programming.
“They’re able to make whatever they want, and you’re still going to pay for it. That’s why so much of what comes out of Hollywood these days is the same political stuff, it’s all this woke stuff,” he said.
He said the industry appears to be changing for the better.
Documentary
Discussing the documentaries he produced—“Capitol Punishment” in 2021 and the forthcoming “The War on Truth,” which will be released on May 17—Mr. Searcy said the films challenge the media’s portrayal of the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.He emphasized the Jan. 6 protesters’ commitment to challenging election results and denounced the media’s portrayal of the events.
“I made ‘Capitol Punishment’ and I made ‘The War on Truth’ because I was there on January 6. And because when I got home that night I didn’t see anything on the news like what I had seen myself with my own eyes.”
Mr. Searcy’s narrative in the documentaries provides insight into the challenges of navigating Hollywood as a conservative.
“If you support Donald Trump you are a monster. You’re a racist, you’re a white supremacist, you’re an insurrectionist, and who wants to be that?” he asked.
“Capitol Punishment” challenges the narrative of a violent insurrection portrayed by the media. It contends that the riot was orchestrated by people in the government.
Mr. Searcy said he recalls the events of Jan. 6 vividly.
“What they really leave out about January 6 is that what was happening in the Capitol building was exactly what we had come there to make sure happened,” he said. “They were in the process of challenging the vote. Ted Cruz had stood up and challenged the vote and they were going to send it back to the states for 10 days to verify the vote. It was not to destroy democracy. It was not to overturn the election. It was to verify what was happening.”
Alleged Covert Operations
Discussing the claim the films made regarding government operatives, Mr. Searcy said that “a lot of that was instigated by people who were not Trump supporters.” He was referring to the violence and property damage that occurred on Jan. 6.“Criminals do a good job of covering their tracks. So when I say government operatives, most of the time what the government does is they use people who are compromised. The FBI has something on them. The CIA has something on them.”
“We have footage in the film of people changing clothes in the bushes. Changing out of black bloc clothing, changing out of Antifa clothing into Trump clothing and Trump gear,” he claimed.
However, Mr. Searcy laments what he sees as the public’s reluctance to acknowledge these other perspectives.
“The propaganda has been so heavy that people won’t even look at it,” Mr. Searcy said, noting that his Hollywood agent would not even watch “Capitol Punishment.” He ultimately fired the agent.
“When I came home from January 6, about a week after I got back, I get a call on Saturday night from my agent, who I hadn’t fired yet.” He said his agent asked him if he went into the building. Mr. Searcy answered that he had not gone inside.
“There’s a casting director in town that is passing around a picture of you that says that you were inside of the building on January 6 and you’re an insurrectionist and no one should ever hire you,” he recalled his agent saying.
The photo was of a different man who was 50 pounds heavier than Mr. Searcy and was wearing a mask, he said.
The casting director turned out to be a friend of Mr. Searcy’s with whom he has worked and known for a long time.
“It was somebody that I considered a friend, somebody that had my phone number.” He said he was perplexed as to why the person did not contact him directly.
Mr. Searcy said he believes there is an unofficial blacklist in Hollywood.
“That sort of chatter definitely goes on behind the scenes and I’ve heard stories about people who were in writers rooms, talking about casting choices. Somebody’s name comes up and they go ‘No we’re not gonna use that guy, he’s a right-winger.’”
