How Hollywood Alienated Middle America—And What’s Next | Nick Searcy

American Thought Leaders

The Epoch Times

Government, News, Politics

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 August 2025

⏱️ 59 minutes

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Summary

How has Hollywood changed in the last several decades, and why are film productions leaving Los Angeles and increasingly going abroad? Where is the industry headed, and what role should Trump’s “special ambassadors” to Hollywood play?

“Hollywood spent probably the last 15 or 20 years basically telling half of its audience that they don’t want them to watch, that they hate them, that they’re deplorables,” says actor and filmmaker Nick Searcy. “They’ve driven half the audience away.”

Searcy played James Baker in the Reagan biopic last year and is perhaps best known for his role as Art Mullen in the crime drama “Justified.” He’s also the director of “Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer,” a film about an abortion doctor who was convicted for the murder of three babies.

A few months ago, Searcy released his memoir, “Justify This: A Career Without Compromise.”

Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hollywood spent probably the last 15 or 20 years basically telling half of its audience that they don't want them to watch, that they hate them, that they're deplorables.
0:10.0	People just go to the movies to be entertained. They don't go to be lectured about how terrible they are because of who they support politically.
0:18.0	In this episode, I'm sitting down with actor and director Nick Searcy.
0:22.1	Best known for his role as Art Mullen in the TV series, Justified.
0:26.3	He played Ronald Reagan's Chief of Staff James Baker in the Reagan biopic released last year.
0:31.4	They have quotas in terms of the racial makeup of a movie.
0:36.4	He's also the director of Gossnell,
0:38.4	the trial of America's biggest serial killer.
0:41.4	Everybody was afraid to distribute the film.
0:43.6	They had one distributor to say,
0:45.5	I really like the film.
0:46.7	I think it's very good,
0:47.8	but I can't be the one to release this
0:50.1	because it would ruin me.
0:51.9	This is American Thought Leaders,
0:53.5	and I'm Yanya Kellick.
0:57.0	Nick Searsie, such a pleasure to have you on American Thought Leaders.
1:00.3	No, thank you.
1:01.1	Thanks. Nice to be here.
1:03.0	Recently, President Trump announced a 100% tariff on films made outside of the United States.
1:09.5	What do you make of this?
1:10.9	I think it's kind of about time.
	...

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