Woody Allen calls Trump ‘a pleasure to work with’, praises his acting skills on Bill Maher’s podcast

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Woody Allen says he’s no supporter of Donald Trump’s politics, but he does have praise for his on-screen performance.

Appearing on Bill Maher’s 'Club Random' podcast, Allen recalled directing Trump in the 1998 film 'Celebrity' and described him as “very professional,” “polite,” and “a very good actor.”

Woody Allen recalls Trump’s cameo in 'Celebrity'

Woody Allen noted that he is “one of the few people who can say he directed Trump,” referencing the 11-second appearance where Donald Trump, playing himself, joked about purchasing Manhattan’s St Patrick’s Cathedral to tear it down for a “very, very tall and beautiful building.”

“He was a pleasure to work with and a very good actor,” the filmmaker said. “He was very polite…and hit his mark and did everything correctly and had a real flair for show business.”

Although Allen emphasized, “I’m a Democrat. I voted for Kamala Harris. And I take issue with him, you know, on 95 percent of the things. Maybe 99 percent,” he reiterated that Trump showed convincing charisma as a performer.

Trump amplified the remarks by reposting an article about the podcast on his Truth Social platform.

Politics vs show business for Trump

Woody Allen expressed surprise that Donald Trump ever pursued politics at all.

“Politics is nothing but headaches and critical decisions and agony,” he said. “This was a guy I used to see at the Knicks games, and he liked to play golf and he liked to judge beauty contests… Why anyone would want to suddenly have to deal with the issues of politics is beyond me. But apparently, he doesn’t mind.”

Maher weighed in that “politics is the ultimate acting job,” suggesting that Trump’s stage presence reflects his background in entertainment. “They got mad at me for saying this… It’s an acting job. And they all do it to a degree, but he just took it — like everything with him - to the Nth degree.”

Woody Allen would like to direct Trump as president

Woody Allen joked that he would gladly direct Donald Trump again, even in his current role. 

“I can only judge what I know from directing him in film,” Allen said. “And he was pleasant to work with, very professional, very polite to everyone. Very, you know… as I say, I would like to direct him now as president and have me make the decisions. But that’s not gonna happen.”

In response, Maher quipped, “I’ll make a call.”