“Coming out” these days in Hollywood has nothing to do with sexual preference, but it has a lot to do with politics.
In the old days, being labeled a Republican or conservative was a train wreck for an actor or actress' career. Not anymore.
Groups like Friends of Abe, a conclave of Hollywood and entertainment professionals, are thriving. Actors like the late Charlton Heston, an outspoken Republican and advocate of gun freedom, helped pave the way.
One caveat here: The conservative-leaning celebrities listed here may not be going to a Ted Cruz rally anytime soon. They are better described as Hollywood contrarians; they don’t typically advocate any hardcore political agenda.
Instead, they are for a new openness in Hollywood, and don’t accept the old industry standard that one has to be a card-carrying member of the Democratic Party to find career advancement.
Oftentimes these conservatives are more libertarian than traditional, button-down Republicans.
Whatever their stripes, they are a unique and exciting breed changing Hollywood and, we hope, America for the better.
Here, Newsmax has compiled a list of 50 influential leaders of this cultural minority who have bucked Hollywood’s liberal establishment and thrived.
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1. Clint Eastwood — The actor and director famously trashed President Barack Obama in 2012 at the Republican National Convention and stirred up a firestorm of liberal griping with his patriotic film, "American Sniper."
2. Sylvester Stallone — The star of the "Rocky" and "Rambo" series of hit movies is not shy about voicing his Christian conservative beliefs. He backed Sen. John McCain's presidential bid in 2008 and recently told evangelist Pat Robertson, "I have surrendered my life to Jesus Christ."
3. Tim Allen — The "Home Improvement" actor once told Sean Hannity he is a “fiscal conservative” who “like[s] problem solving." He has endorsed Gov. John Kasich for president.
4. Willie Robertson — The "Duck Dynasty" star is known for his strong Christian faith and conservative politics. He recently endorsed Donald Trump for president and also scored a gig as a Fox News contributor with an eponymous podcast.
5. James Woods — The award-winning actor best known for "Once Upon a Time in America," "Casino," and "White House Down" is well-known for his conservative views and has endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz for president in 2016.
6. Gary Sinise — The "Forrest Gump" star is one of the founding members of the Friends of Abe, a Hollywood conservative group.
7. Caitlyn Jenner — Formerly known as Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner, Caitlyn has declared herself a Republican and has publicly favored Ted Cruz's presidential campaign.
8. Ben Stein — The former Nixon and Ford speechwriter, TV game show host, actor, and prolific writer is a confirmed conservative and registered Republican, an opponent of legalized abortion, and a one-time endorser of John McCain.
9. Kirk Cameron — The actor who starred on ABC's "Growing Pains" is an Evangelical Christian with strong conservative beliefs. In 2014, he starred in "Saving Christmas," a comedic Christian film that sought to "put Christ back in Christmas."
10. Drew Carey — The host of "The Price Is Right" considers himself a libertarian and is a board member of the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank.
11. Dennis Miller — The standup comic and former "Saturday Night Live" star and one-time Democrat today is a well-known conservative political pundit who regularly appears on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor."
12. Tom Selleck — The "Magnum P.I." star endorsed Sen. John McCain for president in 2008 and is a board member with the National Rifle Association.
13. Jon Voight — The "Midnight Cowboy," "Deliverance," and "Coming Home" star and father of actress Angelina Jolie switched from liberal to conservative and has endorsed Donald Trump for president.
14. Arnold Schwarzenegger — "The Terminator" and "Predator" star and worldwide bodybuilding champ served two terms as the Republican governor of California. He is backing John Kasich for president and recently shared a "tele-town hall" meeting with the Ohio governor.
15. Phil Robertson — The "Duck Dynasty" reality television star, duck hunter, committed Christian, and businessman has addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference and received the Andrew Breitbart Defender of the First Amendment Award.
16. Ted Nugent — The "Motor City Madman" hard rocker, big game hunter, actor, and songwriter is one of the best-known ultra-conservatives in America, a strong supporter of the Republican Party, and a board member with the National Rifle Association.
17. Kevin Sorbo — The "Hercules" and "God's Not Dead" star, with strong conservative, Christian beliefs, has called out Hollywood's liberal hypocrisy, ranted against President Barack Obama, and spoken out about national controversies like the Ferguson protests.
18. Robert Duvall — The star of "The Godfather" and "The Judge" backed Mitt Romney in 2012 and narrated a video for the Republican National Convention in 2008. He raised $800,000 for Romney and appeared on stage with Sarah Palin and John McCain.
19. Heather Locklear — Though she doesn't discuss her personal politics publicly, Locklear is reportedly a registered Republican.
20. Rob Lowe — A one-time supporter of the Democratic Party, the former "West Wing" actor's Twitter feed appears to lean more to the right as of late, calling out President Barack Obama over Benghazi, voicing support for our heroes, and accusing CNN anchors of "holding water for Obama." He also supported Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign in 2003.
21. James Caan — The "Godfather" star and Hollywood tough guy has termed himself an "ultra-conservative." He says he is a fan of Fox News and only watches Bill O'Reilly.
22. Kelsey Grammer — The "Frasier" star backed Rudy Giuliani for mayor of New York and founded the RightNetwork, a conservative entertainment company.
23. Kurt Russell — A self-described "hardcore libertarian," Russell has spoken out about his political beliefs in the past, ripping the left's stance that gun control could limit terrorism. "If you think gun control is going to change the terrorists’ point of view, I think you’re, like, out of your mind," he told a reporter while promoting "The Hateful Eight" last year.
24. Shannen Doherty — Doherty, a mainstay of "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Charmed," has termed herself a "conservative" and an "avid" supporter of Ronald Reagan
25. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson — The wrestling and acting star performed at the 2000 Republican Convention, expressed admiration for President Reagan and said he has hopes for a political career when his acting days are done.
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26. Robert Downey, Jr. — The star of the "Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes" movies, who spent time in prison over drug charges, is a committed conservative who once said, "You can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal."
27. Melissa Joan Hart — The star of "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" supported Mitt Romney in 2012 and is an outspoken conservative.
28. Victoria Jackson — The one-time "Saturday Night Live" comedienne is a very active conservative who supported the presidential candidacies of Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann.
29. Rob Schneider — Schneider is yet another "Saturday Night Live" alumnus who is a conservative. He has expressed admiration for former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and commented that he switched from Democrat to Republican over his concerns about Democratic influence in California.
30. Patricia Heaton — A Christian pro-lifer, Heaton, who starred in "Everybody Loves Raymond," publicly took Rush Limbaugh's side in blasting Sandra Fluke over free birth control. She campaigned for the McCain/Palin ticket in 2008 and the Romney/Ryan ticket in 2012.
31. Angie Harmon — The star of "Law and Order" and "Rizzoli and Isles" considers herself a "liberal Republican." She backed Sen. John McCain and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and also addressed the Republican Convention in 2004.
32. Vince Vaughn — The star of "Wedding Crashers" and "Dodgeball" supported libertarian Ron Paul's presidential candidacies in 2008 and 2012.
33. Bruce Willis — The "Die Hard" star denies the label "Republican," claiming to dislike both parties, but opposes gun control and has spoken out to support the Bill of Rights.
34. Adam Sandler — The "Saturday Night Live" comic is a registered Republican and donated $2,100 to Rudy Giuliani's campaign for president. He also performed at the 2004 Republican Convention.
35. Jerry Lewis — The "Nutty Professor" and longtime host of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon has blasted Obama for his failures in combating ISIS and has praised both Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan.
36. Chuck Norris — The tough guy star of "Walker, Texas Ranger" and martial arts movie fame is a committed Christian who supported GOP candidate Mike Huckabee in 2008 and regularly writes conservative columns for World Net Daily.
37. Ricky Schroder — After appearing in 1979's "The Champ," Schroder went on to become a child star on TV's "Silver Spoons." A self-described "patriot to the core," Schroder spoke at the 2000 Republican National Convention in support of George W. Bush and also backed John McCain in 2008.
38. Scott Baio — A registered Republican, the former "Happy Days" and "Charles in Charge" star once campaigned for Ronald Reagan and has spoken out on social media about his political beliefs. He recently endorsed Donald Trump for president.
39. Stacey Dash — The African-American "Clueless" star supported Mitt Romney over Obama and has been a Fox News contributor.
40. LL Cool J — The rapper and actor, whose real name is James Todd Smith, is a very vocal conservative and has performed at the Republican National Convention.
41. Loretta Lynn — The legendary country singer and "Coal Miner's Daughter" recently announced that she is supporting Donald Trump for president and has said she is willing to campaign for him.
42. Kid Rock — The moniker replaces his real name of Robert James Ritchie, but nothing can replace the Republican Party in the singer/rapper's view. He has made many overseas tours to entertain American troops, and allowed the Romney campaign free use of his songs when Mitt ran for president. This campaign cycle, he endorsed Ben Carson and, later, Donald Trump.
43. Susan Lucci — The longtime star of the TV soap "All My Children" and Emmy winner is a well-known conservative Republican.
44. Pat Boone — The one-time "teen idol" and longtime singing star is a conservative, Republican Christian who received a lifetime achievement award from the Conservative Political Action Conference.
45. Alice Cooper—The shock rocker, whose real name is Vincent Damon Furnier, is
surprisingly a hardcore born-again Christian conservative with strong Creationist beliefs.
46. Stephen Baldwin — The actor, producer, author, director, and star of "Threesome," "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas," and "Celebrity Apprentice" is a born-again Christian who backed Mike Huckabee for president.
47. Pat Sajak — The smiling host of "Wheel of Fortune" is an outspoken conservative who has challenged global warming theorists, written for the conservative magazine Human Events, and donated to Republican candidates.
48. Meat Loaf — The "Bat Out of Hell" rock-opera singer, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" actor, and TV host endorsed Mitt Romney for president and has blasted the removal of prayer from public schools.
49. Danny Aiello — The star of "Do The Right Thing," "The Godfather Part II," and "The Last Don" is a conservative Republican who favors Ted Cruz in the current presidential race.
50. Jessica Simpson — The actress, singer, reality television personality, and clothing designer is a registered Republican who endorsed George Bush for president in 2004 and has made numerous trips overseas to entertain American troops.
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