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Zachary Levi isn’t backing down.
The “Shazam!” star said he plans to continue fighting for his beliefs — even if it means paying a professional price in Hollywood.
With his new film “Sarah’s Oil” hitting theaters Friday, Levi reflected on how his political views have impacted his career, clarifying that while he hasn’t been completely cut off from work, he believes he’s been “graylisted” in Hollywood.
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Zachary Levi reflects on Hollywood pushback over his political stance while starring in “Sarah’s Oil,” the true story of 11-year-old oil heiress Sarah Rector. (Michael Loccisano/WireImage)
(L to R) Zachary Levi as Bert Smith and Naya Desir-Johnson as Sarah Rector in “Sarah’s Oil.” (Shane Brown)
“I might go so far as to say I was graylisted, I guess,” Levi told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I’m still getting jobs, and I’m still grateful — very grateful — to be working. And I still have lots of friends in the industry, people who still want to work with me.”
Levi said he remains thankful for colleagues who stand by him — even those with opposing political views.
“I’m very grateful for all of those folks — whether or not we’re even on the same side of the political spectrum — people who know my heart and know that I’m a good man who just wants good in this world. We might disagree on how to get there, but I genuinely want the best for everyone in this world.”
WATCH: ZACHARY LEVI BRINGS UNTOLD STORY OF FAITH AND RACE IN ‘SARAH’S OIL’ TO BIG SCREEN
Still, he admitted there have been consequences. “There’s definitely been a lot of blowback and pushback,” Levi said. “There are people in the industry who don’t want to work with me — because I had the audacity to say I didn’t think Kamala Harris was the right choice in our last election and also because I called corporations like Pfizer to account, because I think that we’ve been lied to a lot about everything that’s gone on in the last five, six years.”
“And I think there needs to be accountability,” he continued. “I am pro-science. I am pro-health. I am pro-human. I’m a libertarian, I’m not even a conservative. I think that all of us ought to have the right to live the life that we choose to live for ourselves, but also recognizing that, that our individual liberty ends here. And once it starts affecting somebody else’s individual liberty, well, then we have a problem. And unfortunately, a lot of the, I think political policies on the left side of the political spectrum don’t take that into account. They end up being, libertarian values end up being seemingly more conservative values or there’s more Venn diagram overlap in that.”
“I’m just trying to keep moving forward and speaking up when I think that we’re being lied to and speaking up, speaking truth in love.”
“So I don’t know. I’m just trying to keep moving forward and speaking up when I think that we’re being lied to and speaking up, speaking truth in love. That’s all I think we can, all any of us can do. Speak what you believe to be true and speak it in love,” he noted.
Levi’s latest project, “Sarah’s Oil” — produced by Amazon Studios and Kingdom Story Company — tells the astonishing true-life saga of Sarah Rector, a young Black girl born in early-1900s Oklahoma Indian Territory who defied poverty and prejudice to become one of America’s first Black female millionaires — at just 11 years old.
The project has been years in the making, and Levi said it’s been worth it every step along the way.
“Sarah’s Oil” tells the astonishing true-life saga of Sarah Rector, a young Black girl born in early-1900s Oklahoma Indian Territory who defied poverty and prejudice to become one of America’s first Black female millionaires — at just 11 years old. (Shane Brown)
“When I read the script, I was blown away,” the actor told Fox News Digital. “It was an absolutely true story about this young Black girl in the turn of the century, Tulsa, Oklahoma … who was intelligent and precocious and spirit-filled.”
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He continued sharing the story about Rector, “She prayed over [the land] and she believed God told her it was full of oil. And she was right.”
That prayer sparked the discovery of what turned out to be one of the largest and purest oil reserves in North America, propelling young Sarah to instant fame and fortune — and eventually fierce legal battles to protect what was hers.
“I thought, how have I never heard this story before?” Levi said, before adding: “Why is it that no one I know has ever heard this story before?”
(L to R) Naya Desir-Johnson stars as Sarah Rector in “Sarah’s Oil.” (Shane Brown)
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Despite its powerful message of diversity, resilience and faith, getting “Sarah’s Oil” to the big screen wasn’t easy.
“I thought it would be a slam dunk,” the actor admitted. “Hollywood says these are exactly the stories that we want to make. And it took a few years to finally get the right people invested.”
WATCH: ZACHARY LEVI VOWS TO KEEP FIGHTING FOR HIS BELIEFS DESPITE HOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY PUSHBACK
Levi portrays Bert Smith, a friend of main character Sarah who helps tap into the oil beneath her land. He described their relationship as “business partners.”
After championing an inspiring story of faith and perseverance in “Sarah’s Oil,” Levi is taking that same conviction off-screen — straight into the heart of Texas.
The Hollywood actor is now pouring his energy and vision into a bold new venture: Wyldwood Studios, a $100 million production campus being built near Austin.
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Actor Zachary Levi arrives at the Kansas City Special Screening Of Amazon MGM Studios “Sarah’s Oil.” (Jason Squires/Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios)
He told Fox News Digital his multi-million-dollar project’s mission — to create an entertainment ecosystem where storytelling thrives without Hollywood politics.
“I’ve got wonderful friends and commitments from studios like Angel Studios, Kingdom Story and Wonder Projects,” the actor said. “All of them are dedicated toward making really excellent family entertainment.”
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While Wyldwood will embrace faith-based films, Levi said the goal isn’t to build a conservative counterweight to Los Angeles — it’s about quality and freedom.
“For me, it’s really just about taking agenda out, focusing on excellence. Not having a political agenda,” he explained. “You know, I don’t need to go make conservative movies to battle what are left-leaning movies or what. I just want to make great movies. I want to tell great stories, entertaining stories.”
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Levi added that creative freedom will include a broad slate — from uplifting family dramas to edgy comedies.
“Sarah’s Oil” is now playing in theaters.
