Disillusioned with Biden, Hollywood is now energized by Kamala Harris

By Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN

(CNN) — After weeks of disarray, the Democratic Party finally faced a welcome problem: Too many celebrities were calling.

Following an uncharacteristic dry spell of celebrity support for President Joe Biden that had persisted for months as he sought a second term, Hollywood has been reignited in full force and is ready to back the party’s new presumptive nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, as she fights against former President Donald Trump.

“My phone is blowing up,” a source close to the Harris campaign told CNN of the sudden influx of Hollywood calls. “I don’t even have time to answer my phone.”

One celebrity publicist told CNN that campaign managers are “typically begging” talent representatives to get their clients to participate in politics, but said that over the past 48 hours since Biden stepped aside and endorsed Harris, it’s nearly impossible to get through to the White House.

“Usually I’m asking my clients,” another celebrity publicist said. “Nobody had to ask. People were like, ‘What do I do, and how do I help?’”

The mood over the past few days in Hollywood has completely shifted from a long blackout period where celebrities were reluctant to publicly support the president, recognizing that neither candidate – Biden or Trump – were particularly popular and could potentially alienate their fanbases. Even before Biden’s disastrous June 27 performance at the CNN presidential debate, numerous Hollywood and DC sources told CNN that the Biden campaign was struggling to obtain celebrity support in a polarized world.

“I don’t think people realized how worried they were until they had hope,” said one Democratic strategist with deep ties in the entertainment industry.

For Hollywood, Harris is that hope.

Hollywood’s biggest political moment since Obama

A handful of entertainment professionals, all involved with fundraising efforts or talent representation, told CNN that Hollywood is energized by Harris and sees her as a viable candidate who is the right messenger at the right time.

Plans for Harris’ first presidential fundraiser in Los Angeles are already underway, a source said, adding that multiple television, film and music executives have already raised their hand to host an event.

A briefing for the entertainment industry has been scheduled this week, according to a Zoom invitation from the Harris 2024 Campaign Entertainment Surrogates, which was shared with CNN by a top agent who plans to attend.

“I haven’t seen so many people that I know here and elsewhere so enlivened by a moment in politics since Obama’s original convention speech,” producer Greg Berlanti told CNN. “Joe Biden’s selfless act, combined with the kind of change and optimism and turning of the page that Kamala represents has reengaged so many people I know in this election and they are ready to fight for so many of the values that VP Harris has been fighting for her whole career.”

Berlanti – the creator of shows like “Everwood” and You,” and the director of Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum’s new film, “Fly Me to the Moon” – has hosted Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in his home during the Biden-Harris administration. He’s one of many Hollywood power players who have already been acquainted with Harris and supported her political career from her 2016 Senate run to her 2020 presidential run to her current role as vice president.

Harris, a California native, has longstanding relationships within the entertainment industry and has garnered public support this week from the likes of Shonda Rhimes, Jessica Alba, Cher, Spike Lee, Viola Davis, Amy Schumer, Kerry Washington and Lynda Carter, who posted a photo of Harris in front of a “Wonder Woman” mural – likely a nod to what will be her historic run as the first Black woman and the first Asian American leading a major party ticket.

George Clooney, who loudly called for Biden’s exit, endorsed Harris, first telling CNN he is “excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.” Harris also appears to have the support of one of the biggest stars in the world: Beyoncé, who, CNN exclusively reported, gave Harris permission to use her anthem “Freedom” as a campaign song, although she has not made an official endorsement.

“We’re back to where we were before, and that’s powerful,” a political strategist who is working with A-list stars this election season, told CNN. “It would have been fair to say that this very strong element of celebrity endorsements in the political cycle was on the sidelines, but they all put on their jerseys and are ready to go.”

“They love the president and have so much respect for them,” this individual added. “But there is clearly a different energy.”

“We are seeing unprecedented enthusiasm for VP Harris in every corner of our country,” Laura Brounstein, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, told CNN. “She has been a leading voice on the issues that really matter to all Americans, including the need to restore our reproductive rights, protecting unions, and addressing climate change. It’s encouraging that her message is resonating in Hollywood, Milwaukee and across the country.”

‘We’ll do a lot better than Hulk Hogan’

While plans for next month’s Democratic National Convention are still in the early stages, according to a source close to the Harris campaign, several Hollywood publicists and agents told CNN the DNC will be star-studded with one source sharing that conversations with an A-list pop star are currently underway about a possible performance.

“Nobody was going,” a publicity executive said about the DNC with Biden atop of the ticket. But now? “The billboard at convention will look a lot more robust from the artist community now than it would have — and that’s an understatement. I don’t know how you grade almost nothing to full support, but we’ll do a lot better than Hulk Hogan.”

Hogan was one of Trump’s few Hollywood supporters who showed up at the Republican National Convention last week to endorse the former president, along with UFC chief Dana White; model Amber Rose; reality star Savannah Chrisley; Kid Rock, who performed on the final night of the convention, and country star Jason Aldean who sat alongside Trump in the VIP box at the RNC.

If celebrity endorsements were a gauge to win the race, Harris would win in a landslide. But Trump, whose poll numbers far outsized Biden in several swing states, partly leading to Biden’s withdrawal, has never been well-liked in Hollywood, and he has used that to his advantage. Though Trump is a billionaire ex-reality star, part of his appeal to many voters is criticizing wealthy celebrities for, what he says, is being out of touch with reality.

As the nature of celebrity influence is changing, it remains to be seen if star power will move the needle this election cycle. It didn’t in 2016, when Trump beat Hillary Clinton.

This year, perhaps the most important group of voters to target is young Americans who, quite frankly, don’t care much about Hollywood stars like Clooney. At 81 years old, Biden struggled to garner Gen Z support, but Harris has rapidly gotten the attention of the TikTok generation, thanks to British pop star Charli XCX, whose “Kamala IS brat” tweet ignited a social media firestorm and propelled the vice president into the stratosphere of internet culture.

Whether the fascination with Harris on TikTok will translate into first-time voters showing up to the polls is unclear. But so far, the support from Young Hollywood is promising with some of the most influential stars on the planet, including Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, posting photos of Harris alongside a link to encourage their hundreds of millions of followers to register to vote. (Lovato, who sang at Biden’s 2021 inauguration, hadn’t said anything about Biden this cycle – but on Sunday, the singer quickly took to Instagram to share her endorsement of Harris.)

Hollywood braces for a tough race ahead

In the first 24 hours after Biden bowed out, Harris broke fundraising records, hauling in a staggering $81 million in a single day, according to her campaign.

But money and TikToks aren’t votes. Even with the overwhelming support from leaders in the Democratic Party, grassroots organizations and Hollywood, every individual who spoke with CNN acknowledged that the race against Trump won’t be easy.

“Everyone understands that this will be a real fight,” a Democratic strategist said. “But even if Kamala loses — which is a distinct possibility – it’s going to help our down-ballot candidates. There will be increased enthusiasm for the House and Senate because of Kamala.”

That enthusiasm was evident on Sunday, just hours after Biden stepped down and endorsed Harris when the group Win With Black Women organized an impromptu call that garnered nearly 45,000 Black women and raised $1.5 million in three hours.

“Black women in entertainment, Black women in media, Black women in tech will be out like never before,” said SiriusXM host Bevy Smith, who attended Sunday night’s Zoom and says the call was full of actors, directors, producers, media figures and political stars. “Black women turned Georgia blue. Now that we have one of our own? Please. We have one job to do — and it’s to elect Kamala Harris.”

Political strategists who spoke to CNN believe the campaign will market Harris around her stark differences from Trump, rather than lean into the historic nature of her run, as a woman of color who can break barriers.

“People are very excited to see her out there, and they love the narrative of the prosecutor against the felon,” one strategist said.

Strategically marketing Harris over the next few weeks will be crucial, according to an agent who is in frequent communication with top donors across the business.

“There is a race that is on over the next couple of weeks of who will be able to define her nationally — the Democrats or Trump. If they’re able to do it before we can, I think she’s going to have a very tough time,” the agent said.

“It’s going to be a tough race,” the agent added. “It’s going to be dark and nasty. That’s what our politics have become – but we can’t let that us stop us because the stakes are too high.”

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