The Hollywood Reporter (Weekly)
A Chat About Hollywood, Politics With Rep. Schiff
The California Senate candidate talks Trump, favorite movies and TV shows and who should play him in a movie about the impeachment hearings
His role as lead prosecutor in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial turned Rep. Adam Schiff into a hero among Trump critics and an archenemy of Trump loyalists and Trump himself. As he launches a campaign for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by the retiring Dianne Feinstein, Schiff speaks with THR about how To Kill a Mockingbird and The Big Lebowski inspire him as well as the possibility of a strike in Hollywood.
What are you watching these days?
I’ve been watching the prequel to Game of Thrones, and I’m not enjoying it as much as the original. I’m a little disappointed. The original was so good.
Any favorite movies about politics?
All the King’s Men. It’s a fantastic film. The American President is great. Probably my all-time favorite, which made me want to be a lawyer, was To Kill a Mockingbird. I’m also a very big
Big Lebowski fan. I know it’s not technically a film about politics, but my staff knows what a fan I am, so they’ll frequently send me lines from the movie at appropriate times. When Matt Gaetz was tearing into Kevin McCarthy during the speakership voting, the line my staff sent me at that moment from the movie was, “You’re not wrong. You’re just an asshole.” That was a pretty good application of that line.
Are you concerned about the possibility of a strike as the WGA, DGA and SAG-AFTRA soon begin studio negotiations?
I am concerned. A strike would have a big impact on the people I represent and the local economy. I’m a big supporter of collective bargaining because I think it’s the only way that individuals working in the industry can meet the strong bargaining position of the studios. I hope they can get to yes and the studios will be generous to those who work in the industry. Because folks who work in the industry make that magic possible.
You very passionately advocated for Donald Trump’s removal from office. How would things be different now had he been removed?
Had [senators] removed him, as their oath required, there would not have been a bloody insurrection in the Capitol. We would have moved beyond Trumpism. Now he is once again running for president and has spawned many imitators, like Ron DeSantis.
Do you think he’ll be the nominee?
I don’t know. He certainly lost a lot of support among Republican elites. But he still has a strong grip on the base of his party, and he proved in 2016 his ability to eviscerate his Republican Party opposition.
In a film about the Trump impeachment, what actor would play you?
Isn’t it obvious? Ryan Gosling. Obviously, I’m joking. But I actually did an event around my book [Midnight in Washington] in New York with Robert De Niro, and he asked me that same question, and after I joked about Ryan Gosling, I asked him what role he would play and he said, “I could play Adam Schiff.” Needless to say, I’d be flattered to be portrayed by Robert De Niro.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
Keli Goff is the Emmy-nominated producer of the documentary Reversing Roe. In addition to a long career covering politics, she has served as a writer on Mayor of Kingstown, And Just Like That and Black Lightning.