Johnson framed art as his daily priority and said he wants no part of political fighting.
What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep, need, not want, the main thing. And the main thing for me, the thing that in the morning I swing my legs out of bed and I run towards is creating. It's art. It's storytelling.
I've learned I'm going to keep my politics to myself. I hate the slinging. I hate all the bulls--- that comes with it.
The comments build on a position Johnson staked out in a 2024 Fox News interview, in which he declined to endorse any presidential candidate after backing Joe Biden in 2020. He said that earlier endorsement caused an incredible amount of division in the country and that he had no intention of repeating it.
My goal is to bring this country together. I believe in that. There will be no endorsement. At this level of influence, I will keep my politics to myself. It is between me and the ballot box.
The Esquire profile was published ahead of the release of Disney's live-action Moana, in which Johnson reprises the role of the demigod Maui. The piece also touched on artificial intelligence, with Johnson saying he has grown cautiously interested, even excited, about the technology.
I've always been an advocate for embracing big change after taking a hard look at it. We can either stick our heads in the sand and be afraid, or we can say, OK, we're here. Let's see. Let's explore.
