The Sage Steele Show — Episode 70

Zachary Levi: Hollywood, Faith, and Cancel Culture

Date: August 27, 2025
Host: Sage Steele
Guest: Zachary Levi

Overview

In this deeply candid and wide-ranging conversation, Sage Steele sits down with actor Zachary Levi to discuss his life, beliefs, and experiences at the intersection of Hollywood, faith, politics, and the challenges of speaking openly in the age of cancel culture. The episode unfolds as an exploration of community, the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, the dangers and promises of AI, and Zachary’s journey as a new father—an honest look at vulnerability, conviction, and hope in an increasingly polarized world.

Major Themes & Topics

1. Building Community & Wildwood Vision
2. Cancel Culture & Speaking Out
3. Faith, Forgiveness, and Personal Healing
4. The COVID Era: Truth, Propaganda & Vaccine Mandates
5. AI, The Future of Work & Society
6. Fatherhood & Generational Hope
7. Political Division & The Power of Empathy

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Building Intentional Community: Wildwood

• Wildwood's Purpose ([02:00])

  • Zachary describes developing a 75-acre Texas property into a self-sustaining community with housing, a school, farm, wellness center, and more.
  • He frames it as a "one stop shop…an intentional community," drawing inspiration from Hershey, PA—a functional town created around a factory.
  • "Hollywood just doesn’t have something like that. And so that’s what I intend to do." — Zachary ([05:20])

• Diversity & Belonging ([06:46], [09:08])

  • Sage reflects on her transformative experience at Wildwood, where diversity of thought and backgrounds stood out.
  • Zach stresses community isn’t about geographic proximity but truly working, playing, and growing together; it’s about “iron sharpening iron.”
  • "Community is not who you live next to. It’s who you work next to, who you play next to." — Zachary ([09:08])

• Combating the Echo Chamber ([11:59])

  • Zachary rails against “nonsense lies” around individual happiness and the undervaluing of real community, critiquing how modern society and the Internet reinforce division.
  • He values challenging conversation: "If you can’t have your opinions and thoughts challenged, that means you haven’t done enough thinking.” ([12:55])

2. Facing Cancel Culture & Speaking Out

• The Cost of Openness ([14:17], [31:50])

  • Both discuss their experiences with public backlash, especially when taking stances outside mainstream narratives—whether about vaccines, politics, or race.
  • Zach describes his first run-in with “cancellation” during the BLM movement—criticized for saying too little, then too much, and feeling heartbroken by how social media can twist intentions.
  • "For all that to go down the way that it did...it really broke my heart." — Zachary ([38:02])

• Standing Ground on Vaccine Questions ([43:24])

  • Zach details retweeting criticism of Pfizer, fierce industry pressure to delete the tweet, and his refusal:
    • "You shouldn’t be asking any of us actors or crew to force this into our bodies. It’s criminal that you’re doing that. Where is the backbone?" — Zachary ([43:24])
  • He outlines his belief in widespread information manipulation during the pandemic and the dangers of suppressing discussion in Hollywood.

• Losing and Gaining from Speaking Up ([75:41], [80:13])

  • He admits self-doubt and mourning lost friends/opportunities but finds peace in being true to himself and serving a greater call.
  • "I've really, like, wept and been like, maybe I did... Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this wasn't the best way. But A, I can't unring that bell, and B, it's who God made me." — Zachary ([76:17])

3. Faith, Empathy, and Forgiveness

• Why Understanding Matters ([20:32])

  • Zach draws on Christian faith to frame empathy towards even the most reprehensible actions, emphasizing separating condemnation of acts from love for people.
  • "We can both condemn the act and love the person who did it." — Zachary ([20:40])
  • He reflects on prison outreach and the necessity of rehabilitation and grace, extending the same logic to political adversaries.

• Letting Go of Bitterness ([97:45])

  • Therapy, faith, and a commitment to break generational trauma fuel his forgiveness—including towards parents and online haters.
  • "Holding on to unforgiveness is like drinking poison, hoping that the other person will die." — Zachary ([98:52])
  • He strives to see “the child of God in every single person, including ourselves.”

• Faith as Solace Amid Chaos ([62:04])

  • Zachary: "The thing that gives me the most amount of solace in any of it is that I know that there is a God. And that God loves me and he loves you... and all of those malevolent people."
  • He sees his mission at Wildwood as God-given and aligns preparation/"ark-building" with spiritual responsibility.

4. The Pandemic: Trust, Propaganda, and the Vaccine

• Distrust in Leadership ([50:33])

  • Levi and Steele denounce institutions for their handling of COVID-19, especially the suppression of dissent and forced compliance.
  • They debate whether leaders were “fooled” or culpable, expressing skepticism of industry motives and/or government benevolence.
  • "Every industry, it's profit over people, it's profit over the environment, it's profit over anything else." — Zachary ([45:56])

• Event 201 & Media Control ([47:34])

  • Zach highlights “Event 201”—a pandemic simulation involving industry leaders advocated by Bill Gates—to illustrate his belief in premeditated information cascades.
  • Critiques media figures for initially enforcing orthodoxy, later attempting redemption as public sentiment shifted ([27:50]–[30:58]).

5. AI and the Future

• AI Disruption Fears ([52:53])

  • Levi warns that within years, AI will displace most white-collar and creative work—including entertainment—and that the narrative around overpopulation will shift once work is obsolete.
  • Predicts rise of “universal basic income” with tradeoffs in personal liberty, invoking dystopian scenarios.
  • "All of the heads of all of the major AI companies...are literally telling us...there’s not going to be any jobs in five years." — Zachary ([54:27])

• Societal Manipulation & Control ([55:16])

  • Links AI, overpopulation rhetoric, and governmental ambitions for tighter control, referencing “Brave New World” as a blueprint for a seductive, not coercive, form of mass compliance ([64:42]).

6. Fatherhood

• Preparation & Perspective Shift ([70:28])

  • Zach describes feeling called since youth to build Wildwood for future generations, but new fatherhood has brought urgency and a fresh, personal layer to his mission.
  • "I don't ever want him to ever feel like he doesn’t have a safe place to go. Regardless of what he’s done, I will always hold him accountable...But I will always love him." — Zachary ([106:10])

• Values for Henson ([106:10])

  • Wants son to feel loved, secure, and raised with values of service and sacrifice, never questioning his father’s love yet encouraged to confront hardship and lead with compassion.

7. Political Division, Ego, and the Path to Understanding

• Programming & Dehumanization ([23:52], [36:43])

  • Discuss the media-driven demonization of Trump voters and others, leading to the breakdown of empathy and presumption of evil motives.
  • "People are being programmed literally to believe the people on the other side of the aisle are evil." — Zachary ([23:52])

• Healing Divisions ([81:21])

  • Both share pain over lost relationships, but Zach emphasizes not reciprocating exclusion or hatred, keeping the door open for reconciliation and mutual illumination.

• Quote on the Power of Self-Reflection ([25:52])

  • “It's easier to fool someone than to convince them that they've been fooled, because the ego gets involved after you've been fooled.” — Zachary ([25:52])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "To love is to will the good of the other. It doesn’t mean you have to like them…But you want their good, you want their life to work." — Zachary ([13:19])
• "The sooner we can come to a place where we can just hold each other and go, like, man, you really fucked me up. But I understand that…It wasn't your fault. Yes, it's your responsibility…but it just never got healed all the way down." — Zachary ([100:27])
• “What is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul in the process?” — Sage ([85:58])
• “If you are judging your value in this world based on the car that you drive or the shoes that you wear or whatever, like, are you in for a rude awakening. That is a waste of your time…Go try to make the world a better place. And that requires sacrifice.” — Zachary ([87:05])

Timestamps: Key Segments

• [02:00] — Building Wildwood: Vision for a Revolutionary Community
• [09:08] — The True Nature of Community and Challenging Echo Chambers
• [14:17] — Cancel Culture: First Experience of Public Backlash and Its Effects
• [31:50] — Social Media’s Role in Policing Opinion & Race Discourse
• [43:24] — Vaccine Mandates, Speaking Out, and Industry Backlash
• [52:53] — AI, Dystopian Futures, and Societal Consequences
• [62:04] — The Anchoring Role of Faith Amid Societal Upheaval
• [70:28] — Being a New Father: Generational Purpose & Urgency
• [75:41] — Coping with Loss of Relationships Over Principles
• [97:45] — Forgiveness, Healing from Family Trauma, and Letting Go
• [106:10] — Hopes and Values for His Son
• [111:05] — Reflections on Parenthood and Gratitude

Conclusion

This episode stands as a testament to Zachary Levi’s willingness to engage deeply, challenge orthodoxy, and live in accordance with his convictions, come what may. Interweaving politics, philosophy, faith, and personal vulnerability, the conversation is both a blueprint for resisting cynicism and a call to community, love, and resilient hope—whether in Hollywood, Texas, or wherever listeners find themselves searching for meaning in tumultuous times.