Filmmaker Woody Allen praised President Donald Trump’s professionalism and performance during a recent interview on the podcast “Club Random with Bill Maher,” recalling his experience directing Trump in the 1998 film Celebrity.

Allen, who has long identified as a Democrat, told Maher that despite his political disagreements with Trump, he had nothing negative to say about the president’s conduct on set.

“He was a pleasure to work with and a very good actor,” Allen said.

“He was very polite and hit his mark and did everything correctly and had a real flair for show business.”

Maher responded with a joke that Allen might face even more backlash for speaking positively about Trump.

Allen then added, “I only wish I could direct him now. If he would let me direct him now that he’s president, I think I could do wonders. But he was very easy to work with.”

Maher agreed with Allen’s assessment, saying Trump was different in person than the public perception often suggests.

“And when you say that, people who are just purely emotional get very upset, even though it’s just the truth,” Maher said.

“We’re just saying the truth.”

Allen’s comments come as Maher himself has faced criticism from the left for his willingness to engage with Trump.

In March, Maher attended a White House dinner with the president and afterward described Trump as a “possible friend,” adding that he felt “comfortable” speaking with him.

During the podcast, Allen emphasized that while his political views diverged sharply from Trump’s, he was impressed with Trump’s performance as an actor.

“I am a Democrat. I voted for Kamala Harris. And I take issue with him on 95% of the things, maybe 99%. But as an actor, he was very good,” Allen said.

“He was very convincing and he had a charismatic quality as an actor. And I’m surprised he wanted to go into politics.”

Allen also questioned why Trump would choose politics given his background and interests.

“Politics is nothing but headaches and critical decisions and agony. And this was a guy I used to see at the Knick games. And he liked to play golf and he liked to judge beauty contests and he liked to do things that were enjoyable and relaxing,” Allen said.

“And why anyone would want to suddenly have to deal with the issues of politics is beyond me. But apparently he doesn’t mind.”

WOODY ALLEN: “I am a Democrat. I voted for Kamala Harris. And I take issue with [Trump] on 95% of the things. Maybe 99%. But as an actor, he was very good … But I would like to direct him now that he’s president, and have him let me make the decisions.” pic.twitter.com/Okii0kcmfu

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) September 1, 2025

Maher, who has continued to comment on the political divide in the U.S., used the discussion to highlight his concerns about partisan polarization.

On an earlier July episode of his podcast, Maher criticized what he called the left’s unwillingness to engage with conservatives.

“The stupidest thing the left does — and this dinner is a perfect example of it — is having this attitude toward the right that:

‘We won’t even break bread with you. We are so far above you that we won’t even sit down at the same table with you!’ That is their attitude — and that makes me sick too!” Maher said.

Allen’s remarks add to a growing list of figures across the entertainment industry who have publicly acknowledged positive personal interactions with President Trump, even while disagreeing with his politics.