Is being a conservative the riskiest role in Hollywood?

This is a rush transcript from "The Five," August 6, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GREG GUTFELD, CO-HOST: Legendary actor Clint Eastwood -- you remember him from "Die Hard" -- endorsed Mitt Romney for president. Now, a friend of mine laughs when I get excited over stuff like this. After all, I often wish that lefty celebrities would stay out of politics. So he thinks my excitement over Clint makes me a hypocrite. Not really.

See, righty celebrities are different. If you meet a politically active celebrity, nine times out of 10 they are to the left of Hugo Chavez. And if you meet an apolitical celebrity, nine times out of 10 they will just parrot the liberal line.

That's because when asked about a cause, they just can't shrug, they must play the role or end up losing roles later. So that leaves a tiny group of gutsy types who are not afraid of losing work by expressing views that are branded evil in Hollywood.

So my excitement over righty stars is really a recognition of guts. And yes, I realize Clint's political outspokenness came much later in his career. Knowing that actors lose work over things they say, perhaps Clint realizes he has got less to lose at this point.

But lefty stars risk nothing, ever. In fact, they gain from their political views job wise. So the next time some young star lies about how fracking causes breast cancer, realize it's only for his career. Because the lefty ladder has now replaced the casting couch, which means they can now screw the whole country at once.

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, CO-HOST: Wow. That was very--

GUTFELD: Thought provoking or just boring?

GUILFOYLE: Visual.

GUTFELD: Since you're already speaking, Clint Eastwood's endorsement help a little or a lot?

GUILFOYLE: I love this. You know, because I think it shows courage. People respect Clint Eastwood. Doesn't matter what side of the political fence you're on. This is a man who is an innovator, he's somebody who has done a lot for the economy. In my opinion, he makes great movies, a great actor. He has got a lot of credibility. Why not? And I loved "Gran Torino."

GUTFELD: Bobby, why do action heroes always -- like Chuck Norris, Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck, Bruce Willis, Kevin Sorbo -- there is not a lefty among them. Why are they always--

BOB BECKEL, CO-HOST: You just listed people who endorse conservative candidates, which is perfectly legitimate. You forgot Gary Sinise and my brother, for that matter. And--

GUTFELD: It's true.

GUILFOYLE: Love him.

BECKEl: It is true that in Hollywood, look, it's a place that is full of a lot of liberals. That is just the reality. It's like looking at the Upper East Side of Manhattan. They tend to gather together. But I don't think -- I haven't heard of somebody who lost their job because they've said something that was politically to the right. Maybe I'm wrong.

GUILFOYLE: There would be a lawsuit--

(CROSSTALK)

ERIC BOLLING, CO-HOST: Jon Voigt, he comes around here quite a bit, if you sit down and talk to him, he says because of his political leaning to the right, he loses jobs, he's not even considered for roles. And it's like a casting couch.

BECKEL: I would -- consider the source on that one is all I can say.

BOLLING: What are you trying to say? He's a great guy. He's a patriot.

BECKEL: You are taking his word that he's lost jobs. He is in a lot of things.

GUILFOYLE: You tend to take Harry Reid's word for everything. I'd go with Jon Voight any day.

BECKEL: I do, I do.

GUTFELD: Andrea --

GUILFOYLE: And he produced Angelina Jolie.

GUTFELD: -- you almost have to wait until you're Clint's age and stature to come out and say who you are. Like Jon Voight. Like Jon Voight, I didn't know he was a conservative until maybe five or six years ago. Is that just because -- isn't that proof that you have to wait until it doesn't matter anymore?

ANDREA TANTAROS, CO-HOST: That and also they become really, really rich. And so they start to realize, wait a minute, I don't think this liberal thing is working out. And we talked about James Caan, too, from "The Godfather." But listen to all the names you listed, Greg. Bruce Willis, Stallone, they are all men's men.

GUTFELD: Alpha males.

TANTAROS: They're all alpha males.

GUILFOYLE: I love alpha males.

BOLLING: But they will specifically tell you -- and I'm surprised your brother hasn't told you this, that there is a blacklist. If you are a conservative in Hollywood, you are literally blacklisted, and it's not even hidden. They are not afraid to hide it.

BECKEL: I talk to him two or three times a week. I never heard that, but maybe--

(CROSSTALK)

BOLLING: Ask him.

GUILFOYLE: Let's call him.

GUTFELD: Do you want to talk about the high-profile speakers that are going to be at the RNC? Does that thrill you?

It's very exciting. So the whole theory here, they have announced these speakers, which include Nikki Haley, Rick Scott, Condoleezza Rice, John McCain, Huckabee, John Kasich. So the idea is none of these people are going to be VP picks. Are you surprised by that, Bob? That didn't sound--

BECKEL: That is the way you do it. It's sort of the prize you get if you don't get picked for VP. We have done that at our camp -- conventions. If you give people prime speaking roles, it means that they will not be the vice presidential candidates unless they're trying to pull a fast one on us. I think we have got it down to the list now who will probably be vice president.

GUILFOYLE: Go ahead.

BECKEL: Well, I'm saying that the list is out there. I think that he will opt to take a safe choice, like a Portman or he'll take--

BOLLING: Pawlenty.

BECKEL: Pawlenty. And he will not -- hopefully, if I were a Republican, I would certainly hope for him to stand up and take Rubio, which makes a lot of sense.

GUTFELD: You know, the list, you have Rubio, Ryan, Pawlenty, Portman, Christie. Ayotte? I never get that name right. And McDonnell, Jindal, Jeb Bush. People seem to be saying it's going to be Ryan now.

BOLLING: Well, people who are probably conservatives are trying to say it's going to be Ryan, because they'd like to see Ryan. They like his fiscal policies, they like his whole idea of small government, smaller taxation. A lot of people think, I mean, the common wisdom right now is Portman, because you have Ohio, he is a safe bet. But Mitt Romney for me in my opinion, is he can't play it safe. Prevent defense in football. You know, if you are lucky enough to win even though you're up, you're going to make it a close game. Why not go for a Rubio or --

GUILFOYLE: He's got to win. What is the point -- what is the point of window dressing. Go for it.

TANTAROS: Yes, but I don't -- Bob, I think you and I will agree on this one. VPs don't do as much for a candidate as people think that they do, but actually, a VP, the point would be to do no harm. And that's been sort of the Romney campaign theme with everything that they've done.

BECKEL: But the one thing we do know about vice presidential candidates is they tend to add a half a point or a point to their home state. That's all. But if you look at this list, they are all in swing states. Right? You got two of them in Florida, which is a big swing state. The difference of a point in Florida, as we have seen in the past, is a lot. And so I am not surprised to see swing state candidates. And Wisconsin by the way is a swing state now.

BOLLING: Is it?

BECKEL: Yes, I think it is, sure.

BOLLING: What about Christie? That's not a swing state.

BECKEL: I'm not so sure Jersey isn't a swing state.

GUILFOYLE: You think he's got to pick Rubio to win, Bob?

(CROSSTALK)

BECKEL: I think Christie is not going to be the choice.

TANTAROS: The reason I like Walker and the reason I like Ryan and the reason I like others, is they actually stood up and tried to tackle entitlements. They have done something very, very courageous. Christie the same thing, I don't think he is in the running. But that is a stark contrast with what Biden and Obama have done. So they can really make a case in these swing states. Look, Wisconsin, they rebuked the unions. And they can make--

(CROSSTALK)

BECKEL: That's right. They've take some pretty strong GOP positions, but I'll tell you, I'd be a little careful about whether he wants to be associated with somebody who is about changing entitlements. It brings it into the campaign. I think Romney would prefer not to have it in the campaign.

GUTFELD: Well, the good news is we're all going to be down there to see all this.

(CROSSTALK)

GUILFOYLE: That was a secret.

GUTFELD: Unfortunately, I checked the travel, and we don't have enough room, so we are going to have to bunk, Kimberly.

GUILFOYLE: It's OK. I'll be serving and passing the peanuts.

(CROSSTALK)

BECKEL: I'm not going. You can take my room.

BOLLING: Let me guess. I get Bob?

(CROSSTALK)

BOLLING: It's you and me.

BECKEL: The whole idea of going to that convention is like going to a sick ward for measles.

BOLLING: I get the top bunk, you get the bottom.

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