Former "Melrose Place" star Andrew Shue believes that the majority of Americans have lost faith in the promise that once defined the country.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the 59-year-old actor, who founded the new bipartisan initiative The Forum, shared his grim assessment of the current mood of citizens in the United States, arguing that people across the economic and political spectrum are struggling.
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"There's nobody in this country right now that thinks we're in a good place," Shue said. "You look around and you say, how do we feel about our kids? How do we fill it feel about our kid's future? What kind of anxiety level do we all have? You're seeing 70% believe the American dream is dead or dying."
"So we're all in this boat together," he continued. "There's nobody who's jumping out, whether you're a billionaire, a bartender, everybody in between, we are all in this together."
Shue said that Americans' growing pessimism is not being driven by a single election or political figure, but by systemic problems he believes have accumulated over decades.
"We're realizing that the engine is broken and the main systems that drive that engine are our political system and our economic system," Shue explained. "The political system only rewards people in power — there happen to be a lot of old people — and performative conflict. The economic system is really just rewarding people at the top. Ninety percent feel like they're treading water or underwater, and have been for decades. The other thing I'll say is all of these problems existed long before [current U.S. President] Donald Trump came to the scene."
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"And so, as we look around, and we're fighting each other, and we try to figure out, what are we gonna do? Who's coming to save us? The answer is right in front of us," he continued. "It's us. It's the American people. The question is, ‘Oh, that seems kind of obvious. Yeah, the consent of the governed.’ We are the ones who are supposed to be the ultimate authority."
To help address what he sees as the country's growing divide, Shue founded The Forum, a nonpartisan civic initiative that brings together politically diverse Americans to identify areas of agreement and develop policy proposals. The initiative has already been implemented in three early primary states, including South Carolina, New Hampshire and Nevada.
"We have launched the Forum that I've been working on for the last eight years with an incredible team," he said. "It's the place and the process for the American people to co-create that renewal agenda. Over 300,000 people have participated so far. Perfectly politically balanced — conservatives showing up, liberals showing up, people on the far left, far right — everybody's showing up, and we have credibility and legitimacy."
"Elected leaders from both sides who put down their arms are actually leading the efforts in each state," he added. "So this is the way forward. The question is, will the legislators, the elected leaders, follow? The American people are ready to lead."
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As the initiative has expanded across three states, Shue told Fox News Digital that he has been struck by how quickly participants find common ground despite their political differences.
"I think that the thing that surprised me the most was that when you give people this assignment, you say, 'It's now on you, you are going to be the hero of the story. All you have to do is work together, listen to each other, listen to your lived experiences, and come up with something that you can agree on,'" Shue said.
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"And 70% have to agree — that's the supermajority number, 70% or higher — and then it can go forward as draft legislation," he continued. "And the thing that's beautiful is when you get these people in the rooms with people who are different, they can't figure out who the Democrat or the Republican is. They see all the common values. They see the common goal."
"Once you start listening to each other, once you start feeling like you're on the same team, and you have the same goal, anything's possible," Shue added. "And people are desperate. That's the thing. People are desperate. They're really ready for something new."
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The Delaware native also reflected on what has restored his optimism about Americans and what they can achieve when they are united.
"That we know what makes America, America," he said. "It's about that confidence, that belief in what's possible. You know, I think [U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it best, 'Anyone from anywhere can become anything.' And people believe that and they live that."
"America is a place — obviously we talk about opportunity — it's a place that gives everybody a shot," Shue continued. "And this is the moment where, again, we talk about the hero. This is the moment for the American people to be the heroes."
While Shue has largely stepped away from Hollywood, he said his "Melrose Place" fame has helped shine a spotlight on The Forum.
"It certainly hasn't hurt," he said. "People are a little bit confused. And then I tell them what I've been doing for the last eight years and how committed I've been to this project."
"This provides not just the pathway to create that renewal agenda, not just a pathway to create this new power source that's going to kind of break through this partisan gridlock that we have, but it's the opportunity for everybody to be part of something," Shue explained.
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"If you think about even MAGA and you say, why was MAGA so strong? It's because they belonged to something," he added. "But we need to belong to something that's not about beating the other side. We've got to belong to something that's about going somewhere together. We want to be on the same team. We are so exhausted with our politics."
"The American people can do this, create that renewal agenda, and then we create the power base to enforce it. And like I said, the elected leaders are going to have to go along with it because this is the only way we can do it."
Reflecting on the personal challenges he has faced in recent years, Shue said difficult experiences have changed the way he approaches relationships and community.
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"It definitely makes you try to put yourself in other people's shoes," he said. "To walk in other people's shoes is such an important part of building any kind of community, building any kind of understanding. We are all flawed. We are trying to be better people. We make decisions sometimes that don't work out for us or for our kids."
"And those experiences, when you really struggle, and you go through something painful, it teaches you what you're all about," Shue added.
As Shue now spends his time trying to help others rediscover faith in the American Dream, he said that he feels he experienced it firsthand during his own acting career when he landed his starring role on "Melrose Place."
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"It just gave me a ton of confidence," he said. "It gave me doors that were opened and it gave me a platform. And it came at a time in my life where I was a little bit trying to figure out my direction and what I was capable of. But it did give me possibility. I mean, it was the ultimate example of the American dream."
"It was a real boost to my confidence and a boost to my thought process about what could be possible."
