Russell Brand for prime minister? Not likely. But you just might see him play a revolutionary one day.
In an in-depth interview with BBC Newsnight, the British funnyman revealed that he's never voted in his life and explains why in his view the current political system in the U.K., U.S. and other western democracies is failing the people they're meant to serve.
"It's not that I'm not voting out of apathy. I'm not voting out of absolute indifference and weariness and exhaustion from the lies, treachery and deceit from the political class that's been going on for generations now," the 38-year-old Brand said.
The chat initially focused on the comic's new gig editing British political magazine The New Statesman, but quickly shifted to a conversation about his political views. And Katy Perry's ex offered up a passionate discourse on what he believes ails society today: "a disenfranchised, disillusioned, despondent underclass which has not been represented by the political system."
"I don't think [voting] works. People have voted already and that's what created the last paradigm," he said.
Brand explained that he was in favor of the formation of a "socialist egalitarian system based on a massive redistribution of wealth" in which corporations, especially energy conglomerates that exploit the environment, would face heavy taxation.
"The planet is being destroyed. We are creating an underclass. We are exploiting poor people all over the world and the genuine, legitimate problems of the people are not being addressed by the political class," he said.
Towards the end of the interview, Brand urged people not to vote and called for a revolution, or at least "change" and "genuine alternatives."