When Donald Trump announced on social media that he was naming Jon Voight, Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone as Hollywood’s “special ambassadors,” there was one particularly surprised person: Gibson. The actor learned about the ambassadorship as the rest of the country did, but it was not unwelcome, with Gibson, saying he will “heed the call.”
“I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised,” Gibson said in a statement after yesterday’s announcement. “Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can.” Gibson, who recently lost his Malibu home during the Palisades fire in Los Angeles, concluded the statement, joking, “Any chance the position comes with an Ambassador’s residence?”
The purpose of the envoy, wrote Trump, is to bring film and television production back to the U.S. Hollywood productions have increasingly moved to countries like Canada, the U.K., and Australia that offer tax incentives.
“They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!” Trump wrote on Thursday in the Truth Social post that announced the trio of ambassadors. “These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!”
It is unclear what, if any, plans Trump has to help bring back production to the country. Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a budget that more than doubles the amount of tax credits in California. For his part, Gibson will soon release his latest directorial effort, the Mark Wahlberg starter Flight Risk, which was filmed partially in Nevada.
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