Jon Voight thinks President Donald Trump “has “been treated unfairly” by Hollywood.
“I think I have, too,” Voight said in an interview with Variety published Wednesday. “But what’s the difference? Who cares? I mean, there’s been a battle, but now it’s time to put that aside.”
Jon Kopaloff/Getty
Jon Voight pictured in September
Trump named Voight, along with actors-directors Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone, as special ambassadors to Hollywood, via his own Truth Social, before he had even taken office a second time. He called the historic center of the entertainment industry “a great but very troubled place,” and said his trio of ambassadors would be his “eyes and ears.” He promised to “get done what they suggest” and specifically cited wanting to bring back Hollywood.
More recently, Voight said that he’s been surprised at the negative reaction the media had to Trump announcing Sunday — again via his social media platform — that a 100 percent tariff would be imposed on movies coming into the United States after being made in other countries.
“How about enthusiasm and gratitude?” Voight asked.
The Midnight Cowboy star, who’s long been a supporter of Trump, explained that, in the conversations he’s had with the Republican president on the subject, “politics has never come up. Never.”
Nonprofit FilmLA reported in April that shooting in the city was down 22.4 percent from January to March. The area continues to suffer from a downturn in productions that are instead making their homes in other countries with lower costs.
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State lawmakers have proposed beefing up the tax credit that productions receive for filming in the “Golden State.” At the same time, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed working with Trump on a federal tax credit intended to fuel more domestic production.
“It’s come to a point where we really do need help, and thank God the president cares about Hollywood and movies,” Voight said. “He has a great love for Hollywood in that way. We’ve got to roll up our sleeves here. We can’t let it go down the drain like Detroit.”
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