Chicago – April 26, 2025
Jon Voight, a famous actor known for his roles in films like Midnight Cowboy and Coming Home, has been chosen by U.S. President Donald Trump as one of three “special ambassadors” to Hollywood. Voight’s goal is to help bring back the golden age of Hollywood by supporting the film industry and restoring jobs in the entertainment sector.
Voight, along with his manager Steven Paul, a producer known for Ghost Rider, plans to meet with Trump soon to suggest ideas for improving the movie business. They believe the film industry has suffered because many movie productions are leaving California for places with better tax incentives. A report from FilmLA shows that the number of film productions in Los Angeles has dropped nearly 40% in the past decade.
To fix this, Voight and Paul are suggesting several ideas, including offering tax credits, job training programs, and better incentives for filmmakers to return to Los Angeles. They also want to speed up how quickly filmmakers can write off production costs under the U.S. tax code.
California has already been trying to help by offering tax credits to filmmakers, but Voight and Paul think the state should do even more. They are pushing for California to double the amount of tax credits it gives, from $330 million to $750 million each year. This could encourage more films and TV shows to be made in the state, creating more jobs and boosting the local economy.
