Trump Hollywood ambassador Jon Voight warns we can't let Hollywood go 'down the drain like Detroit'
Jon Voight is taking his role as special ambassador for Hollywood seriously.
The "National Treasure" star met with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida over the weekend just before the president announced 100% tariffs on filming overseas.
"It's come to a point where we really do need help, and thank God the president cares about Hollywood and movies," Voight told Variety this week. "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."
Trump appointed Voight along with Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone as Hollywood ambassadors in January soon after taking office, referring to it as a "great but very troubled place."
President Trump's Hollywood Ambassador Jon Voight Rolls Out Proposal To 'Make Hollywood Great Again'
"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!" he wrote on Truth Social at the time. "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!"
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Voight told Variety the goal was to "give people back their dignity and their jobs," without going into specifics about the plan, adding, "Something has to be done, and it's way past time."
Although some in the industry have reacted negatively to the tariffs proposal, Voight said he's been getting positive feedback.
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"We've gotten a lot of good response from people," he added. "We're really rolling up our sleeves and working. I think we have a good plan, and we're just beginning. This little team of mine has worked very hard to try to figure out things. The union people and producers give their expertise and understanding to this problem, and we're working together. A lot of people had a lot of input and we're listening to everybody."
Voight said the studios have taken advantage of financial incentives to shoot abroad.
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"Every studio has a lot of smart people, and they have maneuvered the write-offs and the gifts that are being given out throughout the world to lure people to different countries," he told Variety. "They take advantage of them. Now we're saying, 'Hey, we have to have that here.' Let's have the level playing field. But really, we need more than that. We need to be competitive."
Voight also said he thinks that both he and Trump have been treated unfairly by those in the industry who lean left.
"But what's the difference? Who cares?" he said. "I mean, there's been a battle, but now it's time to put that aside. And I must say, in all of the interactions we've had [on addressing runaway production], politics has never come up. Never."
"This shouldn't be political," Voight added. "I don't know the political identities of the people we've talked to. We've talked to a lot of people here. I don't distinguish them on their party affiliation. And If we can come up with [a plan that can be executed], he'll back us. He wants us to be the Hollywood of old. If we all come together, I believe we have a bright future."Original article source: Trump Hollywood ambassador Jon Voight warns we can't let Hollywood go 'down the drain like Detroit'
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Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Trump authorizes additional 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles, US officials say
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They say he is putting public safety at risk by adding military personnel even though police say they don't need the help. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement he was confident in the police department's ability to handle large-scale demonstrations and that the Marines' arrival without coordinating with the police department would present a 'significant logistical and operational challenge' for them. Newsom called the deployments reckless and 'disrespectful to our troops' in a post on the social platform X. 'This isn't about public safety,' Newsom said. 'It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego.' The protests began Friday in downtown Los Angeles after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city. The smell of smoke hung in the air downtown Monday, one day after crowds blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire as police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. Additional protests against immigration raids continued into the evening on Monday in several other cities including San Francisco and Santa Ana in California and Dallas and Austin in Texas. In Austin, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a post on X that more than a dozen protesters were arrested, while in Santa Ana, a spokesperson for the city's police department said the National Guard had arrived in the city to secure federal buildings. California pushes back against presence of federal troops California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit over the use of National Guard troops following the first deployment, telling reporters in his announcement Monday that Trump had 'trampled' the state's sovereignty. 'We don't take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilizing California National Guard troops,' Bonta said. He sought a court order declaring Trump's use of the Guard unlawful and asking for a restraining order to halt the deployment. Trump said Monday that the city would have been 'completely obliterated' if he had not deployed the Guard. U.S. officials said the Marine troops were deployed to protect federal property and personnel, including federal immigration agents. Trump's Monday order put more National Guard members on active duty, but one U.S. official warned that the order was just signed and it could take a day or two to get troops moving. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements. Despite their presence, there has been limited engagement so far between the Guard and protesters while local law enforcement implements crowd control. Bass criticized the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines as a 'deliberate attempt' by the Trump administration to 'create disorder and chaos in our city.' She made a plea to the federal government: 'Stop the raids.' Early protests remained peaceful On Monday, thousands flooded the streets around City Hall for a union rally ahead of a hearing for arrested labor leader David Huerta , who was freed a few hours later on a $50,000 bond. Huerta's arrest on Friday while protesting immigration raids has become a rallying cry for people angry over the administration's crackdown. He is the president of the Service Employees International Union California, which represents thousands of the state's janitors, security officers and other workers. Early protests had a calm and even joyful atmosphere at times, with people dancing to live music and buoyed by Huerta's release. Protesters linked hands in front of a line of police officers outside the downtown federal detention center where Huerta was being held. Religious leaders joined the protesters, working with organizers at times to de-escalate moments of tension. There was a heavy law enforcement presence in the few square blocks including the federal detention facility, while most in the immense city of some 4 million people went about their normal business on peaceful streets. Chanting against a line of National Guard troops with Homeland Security officers behind them surrounding the federal buildings ramped up in the afternoon as people yelled, 'Free them all!' and 'National Guard go away.' As the crowd thinned, police began pushing protesters away from the area, firing crowd-control munitions as people chanted, 'Peaceful protest.' Officers became more aggressive in their tactics in the evening, occasionally surging forward to arrest protesters that got too close. At least a dozen people remaining in the busy Little Tokyo neighborhood were surrounded by police and detained. Other protests took shape Monday across LA County. Outside a Los Angeles clothing warehouse, relatives of detained workers demanded at a news conference in the morning that their loved ones be released. The family of Jacob Vasquez, 35, who was detained Friday at the warehouse, where he worked, said they had yet to receive any information about him. 'Jacob is a family man and the sole breadwinner of his household,' Vasquez's brother, Gabriel, told the crowd. He asked that his last name not be used, fearing being targeted by authorities. Several dozen people were arrested in protests throughout the weekend. Authorities say one was detained Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers. Guard deployment is a nearly unprecedented escalation The deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration's mass deportation efforts. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. In a directive Saturday, Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' ___ Sullivan reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles, Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Hallie Golden in Seattle and Jake Offenhartz in New York contributed to this report. 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San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump authorizes additional 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles, US officials say
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Another 2,000 National Guard troops along with 700 Marines are headed to Los Angeles on orders Monday from President Donald Trump, escalating a military presence local officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom don't want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests. An initial 2,000 Guard troops ordered by Trump started arriving Sunday, which saw the most violence during three days of protests driven by anger over Trump's stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws that critics say are breaking apart migrant families. Monday's demonstrations were far less raucous, with thousands peacefully attending a rally at City Hall and hundreds protesting outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids across the city. Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth. 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Additional protests against immigration raids continued into the evening on Monday in several other cities including San Francisco and Santa Ana in California and Dallas and Austin in Texas. In Austin, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a post on X that more than a dozen protesters were arrested, while in Santa Ana, a spokesperson for the city's police department said the National Guard had arrived in the city to secure federal buildings. California pushes back against presence of federal troops California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit over the use of National Guard troops following the first deployment, telling reporters in his announcement Monday that Trump had 'trampled' the state's sovereignty. 'We don't take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilizing California National Guard troops,' Bonta said. He sought a court order declaring Trump's use of the Guard unlawful and asking for a restraining order to halt the deployment. Trump said Monday that the city would have been 'completely obliterated' if he had not deployed the Guard. U.S. officials said the Marine troops were deployed to protect federal property and personnel, including federal immigration agents. Trump's Monday order put more National Guard members on active duty, but one U.S. official warned that the order was just signed and it could take a day or two to get troops moving. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements. Despite their presence, there has been limited engagement so far between the Guard and protesters while local law enforcement implements crowd control. Bass criticized the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines as a 'deliberate attempt' by the Trump administration to 'create disorder and chaos in our city.' She made a plea to the federal government: 'Stop the raids.' 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Outside a Los Angeles clothing warehouse, relatives of detained workers demanded at a news conference in the morning that their loved ones be released. The family of Jacob Vasquez, 35, who was detained Friday at the warehouse, where he worked, said they had yet to receive any information about him. 'Jacob is a family man and the sole breadwinner of his household,' Vasquez's brother, Gabriel, told the crowd. He asked that his last name not be used, fearing being targeted by authorities. Several dozen people were arrested in protests throughout the weekend. Authorities say one was detained Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers. Guard deployment is a nearly unprecedented escalation The deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration's mass deportation efforts. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. In a directive Saturday, Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' ___ Sullivan reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles, Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Hallie Golden in Seattle and Jake Offenhartz in New York contributed to this report.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Top Drama TV Showrunners on Killing Off Beloved Characters, Mapping Out Multiple Seasons and the Trick to Not Becoming Overwhelmed
No, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann didn't kill Pedro Pascal. That was just one key messaging point delivered during Variety's A Night in the Writers' Room on Thursday night. Although this was the drama panel, many hilarious conversations came out of the discussion moderated by Variety's senior TV features editor Emily Longeretta. In addition to 'The Last of Us' creators, panelists included 'Severance' creator Dan Erickson, 'Paradise' creator Dan Fogelman, 'The Pitt' creator R. Scott Gemmill, 'Doc' creator Barbie Kligman, 'Yellowjackets' co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson and 'Cross' creator Ben Watkins. More from Variety Don't Forget 'Severance' Star Tramell Tillman This Emmy Season Why Nicola Coughlan Is the Soul of 'Bridgerton' and Deserves an Emmy Nomination 'Severance' Creator Dan Erickson Discusses the 'Depressing' Lumon Industries - While Touring Lumen, the Actual Name for Variety's Office Building While discussing the pressures of following a stellar first season with a second one — Mazin and Druckmann shed light on the ups and downs. 'There's this thing that happens when you're making the first season of something where you truly are just rolling down a hill on fire. If you stay alive, that's a huge achievement. If a show comes out, that's amazing,' Mazin said. 'The second season comes with so many expectations, and we did learn a lot of lessons. And the problem with learning lessons is then you have to be accountable to those lessons. And you're not allowed to make those mistakes anymore, which is tragic. You do feel pressure to somehow fulfill what people want but also surprise them. You're now a topic of discussion, whereas before you were just new and surprising. I mean, the bar for video game adaptations was pretty low. We had that going for us in Season 1 — now we kind of fucked ourselves.' Druckmann added that it 'can feel very scary' doing a second season, just like it did when creating a second chapter of the video game. 'People had very strong reactions to whatever controversial story decision we made,' he said, referring to the death of Pedro Pascal's Joel Miller in Season 2. 'He did a thing. Everyone lost their shit, and then I had to do that same thing, because he did the thing. I loved doing the thing, I thought it was great,' Mazin says of the death. 'The big complaint that I've gotten is, 'Why did you kill Pedro Pascal?' And I keep explaining, we didn't kill him! He's a man, he's alive. He's fine. And he's in literally everything else. So I don't know what the problem is!' The group also discussed planning ahead when pitching a season and knowing how many seasons their shows will last. Fogelman said he pitched 'Paradise' as a three-season show since he has a three-year plan — and always does that in the room — but the plans could always change. 'I know, generally, how many episodes I want to do, but then once you have those markers, you say, 'that's act one, that's act 2, that's act 3,' he said. 'If you set that, it's a really lucky place to be, but it can be really helpful, even if it's 10 seasons.' One of the bigger themes that the writers dove into was just how difficult it is to launch a successful show, continue a successful show and not become overwhelmed. However, Gemmill, who worked on 'ER' and showran 'NCIS: Los Angeles' before creating 'The Pitt' seemed to have it all figured out — much to the others' chagrin.'I've been doing it a long time, and I also think, at the end of the day, I'm not saving kids' lives. I'm making a fucking TV show. It's 'Gilligan's Island.' If it's still on the air 50 years after I'm dead, wonderful,' said Gemmill. 'I'm just so damn lucky to get paid not to have people shoot at me or run into a burning building.' When Nickerson noted that of Gemmill is right, he also had a follow up question: 'The thing that we need to know is how you hold onto that perspective and frame when the void that lives inside you is threatening to eat everything you ever thought you could be, would be or should be.' Gemmill had the perfect response: 'You've never tried ketamine?' Watch the full panel above. Best of Variety Emmy Predictions: Documentary Programs — Nonfiction Races Spotlight Pee-wee Herman, Simone Biles and YouTube Creators 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
