When Donald Trump announced on social media that he was naming Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone as Hollywood’s new “special ambassadors,” there was one person who found the news especially surprising—Mel Gibson. The actor found out about his new role at the same time as the rest of the world, but he wasn’t upset about it. In fact, he was quite open to the idea, saying he was ready to “heed the call.”
In a statement after Trump’s announcement, Gibson shared, “I got the tweet at the same time as all of you and was just as surprised. Nevertheless, I heed the call. My duty as a citizen is to give any help and insight I can.” With his usual wit, Gibson added, “Any chance the position comes with an Ambassador’s residence?”
Now, what exactly does this “special ambassador” role mean? According to Trump, the goal is to bring film and television production back to the U.S. Hollywood has seen a lot of its business shift to other countries like Canada, the U.K., and Australia, where tax incentives are more attractive.
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “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!” The idea is to turn things around, making Hollywood bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.
But what does that really mean in terms of action? It’s still unclear how Trump plans to make Hollywood’s comeback a reality. However, just this month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a budget that will more than double the state’s tax credits for filmmakers.
As for Gibson, he’s already busy with his own work. His upcoming movie, Flight Risk, starring Mark Wahlberg, was partially filmed in Nevada and is set to hit theaters soon.
So, while the whole idea of Hollywood ambassadors may sound a little out of the blue, these three stars are ready to do their part in what could be a new chapter for the industry. It’s an interesting mix of politics and Hollywood, and one that could bring some big changes in the future.