Mel Gibson has stated that as one of President Donald Trump’s “special envoys,” he want to assist in resolving the issue of Hollywood’s exodus.
Ahead of his inauguration, Trump appointed Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, and Jon Voight as ambassadors to Hollywood, tasked with restoring business to the film industry.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Saturday, Gibson stated that he was “ready, willing, and able to be of service” to Trump before discussing the trend of Californians leaving the state.
“A lot of people have left, and I don’t blame them,” Gibson said, adding that many had left for the same reasons Hannity said drove him out of New York: violence, schools, high taxes, and regulations.
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“It didn’t suit them anymore,” Gibson explained. “Even liberals felt it no longer suited them. But what happens if everyone leaves?
The Oscar winner, famed for his appearances in “Lethal Weapon” and “Braveheart,” stated that, despite the trend, he has decided to remain in California. Gibson’s home was just destroyed by the Los Angeles flames.
The actor, 69, stated that in the future, California must “be competitive” with the rest of the world to discourage people from packing their bags.
People “are going somewhere else because it’s more affordable. “There are a lot of prohibitive regulations and things in the way that I believe could be lifted,” he added. “But I think it can be fixed.”
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According to Business Insider, little over 817,000 people departed California between 2021 and 2022, the highest number of any state during that time period.
Actors, executives, and producers have left the Golden State in recent years, including Stallone, Gibson’s fellow Hollywood ambassador.
The “Rocky” actor stated in an episode of “The Family Stallone” shot in 2023 but shown in 2024 that he and his family had “permanently” left California and were heading to Florida.
It’s easy to understand why some people prefer Florida to California. The state levies no personal income tax, and the corporate income tax is similarly relatively modest.
In an interview with Fox News, Gibson stated that he intends to focus on tax breaks in his new post, as those granted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom may not be “enough.”
“I understand Newsom provided some tax breaks, but they may have been insufficient because they are still ineffective. “There are other factors that counteract that,” he explained.
Expanding on the status of the film industry, Gibson stated that on one occasion, it was less expensive for him to fly a full film team to Europe, give lodging, and shoot for three days than to “shoot for one day just down the road.”
“There’s something wrong there,” he said.
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