Jon Voight has submitted a “comprehensive plan” to President Donald Trump mapping out ways to boost domestic film and television production, the Oscar-winning actor’s manager announced Monday.
Voight and his manager, Steven Paul, met with Trump over the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, according to a news release. Voight and Paul pitched their suite of ideas, including federal tax incentives, changes to various tax codes, co-production treaties with foreign countries and infrastructure subsidies for production companies and theater owners.
The meeting took place before Trump called for duties on “any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands,” decrying other nations for offering financial incentives that have lured producers away. Trump's Truth Social post Sunday night was met with a mix of confusion and fear by the entertainment industry.
White House officials clarified Monday that “no final decisions” had been made and that they were “exploring all options.” It was not immediately clear whether Trump’s proposal would also apply to TV productions or and exactly what part of physical production would be tariffed.
Voight and Paul’s proposal includes what the two characterize as “tariffs in certain limited circumstances.” The news release otherwise does not mention tariffs.
Voight is one of three stars Trump tapped to be “special ambassadors to Hollywood,” which Trump has called a “great but very troubled place.” The two others are Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone.
In a statement, Voight said in part: “The President loves the entertainment business and this country, and he will help us make Hollywood great again.”
“We look forward to working with the administration, the unions, studios, and streamers to help form a plan to keep our industry healthy and bring more productions back to America,” he added.
“By creating the right environment through smart incentives, updated policies, and much-needed support, we can ensure that American production companies thrive, more jobs stay here at home, and Hollywood once again leads the world in creativity and innovation."
In recent years, the American film industry has suffered a series of economic blows. Covid and two labor strikes upended the content pipeline. Physical production has declined in California amid budget cuts and more generous tax incentives elsewhere.
Voight is known for his conservative political views. He is one of Trump’s highest-profile celebrity backers, having once called him “the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln.”
Voight won the Academy Award for best actor for the Vietnam war drama “Coming Home” (1978) and starred in the best picture winner “Midnight Cowboy” (1969). He is also known for his roles in films such as “Deliverance,” “Mission: Impossible” and “Ali.”
Paul is a producer, actor and talent manager who founded the independent production company Crystal Sky Pictures.
