For actor Dennis Quaid, Texas should be the next film capital of the world to replace Hollywood in collapsing California.
The actor of "The Big Easy" fame told Fox News anchor Jesse Watters: "We want to make Texas the film capital of the world. That's what Texas used to really have – a great film incentive program and a great film crew base." Quaid continued that this film boom could happen if state lawmakers introduce "more business-friendly" legislation.
According to the actor, film funding in the Lone Star State could potentially increase from $40 million to $300 million. Quaid told the "Jesse Watters Primetime" host: "It would bring back a lot of people who moved to other states like Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana … and Georgia."
Quaid, who was recognized for his role in the 2002 film "Far from Heaven," recounted making some "great movies" and loving his work in Texas "about nine or 10 years ago." In contrast, he admitted not being able to remember "the last time I made a film in California."
The Golden State, which is home to Hollywood, has become a haven for pre- and post-production in recent years – a trend that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic accelerated. Meanwhile, filming has largely been done in other states such as Georgia and Oklahoma due to their massive tax incentives.
"Texas did a really good job at taking a big share of the tech industry away from Silicon Valley. You go down to Austin and you can see that really clearly. The same thing can be done with movies and television shows; it's a great place to shoot," remarked Quaid.
"Think of the California gold rush. It's like a few people did strike it rich, but the people who really made money were the shopkeepers. People selling shovels, spades and stuff like that who were doing other things besides mining for gold. That's kind of what happened here."
Celebrities leaving Collapsifornia for other states
Meanwhile, many celebrities are leaving California mainly because of its deteriorating situation exacerbated by left-wing policies at the state and local levels. Scott Baio, known for his role as Chachi on the sitcom "Happy Days," is one of them.
The longtime Los Angeles resident announced his intentions to leave the Golden State in a May 3 tweet: "After 45 years, I'm making my way to finally 'exit stage right' from California." He also included a quote from a KTLA 5 report about a survey conducted by the LA Homeless Services Authority. The survey "found approximately 69,000 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County and 41,000 in the city in 2022."
Baio further lamented: "[Homelessness] brings down property value. Also, [there are] no consequences for crime that is rampant – making things higher in price. It's not just a safe place anymore." (Related: Californians now so desperate to escape state they are moving to Mexico to avoid inflation, crime.)
The "Happy Days" star later disclosed that he and his family now live in Florida. Appearing on Watters' program, Baio lamented how his former home had devolved into a "third-world country" over the past 45 years.
"[There's] the homeless defecating on the sidewalk [and] doing drugs on the sidewalk in the middle of the day. Illegal aliens all over the place, laws mean nothing, crime is out of control [and] graffiti [is] on everything," said the actor.
"I've been in California [for] a very, very long time and it's so sad to me. I've got family and I've got friends there. I didn't want to leave, but I've been pretty much forced out."
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Watch Scott Baio tell Fox News' Maria Bartiromo that he and his family no longer felt safe in California below.
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