Star actor Mark Wahlberg is speaking out about California’s economic freefall and is actively lobbying to establish a new film industry in his new home in Las Vegas. The 51-year-old actor ditched California for Nevada last fall, relocating his family in the hopes of giving his kids a “better life” and allowing them to “follow and pursue their dreams.” In an interview with Fox Business, the former Funky Bunch lead stood by the decision and laid out his vision for a “Hollywood 2.0″ set in Sin City.
“It just has the best of both worlds,” Wahlberg told Fox. “I know a lot of people, when they think Las Vegas, they think the Strip. But just about 15, 20 minutes away, there’s a whole lot of other amazing areas that are all about family and community.”
According to the actor, Las Vegas boasts “lots of opportunity for growth,” and credited the state’s Republican governor Joe Lombardo with building a thriving economy.
“And the government, especially our new governor, is really looking for opportunities to create jobs outside of gaming. So we’re looking to create 10,000 jobs on the studio alone. The average salary would be $100,000 more than what it is now. We want to train people both in front of and behind the camera, create jobs, most importantly, first and foremost, for locals.”
That economic boom, Wahlberg says, makes the area a perfect fit for a film renaissance.
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It looks like Mark Wahlberg is leading the way to bring some Hollywood magic over to Nevada! After selling his $90 million mansion in Beverly Hills last year, he's been working hard to make Hollywood 2.0 a reality in Las Vegas. And he's not just the owner of a new plot of land or…
— Jewels Jones (@JewelsJonesLive) June 4, 2023
“And then, after that, I think we can attract a lot of people,” Wahlberg said, adding that “The housing market is great” in Nevada.
The Daily Mail reported Sunday that Wahlberg this week started taking active steps to turn his vision into a reality. The movie star is reportedly pushing state lawmakers to approve up to $190 million in annual tax credits for film production, up from a current $10 million.
“I would love to see us building studios, creating jobs and just diversifying the economy,” Wahlberg told the outlet in an interview outside the Nevada Legislature. “I’ve moved my last film here. I’m shooting another film here coming up in the summertime.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Howard Hughes Corporation are reportedly co-sponsors of the package, which if approved by lawmakers would continue for 20 years.
“I think there’s so much more opportunity to be created here. There’s so much growth and so much potential, it’s a wonderful opportunity for everybody to prosper,” ~ Mark Wahlberg
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Mark Wahlberg is bartending on Fremont Street again pic.twitter.com/oBSMVcF67y
— Las Vegas Locally 🌴 (@LasVegasLocally) May 28, 2023
Last year, Wahlberg sold his 12-bedroom, 20-bathroom mansion in the Beverly Hills for a whopping $87.5 million while relocating to Nevada.
In a March interview with Fox Business, Wahlberg said that his colleagues that moved to the Vegas area from California saw a massive leap in their standard of living.
“They went from three-bedroom houses that they were really struggling to pay rent for. And now they have a six-bedroom house. And it’s, you know, half the cost… And, you know, they walk their dogs. They’re in a gated community. They’ve got the school right there two blocks down the road.”
“It’s just a much better lifestyle here and more affordable,” the actor said, bidding farewell to California.
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