A growing chorus of concern is emerging from inside the entertainment industry, with longtime performers warning that Hollywood is losing its footing.
According to the New York Post, among them is David Spade, who didn’t hold back while reflecting on how much the business has changed over the years.
Speaking on his podcast “Fly on the Wall,” which he co-hosts with Dana Carvey, Spade painted a bleak picture of the industry he once knew.
“Dude, I’m so old,” he said. “I was on the lot at, uh, CBS Radford when we were doing ‘Just Shoot Me’… And also they were doing ‘Seinfeld,’ and I’d see him on his bike.”
Those memories, he suggested, feel like a distant era compared to what he sees now.
“It was the greatest lot. Of course, just filed for bankruptcy, the lot. Terrifying in L.A. Thanks, [LA Mayor] Karen Bass. Thanks, [Gov.] Gavin Newsom.”
Spade summed up his frustration bluntly, saying “the Hollywood industry is dying” and admitting he’s “just trying to put the blame somewhere.”
Carvey echoed the concern, arguing that the traditional studio system is fading and warning that fewer productions are being made.
“The amount of productions is dying, and so they have to do something so more production comes back, and that starts with negotiating with the union and also subsidizing the industry tax breaks to compete with Romania,” Carvey said.
Their comments reflect a broader anxiety among entertainers as film and television projects increasingly move outside California — and even outside the United States.
Several high-profile figures have already stepped into that debate. Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson were named special ambassadors to Hollywood by President Donald Trump in January 2025, part of an effort to revive domestic production.
Voight later emphasized the urgency of the situation in an interview, voicing support for aggressive measures aimed at bringing jobs back.
“It’s come to a point where we really do need help, and thank God the president cares about Hollywood and movies,” Voight said. “He has a great love for Hollywood in that way. We’ve got to roll up our sleeves here. We can’t let it go down the drain like Detroit.”
He pointed to the incentives offered by other countries as a major factor pulling productions away, noting that studios are responding to global competition.
“This shouldn’t be political,” Voight added. “I don’t know the political identities of the people we’ve talked to. We’ve talked to a lot of people here. I don’t distinguish them on their party affiliation. And If we can come up with [a plan that can be executed], he’ll back us. He wants us to be the Hollywood of old. If we all come together, I believe we have a bright future.”
For now, however, voices like Spade’s suggest many inside the industry remain unconvinced that turnaround efforts are happening fast enough.
