Kerry Washington urges film and TV productions to return to Los Angeles

Kerry Washington wants to see more film and TV productions coming back to Los Angeles. In a recent podcast appearance, the actress expressed her concern about the trend of filming projects outside of Hollywood due to the high costs associated with shooting in LA compared to other places. She highlighted her own experience with her new movie, Wake Up Dead Man, which was filmed in London even though the story is set in upstate New York.

Washington emphasized the importance of bringing more work back to California to provide opportunities for local talent who may be limited in their ability to travel for projects. She noted that other states and countries offer more incentives for filming, which results in a loss of jobs for LA-based creatives.

The actress, who runs the production company Simpson Street, recently produced two projects in LA: the Apple TV+ series Imperfect Women and the thriller Animals. Washington expressed pride in creating opportunities for talent in Los Angeles and stressed the significance of supporting the creative community in the city.

As Wake Up Dead Man is now available for streaming on Netflix, Washington continues to advocate for more projects to be based in Los Angeles to nurture the local talent pool and provide opportunities for artists to work close to home.