Move Away From LA
There’s really no place like home and some celebrities totally get that! Living in Los Angeles might have its perks but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. A few stars opt for a more chill lifestyle and have ditched the spotlight to settle back into their hometowns. Instead of being mobbed by paparazzi they choose to live just down the street from family and enjoy life in the places that shaped them.
Glen Powell
Glen Powell might be on a roll in Hollywood but he chose to head back to his hometown Austin, Texas after some words of wisdom from Matthew McConaughey. Glen reflects that Matthew reminded him how vital it is to be close to family and genuine friends. He even picked a place just half an hour from his parents.
“He said ‘Hollywood is the Matrix, man. You plug in, and it’s all fake.’ Then he goes to Austin and ‘unplugs’. It’s all real. Those are my buddies, that’s my family, my actions mean something there.’ And he’s spot on,” Glen shared.
He added, “When you’re in Hollywood, it’s like living in the Matrix without a break. Especially with my folks getting older and my niece and nephew growing up, I really wanted that space from those two worlds.”
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves have been living in Austin since 2014, which influenced the advice he gave to Glen. Before that, they were in Malibu but after some family matters, Matthew realized he wanted to come back home for good.
“We have what we need here. We’ve got security and roots,” he said on the Good Trouble podcast. “When Camila and I started a family, I wanted them to grow up like I did.”
Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul grew up in Idaho and while he admits he “took it for granted” back then, he really values his hometown now. He and his family have a home in Boise and a lake house in McCall that they took almost three years to build.
“The whole time I’m living this dream life in the wilderness, I couldn’t wait to leave. But the more time I spend away, the more I miss it,” he told Men’s Journal. “Now that we’ve got a place there, we actually spend more time in Idaho than we do in LA when I’m not working.”
Chris Evans
After finishing up with Avengers: Endgame, Chris Evans decided to ditch LA for good and go back to Massachusetts. He says being back in his old stomping grounds lets him take life at a slower pace, making him feel way less anxious.
“[Being home] takes me back to a simpler time — not just simpler but to a time where I felt more pure; when my ego and insecurities weren’t such a big deal,” he shared with GQ.
Chad Michael Murray
Chad Michael Murray left Buffalo, New York as a teen but has recently chosen to go back with his family. Chad, his wife Sarah Roemer, and their three kids made the move official in 2024. He said he couldn’t be more excited and is looking forward to starting some holiday traditions.
“I’m pumped. I go all out like Clark Griswold and have plans in store for the kids,” he told Interview magazine. “I pretty much handle all the decorations myself. This year I did call someone to hang lights since I can’t be there to do it, but once I’m back, it’s game on. We go big… And the best part? It was my wife’s idea.”
Eric Stonestreet
After Modern Family wrapped, Eric Stonestreet moved back to Kansas City where he owns a big 78-acre property. Looking back at his choice to return home, he mentions how it really gives him a different perspective on Hollywood ringing true the good and bad of the biz.
“Since I’m here, I get to have real, genuine experiences with folks, but then I go to Hollywood and see all the types of people you have to deal with,” Eric said in an episode of In Depth With Graham Bensinger.