Many famous and successful stars have not warmed to the Hollywood grind and lifestyle. Two prominent examples I can think of from years back are actresses Julie Christie (an Academy Award-winner) and Ali MacGraw (an Academy Award nominee). There are surely loads more. The intense pressure, high visibility, and the competitive nature of being a renowned celebrity vying for choice roles just don't sit well with some people. That is despite their huge talent.
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One who walked away from the fabled Hollywood scene is Jonah Hill. He clarified his reasons for leaving in a live taping of the Sirius XM SmartLess podcast at the Avalon Hollywood hosted by Sean Hayes, Will Arnett, and Jason Bateman. What Hill said is illuminating for those who closely scrutinize Tinseltown and its residents. (Hint: Hill's change of address seemingly has a lot to do with raising his children.)
Why Hill and His Wife Pulled up Stakes and Left Los Angeles
The actor and comedian, 42, said that he and his wife, Olivia Millar and their two kids are now happily settled in San Diego. They made the move there a while back. It seems to agree wonderfully with Hill. He shared, "So I live in a very small town in San Diego, and it's amazing, and my neighbors are incredible people. And when we had our first kid, we moved out there three years ago. I wanted to leave L.A. and raise a family outside of Los Angeles."
Hill is compatible with his neighbors, who apparently respect his privacy. He said, "They never treat me weird or ask me about my job or anything. And my neighbor is one of my great friends, Dr. Sean, he never asked. He's here tonight. He never bothered me or was like, 'Oh, what's this person like?'"
He Does Have Fond Memories of Growing up in L. A.
The Los Angeles that Jonah Hill grew up in sounds more laid back and funky than it may be today. He did some reminiscing about it on the SmartLess podcast. "I grew up here. L.A. was such a cool place to grow up in the '90s because you could go skateboard downtown or you could sneak into a movie premiere or you could go sneak into a comedy club and see Chris Rock or something."
The Outcome star added, "You had access to show business stuff, but you had access to punk and skating and graffiti and all the naughty stuff. And there was no internet. It was just so awesome."
