The entertainment industry has long been synonymous with Los Angeles, yet an increasing number of prominent actors and performers have chosen to establish roots elsewhere. This migration away from the City of Angels represents a significant shift in how industry professionals balance career demands with personal fulfillment.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for many of these relocations, prompting industry figures to reassess their priorities and living situations. The widespread adoption of remote work capabilities and the temporary shutdown of production facilities demonstrated that physical proximity to Hollywood was no longer an absolute necessity for maintaining a successful career.
Actress Chrissy Metz, known for her role in the television series This Is Us, relocated to Nashville after spending twenty-one years in Los Angeles. Speaking in April 2025, Metz emphasized the practical benefits of her new location, noting that her family resides in Florida and that Nashville offers significantly reduced stress levels compared to her former home. She described the competitive atmosphere in Los Angeles, where professional inquiries dominated social interactions, contrasting it with the more communal environment she has found in Tennessee.
Actor Tom Welling, recognized for his work on Smallville, made a dramatic lifestyle change by moving to a ranch in North Carolina with his wife Jessica Rose and their children. The couple now breeds American sport horses, with Welling describing the experience as peaceful and authentic. He recalled the challenging conditions in Los Angeles during the pandemic, when streets were empty and movement was severely restricted, noting that these circumstances prompted serious reconsideration of their living situation.
In December 2025, actor Joe Manganiello and his fiancée Caitlin O'Connor returned to their shared hometown of Pittsburgh. O'Connor emphasized that their common upbringing and hometown knowledge formed a crucial foundation for their relationship, making the decision to relocate together particularly meaningful.
Several actors from the sitcom Modern Family have departed Los Angeles following the conclusion of the series. Ty Burrell moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, describing the decision as spectacular and expressing no regrets about prioritizing his children's upbringing in that environment. His former co-star Ariel Winter similarly left the city, citing negative memories and a desire to experience life outside the entertainment capital. Eric Stonestreet relocated to Kansas City, where he reported that the distance from Hollywood amplified both the positive and negative aspects of the entertainment industry, allowing him to appreciate genuine interactions while recognizing superficial behavior more clearly.
Katherine Heigl and her husband Josh Kelley established themselves in Utah, where Heigl reported finding peace, joy, contentment, clarity, and grounding. She acknowledged occasionally questioning whether she should maintain a more active presence in the industry but ultimately concluded that pursuing activities she does not genuinely desire would be inconsistent with her values.
Texas has emerged as a particularly popular destination for those leaving Los Angeles. Glen Powell returned to his home state after more than fifteen years in California, telling The Hollywood Reporter in May 2024 that reaching a certain level of success in Hollywood had earned him the ability to leave and return to his family. Actor Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves also chose Texas, with McConaughey explaining that he had been typecast in romantic comedy roles and made a deliberate decision to stop working until offered the dramatic roles he sought.
James Van Der Beek announced his family's departure from Los Angeles in September 2020, later settling in Texas. His wife Kimberly Van Der Beek confirmed the relocation, which represented a significant change for the family after years in the entertainment capital.
Some performers have chosen rural or agricultural settings. Amanda Seyfried resides on a farm in the Catskills with her husband Thomas Sadoski, telling The New York Times in November 2020 that she felt accomplished and successful in that environment without requiring validation from successful film projects. Hilary Swank and Philip Schneider relocated to Colorado, where Swank described nature and animals as her happiest places. Hilarie Burton and her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan established a working farm in New York, fulfilling a long-held dream despite initial uncertainty about reconciling farm life with entertainment industry demands.
Actor Jason Segel moved to Ojai, California, following the conclusion of How I Met Your Mother. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in June 2023, he described finally experiencing calm after six weeks away from Los Angeles and recognizing that residing in the entertainment capital meant never truly leaving the professional environment. He appreciated that conversations outside Hollywood focused on immediate activities rather than projects in development.
International relocations have also occurred. Actress Eva Longoria and her husband José Bastón have resided in both Spain and Mexico in recent years. In November 2024, Longoria explained that the atmosphere in Los Angeles had changed, with the pandemic serving as a final catalyst for departure. Actress Lindsay Lohan and her husband Bader Shammas reside in Dubai, which sources described as a healing environment for the performer. Actor Aaron Paul relocated his family to Paris following the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles, stating that the natural disaster confirmed their decision to leave the city.
Catherine Zeta-Jones, who moved to New York years ago, reflected in February 2026 on whether her departure from Los Angeles had affected her career trajectory. She acknowledged spending more time with business professionals, Wall Street figures, and art community members than with Hollywood colleagues, noting that her social circles differ significantly from what they would be in Los Angeles.
The collective departure of these entertainment industry figures suggests a broader recalibration of priorities within the profession. Factors cited by those who have relocated include desire for improved quality of life, reduced stress, stronger family connections, authentic community experiences, and distance from the competitive pressures inherent in Hollywood's social and professional environment. The trend indicates that technological advances and evolving industry practices have made geographic proximity to Los Angeles less essential for maintaining successful careers in entertainment.