17 Celebs We Would Never Guess Live Far, Far Away From Hollywood (And Love It)
It's no secret that the vast majority of celebrities live in either Los Angeles or New York City. Those are basically the two hubs of entertainment. Sure, some actors end up moving out to a different area if they're working on a long-term project like a television show that films there, but for the most part, if they're going to auditions and building their careers, they know it's easiest to be in those cities.
However, that doesn't mean those are the only places celebrities can live. There are some celebrities, particularly ones who have achieved a certain degree of success and can afford to be a bit more choosy when it comes to the roles they tackle, that have just had enough of the Hollywood grind after living there for years on end. They envision a different life for themselves and their partners and their families, and though they definitely return to Los Angeles on a regular basis, they spend the majority of their time elsewhere. Starlets may flock to Hollywood to try to make it big from their small towns, but many celebrities are going the opposite direction once they're a bit established and looking for privacy rather than the glitz and glam.
Here are 17 celebs who live far, far from Hollywood - and absolutely love it.
17 Thanks To Her French Hubby, Natalie Portman Lives In Paris, France
Natalie Portman has never really seemed like the type of actress who loved all the glamour of Hollywood, but it was actually love that took her abroad to, well, the City of Love! Portman married dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied back in 2012, and though he spent plenty of time in Los Angeles and New York throughout his career, he got a gig with the Paris Opera Ballet in 2014 - and his wife decided to come along with him. Millepied has since resigned from that particular position, but given that he's actually from France, we totally see his desire to stay there and raise his family. Plus, France has much stricter privacy laws for celebrities, which we imagine is a huge plus in Portman's book, as she can avoid all those pesky paparazzi.
16 America's Sweetheart Sandra Bullock Has Made Her Home In New Orleans, Louisiana
Okay, now when celebs like Sandra Bullock own a home somewhere other than Hollywood, that's often not the only piece of property they own. Bullock also has a home in Beverly Hills that she can stay in if she needs to be in Los Angeles for a longer period of time, but for the most part, she spends a lot of her time in a gorgeous Victorian mansion she bought in New Orleans. And the reason is fairly simple - she's at a point in her career where she can afford to take some time away from Hollywood whenever she wants to focus on raising her children and living a life outside of the spotlight. Plus, her Victorian mansion is absolutely stunning - we'd want to spend all our time there too, given the option!
15 Superstar Julia Roberts Kicks Back At Her New Mexico Ranch Near Taos
There was a period where it seemed you couldn't enter a movie theatre without seeing a poster for a Julia Roberts flick coming soon. Roberts hustled hard in her younger years, working on role after role, and while she's still consistently working, she's taken a bit of a step back in recent years as she focuses on her family and just relaxing a little bit more. After all, she earned it! When she's not on set, Roberts makes her home on a ranch in Taos, New Mexico. Every now and then a paparazzo manages to catch a shot of her, but given the remote location of her ranch, that takes far more resources and time than most gossip publications have to give to individual shots. It's a better return on investment to hang out in Los Angeles - so that's where they stay.
14 Elijah Wood Traded In Middle Earth For Austin, Texas
To be honest, we're surprised that more of the cast who worked on the Lord of the Rings franchise wasn't more tempted to make their homes in gorgeous New Zealand after filming there for so many years. That, however, is a world away from Hollywood, and the hours and hours of flight time would definitely make auditions a hassle. Instead, Elijah Wood decided to give up the bustle of Los Angeles for the more mellow Austin, Texas. And he's not just staying isolated in his mansion there - he's very frequently spotted out at events around the city like a normal resident. He's raved about his new home, telling Indie Wire that "it's such a relaxed vibe. I feel like I've always been treated like a local." Who knew Frodo's next big adventure would be Texas?
13 Daniel Day-Lewis Rests Between Roles At His Rural Irish Farm
At this point, anyone who loves movies must know about Daniel Day-Lewis. The insanely skilled actor is known for his complete dedication to immersing himself in roles, and for his reclusive tendencies. He seems to love inhabiting characters and working on movies, but he's not a fan of the whole Hollywood scene. So, when he's not working on set somewhere, he makes his home on a farm in rural Ireland. He's referred to his home as a "rural paradise" before, and apparently absolutely loves the ability to just live his life privately, without getting a ton of attention from the public. He's stated before that his most recent role was his last role before retirement, so the lush green fields around his Irish home may be seeing a lot more of him lately if he'll be spending all his time there!
12 Roseanne Barr Makes Her Home On A Macadamia Nut And Livestock Farm In Hawaii
If you saw the reality series on lifetime called Roseanne's Nuts, you'll know exactly where Roseanne Barr lives. However, if you skipped that particular show, we'll fill you in - the television star and comedian has made her home on a macadamia nut and livestock farm in Hawaii. That's right - a macadamia nut farm. We have to admit, we're a little bit surprised that more celebrities don't make the move to Hawaii. Sure, you have plenty of warm weather and oceanfront property in California, but there's just something about the relaxed vibe of Hawaii that makes things seem like a permanent vacation. We don't blame Barr for wanting to spend her days in that sort of paradise - although we are a bit curious as to what exactly is involved in macadamia nut farming.
11 John Mayer Took A Step Back From Los Angeles And Headed To Paradise Valley, Montana
John Mayer seems like exactly the kind of guy who would totally thrive in Hollywood. After all, just check out his dating history - he's been in relationships with countless gorgeous actresses and singers, so you'd think he'd want to be in Hollywood where all the beautiful people are. However, after he went through surgery on this throat a few years ago, he decided that he needed a bit of a change in scenery - somewhere to relax and recover. So, he ended up moving to a small town in Montana called Paradise Valley. You may recognize the name from his album, released shortly after, called Paradise Valley - the move was obviously inspiring! As is the case with other celebs who move, the main draw was that he could enjoy life without all the scrutiny that comes along with being a celebrity.
10 Dream Couple Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Live In Bedford, New York
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are total couple goals, and they both have thriving careers in Hollywood. However, when it came to where they made their home, they soon decided that Los Angeles wasn't the only place to be. Instead, they headed to the other coast and settled in Bedford, a town that's about an hour from New York City but feels a world away from the major metropolitan hub. The small community has many wealthy residents, but it's also nestled in scenic Westchester County in upstate New York and just offers a much different kind of life than the major cities do. For these two, it was the perfect place to raise their growing family - plus, it's not too far from New York if they want to take advantage of some of the perks of city living.
9 Meryl Streep Spends Her Down Time Between Roles In Salisbury, Connecticut
You may think that Meryl Streep must be based in Hollywood because, well, she's Meryl Streep! She's an entertainment industry legend, so she must be close to the action, right? Wrong. Her many, many years in the industry have earned her the freedom to live wherever she wants, and for many years, she's lived in the quaint New England town of Salisbury, Connecticut. The town has a population of fewer than 5,000 people, so it's the perfect place for Streep to live a more private life. Although she was inducted into the Connecticut Hall of Fame for her work as an actress and activist - but, come on, she's Meryl Streep, you kind of have to expect that she'll win awards wherever she goes! She's a big enough deal that people probably just send scripts to her house for her to peruse - no auditions needed.
8 Mark Ruffalo Lives With His Wife In Callicoon, New York
There was a time when actor Mark Ruffalo made his home in Los Angeles, like many other actors, because he assumed that's just what you had to do to make it in the industry. However, there came a point when he and his wife realized that Ruffalo was taking a bunch of jobs simply to support the heightened cost of living in Los Angeles - and they had enough! They moved to a small town in upstate New York, Callicoon, where they have a more rural, relaxed lifestyle. They apparently have a garden where they grow fruits and vegetables, a few animals running around, and plenty of fresh air. To be honest, it sounds like total paradise - we can totally imagine why Ruffalo would want to make the switch.
7 Hugh Jackman Makes His Home In His Native Australia - Melbourne In Particular
Hugh Jackman is originally from Australia, but there are plenty of celebrities who were born all around the world and made their homes in Hollywood once they entered the entertainment industry. Sure, they'd go home to visit every now and then, but they were total California residents. Jackman isn't one of those celebrities. He and his wife and children continue to live in Australia, and no matter where he's spending extended periods of time to shoot various roles, Australia remains his home base. Jackman told the Herald Sun that his choice was a no-brainer - to him, "there is something about the light and how clean it is and the people. It feels very comfortable and comfortable and it makes me happy. I think we have a great balance of life here. We have a go, and don't take ourselves too seriously."
6 The Delightfully Bizarre Bill Murray Lives In Charleston, South Carolina
Bill Murray has always been the kind of guy who just marches to the beat of his own drum, so it probably comes as no surprise that he wasn't down to live in Los Angeles surrounded by other celebrities. Instead, he made his home in Charleston, South Carolina. And no, he doesn't just live in his mansion apart from the town - he's apparently majorly involved in the community. And he doesn't exactly have to worry about being cut off from the industry - ever since the beginning of his career, he's refused to have an agent or a publicist, so he's required anyone interested in pitching him a project to just leave a message on an automated 1-800 number. You can set that up from anywhere in the world - and then, if something catches his attention, he can spend some time back in Hollywood working on it.
5 Hilarie Burton And Jeffrey Dean Morgan Live On A Farm Outside Rhinebeck, New York
Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan are both major celebrities who have been working in the entertainment industry for years. Burton has had a period where she lived in the south where her show One Tree Hill was filming, but after that, both she and Jeffrey Dean Morgan lived in Los Angeles - and they didn't really love it. So, they decided to uproot their California lives and head to upstate New York - a popular choice for celebrities looking for a simpler way of life - and they moved to a farm just outside Rhinebeck. They're majorly involved in the community - they purchased a candy shop with Paul Rudd and his wife, and they've been involved in various revitalization projects in the community. As Burton said, "I am very happy living here on our farm. If I never work again, I'm a happy camper, because I have all these other amazing creative outlets."
4 Chris Hemsworth Left Hollywood For Byron's Bay, Australia
Back when he was a rising starlet looking to make a splash in the industry, Chris Hemsworth lived in Hollywood - and he found it, as he describes it, "suffocating." However, once he became an even more major star and started getting a ton of attention, he made the call to relocate back to his native Australia along with his wife Elsa Pataky and their three adorable children. He discussed the decision with an Australian website and said that in Los Angeles "you are reminded about the industry every step you take down the street. Billboards of films you are not in or wanted to be in or ones that you are in and everyone talks about the business." He was back in Australia and noticed the marked difference and decided that "the experience I had as a kid, I want my kids to have."
3 Nicole Kidman And Country Star Hubby Keith Urban Live In Leipers Fork, Tennessee
If it were up to Nicole Kidman alone, we're not sure she'd have chosen Tennessee as her home base, even if she wanted to get out of the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. However, with a husband who is a country music star, making your home somewhere close to Nashville makes sense - so that's exactly what Kidman and Keith Urban did. They live on a 36-acre farm in Leipers Fork, which is less than an hour from Nashville. The little village has only a couple hundred residents, which makes it the perfect place to raise children and enjoy life away from the paparazzi. Perhaps one day they'll both head back to their native Australia and live out their retirement years there, but for now, Tennessee is the place they want to be.
2 Harrison Ford And Calista Flockhart Left Hollywood For Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart are both huge stars with successful careers under their belt, but you won't spot them in Los Angeles very often. The two decided to make a luxury home for themselves far from the glittering lights of Hollywood, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The area is absolutely gorgeous if you're a bigger fan of natural beauty than billboards and flashing lights, and they apparently absolutely love it. Plus, they've both been in the industry for decades now - they're really at a point in their careers where they can just take on the roles that interest them, and not really have to worry about working steadily to pay the rent. So, why on earth would they need to be in Hollywood when they could be in idyllic Wyoming instead?
1 Ted Danson And Mary Steenburgen Live In Mary's Hometown Of Little Rock, Arkansas
Once she made the move to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an actress, we bet that Mary Steenburgen never thought she'd return to her home state of Arkansas. However, her hubby Ted Danson had other ideas. He went with Steenburgen to visit Little Rock before they tied the knot way back in the '90s, and he felt at home in the southern town almost immediately. So, when they'd become well established in the entertainment industry and not quite as required to hustle for every role, they decided to trade in their Los Angeles lives for life in Little Rock. Danson has commented about their new home, saying that "it has a little of the big city and a little of the rural, and I love that combo… you have all of these amazing things at your disposal."