Jonah Hill is keeping his family life low-key and far away from Hollywood. During a live taping of the SmartLess podcast on Saturday, the actor opened up about why he and his wife Olivia Millar packed up and left Los Angeles three years ago, according to People. The move wasn't about work — it was about raising their kids somewhere quieter.
A Fresh Start in a Small Town
Hill, 42, told the crowd he now lives in “a very small town in San Diego,” and it sounds like exactly what he was looking for. Before getting into it, he gave Millar a quick, affectionate shout-out from the stage, calling her his “best friend” and “beautiful wife” as she watched from the audience.
The couple, who started dating in 2022, recently revealed they quietly got married and welcomed their second child together, according to a previous Toronto Sun report. The decision to leave L.A. came when their first child was born. The Wolf of Wall Street star said he “wanted to leave L.A. and raise a family outside of Los Angeles.” He still travels for work — including promoting his Apple TV+ film Outcome — but home life is a completely different vibe.
No Celebrity Treatment
What stands out is how normal everything feels. His neighbours, he said, don't treat him like a celebrity at all. No awkward questions, no curiosity about Hollywood. One neighbour in particular, a doctor he calls “Dr. Sean,” has become a close friend — and has never once asked about his famous connections.
That low-key environment is a shift from Hill's own childhood in Los Angeles. Looking back, he described growing up in the '90s as chaotic in a fun way. He remembered skating downtown, sneaking into movie premieres, or catching comedians like Chris Rock at clubs. “You had access to show business stuff,” he said, but also to punk culture, graffiti, and “all the naughty stuff.” With no internet at the time, it felt freer and “just so awesome.”
Family First
Now, Hill seems focused on giving his kids a different kind of upbringing — one that's quieter, more grounded, and far removed from the spotlight he grew up around. As he put it in his April 9 interview with Martin Scorsese for Interview Magazine, family comes first. The only thing that might pull him away is work in the editing room — something he enjoys so much he compared it to “dessert every day.”
