For kids raised in Los Angeles by famous parents, everyday life can come with constant cameras, intense public scrutiny, and strangers eager for selfies. Jonah Hill has said he didn’t want that environment for his own children, so he chose to build his family life elsewhere.
The downsides of growing up around celebrity culture have been talked about for years, with several high-profile figures describing how fame-adjacent childhoods can shape confidence, privacy, and identity in difficult ways.
Chet Hanks once described growing up in LA as a ‘double edged sword’—saying it brought incredible opportunities, while also leaving him feeling shut out because people ‘automatically assumed’ he would be a ‘spoiled brat’.
It’s a dynamic Hill appears determined to avoid. The Superbad actor, now 42, recently shared that he decided to leave the city three years ago, shortly after his first child was born.
Known for fiercely guarding his privacy, the Wolf of Wall Street star has largely kept his personal life out of headlines. He quietly married Olivia Millar earlier this year and welcomed a second child without making a public announcement. Over the weekend, on Saturday (April 25), he spoke about his decision during an appearance on the SmartLess podcast, which was recorded in front of a live audience.
During the conversation, Hill explained that he relocated his family to another part of California, and he took a moment to acknowledge Millar, who was in attendance.
Sitting next to Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, Hill said: “So real quick, before we go any further, my wife is here. My best friend. Shout-out to my beautiful wife, Liv. Where is she? Oh, what’s up, baby?”
He then described where they’ve settled, telling the crowd: “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.”
He added: “I wanted to leave L.A. and raise a family outside of Los Angeles.”
Hill also pointed to what he sees as one of the biggest positives of getting away from Hollywood’s spotlight—feeling like just another person in the neighborhood. Discussing the community around him, 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?’”
Later, he looked back on what he enjoyed about growing up in LA, while also making clear why he didn’t want celebrity culture to dominate his kids’ upbringing. Hill said: “I grew up here. LA 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.”
He continued, reflecting on the mix of scenes and subcultures that shaped the city at the time: “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.”