Jonah Hill stepped away from the Hollywood spotlight three years ago. The 42-year-old actor packed up and moved his family from Los Angeles to a small town in San Diego. He recently opened up about this big life change during a live taping of the SmartLess podcast on April 25, 2026.
The Outcome star appeared on stage with hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett at Hollywood’s Palladium. He shared that becoming a father changed everything for him. Hill and his wife Olivia Millar welcomed their first child in May 2023 and have since welcomed a second baby. The couple decided they did not want to raise their kids in the busy, chaotic environment of Los Angeles.
“I wanted to leave L.A. and raise a family outside of Los Angeles,” Hill told the crowd.
Moving for Peace and Privacy Away from Hollywood
Jonah Hill explained that he and Millar moved to “a very small town in San Diego” right after their first child was born. He described the new place as amazing and said his neighbors are incredible people. The actor grew up in Los Angeles and loves the city, but he knew it was not the right place for his own children.
One of the biggest reasons for the move was escaping the strange way people treat celebrities in Hollywood. Jonah Hill said his new neighbors never bother him about his job. They do not ask weird questions or act differently around him.
“They never treat me weird or ask me about my job or anything,” Hill explained.
He even shouted out one of his neighbors during the podcast. “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?’” Hill said. That kind of normal friendship is something he values deeply now.
Leaving Behind Anxiety Attacks and Finding Happiness Again
Jonah Hill’s move to San Diego also helped him deal with serious mental health struggles. Back in August 2022, he announced that he would stop promoting his movies because he had spent nearly 20 years having anxiety attacks. He stepped away from the public eye completely.
During the SmartLess show, Jonah Hill admitted that he was not happy during those years when he was constantly working. “I’ve been gone for a while, so I’m kind of coming back and I’m like excited because I got all, like, serious for a while and I wasn’t as happy,” he said.
But having a family changed his entire mindset. “And then I had my family and I got happy, and now all I want to do is be funny again,” Hill shared. He said yes to appearing on SmartLess because he missed making people laugh in front of a live crowd.
Fatherhood Brought Back the Joy of Making People Laugh
Jonah Hill credits his two children for helping him reconnect with why he loved comedy in the first place. He said that when you feel down, you do not feel like being funny. But becoming a dad made him feel excited again.
“The first thing I thought about when I had my kids and was so stoked, it was like I connected to back when I was just like 12 and I was just being funny for fun,” Hill explained. “That’s the thing I fell in love with my whole life.”
The actor also gave a sweet shout out to his wife during the show. Millar was sitting in a private box at the venue. “My best friend. Shout-out to my beautiful wife, Liv,” Hill said, pointing her out to the audience.
Remembering His Cool 90s Childhood in Los Angeles
Even though Jonah Hill left Los Angeles, he still has warm memories of growing up there. He told the SmartLess hosts that L.A. in the 1990s was a special place for a kid. He could go skateboarding downtown, sneak into movie premieres, or slip into comedy clubs to see stars like Chris Rock.
“You had access to show business stuff, but you had access to punk and skating and graffiti and all the naughty stuff,”Jonah Hill recalled. He also pointed out that there was no internet back then, which made everything feel more free and less judged by others.
He said the city gave him a mix of Hollywood glamour and real street culture. That combination shaped his sense of humor and his love for storytelling.
Getting Ready to Make Stupid Funny Movies Again
Jonah Hill is not just hiding out in San Diego doing nothing. He is getting ready to return to comedy in a big way. He admitted that he became too serious for a while. But now he wants to go “f***ing be funny in front of a crowd.”
The actor is currently promoting Outcome, a new film on Apple TV that he wrote, directed, and stars in alongside Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz, and Matt Bomer. But that is just the start.
Jonah Hill also has another movie coming soon called Cut Off. He stars opposite Kristen Wiig in this comedy that he also wrote and directed. He described the movie as “pure stupidity” and “dumb” in the best possible way.
“I’m about to go on a run of just the dumbest s**t you’ve ever seen in your entire life. I hope you left your brains at home,” Hill joked. He compared *Cut Off* to Step Brothers, Clueless, and Trading Places. The movie hits theaters on July 17, 2026.
A Fresh Start in San Diego with His Growing Family
Jonah Hill and Millar have kept their relationship very private. They were first seen together in August 2022. The actor now calls Millar his wife, though they have not shared official wedding details. He confirmed earlier in April 2026 during an interview with Martin Scorsese for Interview Magazine that he has two kids.
Living in a small San Diego town has given Jonah Hill the normal life he always wanted. His neighbors treat him like any other dad in the neighborhood. His friend Dr. Sean does not care about his movies or famous co-stars.
That kind of peace is exactly what Hill needed after two decades of anxiety and public pressure. He can still drive up to Los Angeles for work when needed. But at the end of the day, he goes home to a quiet town where nobody asks him for autographs or photos.
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