Why This Actor Left LA for the South: ‘So Glad We Live Here’

Published: July 10, 2026

By India McCarty

Comedy star Danny McBride recently opened up about the many benefits of living outside of Hollywood, professional and personal.

“When we were shooting EASTBOUND [& DOWN] we were shooting in Wilmington, North Carolina, and the idea that there was not a direct flight, at that time, from LA to North Carolina, we noticed that the executives never came to set,” McBride said of his hit 2009 HBO show during an appearance Rich Roll’s podcast. “We’re like, ‘Oh, we just gotta choose cities that it’s not easy to get to from LA, and then we’ll have more freedom.’”

Today, McBride lives and works in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife Gia Ruiz, son Declan, 14, and daughter Ava, 10. He credits their hometown with keeping them away from social media.

“In my house, I try to limit my kids having access to all this stuff,” he said of social media. “I just try to be present in their lives. So, if they’re listening to anybody’s take on the world, hopefully it’s mine and my wife’s, and not a stranger online.”

McBride continued, “I think maybe that’s part of the benefit of being in Charleston is like, we live on a creek and the kids in our neighborhood are into fishing, and they’re into, you know, getting out in the water. And I don’t know…it’s not as pervasive there, I guess.”

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In a 2024 interview with GQ, the actor, writer and director spoke about how life in Charleston has given him a better work-life balance.

“I’ll write and then I’ll be like, Man, my kids are off at three. I want to go home and see what’s going on at the house,” he shared. “And even when we get stuck, we don’t stay till two in the morning. We…take the day off.”

McBride added, “Moving here helped put it in perspective, and it makes me just really appreciate what we do. You’re like, Oh, this is a pretty fun career. If you’re not having fun making it, if you’re not enjoying it, what’s the…point?”

In a recent interview with NPR, he said after moving to Charleston, he had “never been more productive.”

“I got there, and the writing really unlocked, and yeah, just the pace of life was just more conducive to the stuff I wanted to do,” McBride explained. “I love it. I mean, every day — my kids even say it. They’re like, I’m so glad we live here. It’s like, it’s awesome. We have an absolute blast there.”

McBride is one of many Hollywood stars who have found life outside of Los Angeles to be more fulfilling for both their families and their creative lives.

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