Top 10 celebrities most likely to leave fame behind and live off the grid
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Celebrities Who Moved ‘Off the Grid’ and Don’t Live in Hollywood
Josh Duhamel and his family live in a cabin he built himself over 15 years. Amanda Seyfried and her husband live on a farm in the Catskills mountains. Mark Wahlberg and his wife moved to Nevada to raise their kids. James Van Der Beek moved to Austin, Texas, to be with his wife for their anniversary in September 2020, and they haven’t looked back yet. The actor said he likes that the locals have “no idea” who he is, and that he likes to wander through the 21 acres of orange groves on his property. He also said he’s enjoyed becoming entrenched in the local community of a “little farm town” that he relocated to eight years ago, without disclosing the name of the town. He added, “I didn’t know if you could do without kids, but you can,” he joked. “This is what I’ve always wanted,” Melissa Gilbert said of her quiet life with her husband George Holz in New York’s Castskill Mountains.
01 of 24 Josh Duhamel Audra Duhamel/Instagram Josh Duhamel and his family (wife Audra Mari, their one-year-old son Shepherd and his 11-year-old son Axl, whom he shares with ex Fergie) live in Minnesota, in a cabin the actor built himself over 15 years — all with the hopes of getting back to wide open spaces like the ones he grew up in in North Dakota. “Part of the reason I built my place out in Minnesota, deep in the woods, is it’s removed from everything,” he told Parade in 2025. “The closest store is 40 miles away. Once we get there, it’s really about everybody taking care of each other — making memories, spending time with family and friends.”
02 of 24 Amanda Seyfried Amanda Seyfried/Instagram Amanda Seyfried and her husband Thomas Sadoski live with their two children on a farm in the Catskills mountains of New York. On a tour of the farm, where she raises chickens, a goat, a donkey and horses, she told the New York Times the move “solidified my need to be out of the game when I’m not working, to be in nature and to refresh … Everybody needs a center of gravity. Somewhere to feel safe.”
03 of 24 Mark Wahlberg Mark Wahlberg The actor has been open about moving his family (wife Rhea Durham, daughters Grace, 12, and Ella, 19, and sons Brendan, 14, and Michael, 16) to Nevada because he preferred to raise his kids outside of Hollywood. “To be able to give my kids a better life and follow and pursue their dreams — whether it be my daughter as an equestrian, my son as a basketball player, my younger son as a golfer — this made a lot more sense for us,” he said. Wahlberg added that he and his wife “came here to just kind of give ourselves a new look, a fresh start for the kids, and there’s lots of opportunity here.”
04 of 24 Timothy Busfield & Melissa Gilbert Melissa Gilbert and her husband Timothy Busfield. George Holz The actors, who wed in 2013, told PEOPLE they couldn’t imagine a greater happily ever after than living in a cottage on 14 acres in New York’s Castskill Mountains, “This is what I’ve always wanted,” Gilbert told PEOPLE of her quiet life with her husband. The Little House on the Prairie alumna recently gave a glimpse into their home by poking fun at the unpredictable weather in the area on her Instagram page. Sharing a video of snow falling outside and warm fire cackling in their cozy living room, Gilbert wrote, “How we do an early April Sunday morning here in the #Catskills.”
05 of 24 Jason Segel Randy Holmes/ABC/Getty The How I Met Your Mother actor told Jimmy Kimmel (his old neighbor!) that he realized he needed a change after the hit sitcom wrapped in 2014. “I was like, ‘Oh, I can do whatever I want now,’ ” the star said on Jimmy Kimmel Live .”I’m gonna go live in this town and I never left.” Without disclosing the name of the “little farm town” that he relocated to eight years ago, Segel said he’s enjoyed becoming entrenched in the local community. “I like being in a small town. Like, I go to the high school football games and stuff and eat a sandwich, which I didn’t know if you could do without kids, but you can,” he joked. “And I go to the Christmas play in town and I wait outside and ask little kids to sign my playbill. It’s really fun. I love it.” Better yet, the actor added, he enjoys that the locals have “no idea” who he is. In another sweet snippet, Segel said he also likes to wander through the 21 acres of orange groves on his property and now owns “a lot” of overalls.
06 of 24 James Van Der Beek James Van Der Beek/INSTAGRAM The Dawson’s Creek alumnus and and his wife Kimberly relocated their family from California to Texas in September 2020, and haven’t look back. “We wanted to get the kids out of Los Angeles. We wanted to give them space and we wanted them to live in nature,” James said in a July 2021 interview for Austin Life magazine. “When we were flying here for our anniversary, I felt an energy to Austin … It was really cool to realize, ‘Oh, I can go be there. We can drop in and bring our family to that.’ ” Reflecting on the move in a recent Instagram post, the actor said he realized he hadn’t miss L.A. when he and his family returned for a recent vacation there. “It didn’t feel like home anymore. Maybe it never was. Or maybe it was home for the time it needed to be,” he wrote in part. “Or maybe… the key is to appreciate each place for what it is and drop any expectations it’ll ever be something it’s not.” Parents of six, James and Kimberly share daughters Olivia, 11, Annabel, 8, Emilia, 6, Gwendolyn, 3½, and sons Joshua, 10, and Jeremiah, 6 months.
07 of 24 Chip & Joanna Gaines Joanna Gaines/Instagram; Cindy Ord/Getty There’s no place like home – on the range! The Magnolia moguls put their hometown of Waco, Texas, on the map while starring on Fixer Upper, which aired on HGTV from 2013 to 2017. The couple lives on a 40-are property with their five kids: sons Drake, 17, Duke, 13, Crew, 3, and daughters Ella, 15, and Emmie Kay, 12. In 2021, Chip and Jo expanded their farmhouse with an extensive addition that created an entirely new wing. “We’re adding on a little space because we’ve added an addition to the family,” Chip explained in an episode of Fixer Upper: Welcome Home. “We used to have four kids. Now we’ve got a toddler on our hip.”
08 of 24 Adrian Grenier Adrian Grenier. Laura Morsman Photography The Entourage star opened up in the June issue of Austin Life Magazine about leaving behind his life in New York City and Los Angeles to live on a farm outside of Austin, Texas. While he admits that his big-city life “was a f—load of fun, and amazing while it lasted,” he added, “I found myself in a stage of my life where I had to change.” “I bought a place in Austin five years ago, and a year ago I decided to move here permanently,” he told the outlet. “I had friends here, I ran a business here, and liked the pace. Austin is cosmopolitan without being snooty; it’s earthy. People are smart and successful but they don’t flaunt it. There is nothing to prove, people accept you and it felt good right away.” “I have been doing environmental work for the last 20 years, I’ve started organizations and run non-profits, all designed to tell people to live more in line with nature – and yet, I wasn’t living that way,” he said. Now, he’s developing his property, where he’s “planted a fruit forest” and hopes to “create a wildlife sanctuary.”
09 of 24 Tom Selleck Tom Selleck with wife Jillie Mack (right) and daughter Hannah Selleck (left). Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Despite being a Hollywood household name for over four decades, Selleck loves his low-key life on his 63-acre ranch with wife Jillie. “I’m a fairly private person,” the actor, who shot to fame with Magnum P.I. in the 1980s, told PEOPLE in April 2020. “And I’ve always treasured the balance between work and time with my family. It’s always about them.” When Selleck is not shooting Blue Bloods, the police drama now in its tenth season, in N.Y.C., he’s at home with his wife of 33 years on their 63-acre Ventura, California, ranch. “My relationships and my ranch keep me sane,” said Selleck, who is dad to Hannah, 31, and Kevin, 54, his son with first wife Jacqueline Ray. The massive ranch was a working avocado farm until the plants were decimated by a drought, and is home to over 1,500 native trees. “I do grunt work and I make the rounds. I like watching things grow. It’s a retreat.”
10 of 24 Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Though the two still work plenty in L.A., their happy place is Shelton’s ranch in Tishomongo, Oklahoma, where he proposed and where they wed. Stefani gave a look at life on the ranch in a cute Instagram video in 2023.
11 of 24 Julia Roberts Presley Ann/Getty Julia Roberts has lived with her husband Danny Moder and their three children on a ranch in Taos, New Mexico for two decades. She had purchased the property in 1990 and lived there part-time before marrying Moder at the ranch and making it her permanent residence to raise their kids.
12 of 24 Denise Richards Denise Richards Instagram The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star revealed via Instagram in 2019 that she and husband Aaron Phypers had plans to move part time to Montana. “Soon we will be living here in Montana & Los Angeles.. best of both 🌎,” Richards captioned her post, which features a photo of the couple smiling. “the first time I went to la when I was younger I felt like I was home, same feeling visiting Montana for the first time 7yrs ago. Such a sense of peace & simplicity.” She signed off by writing, “@aaronwilliamcameron I want a ranch with 🐄 🐖 🐔 🐓 🦆 🐴 🐶 🐈 🚜 along with the fancy 💎 💄 👠👜🕶… #BeverlyHillbillyAt❤️”
13 of 24 Josh Lucas LISA O’CONNOR/AFP/Getty The Ford v Ferrari actor moved his family to Indonesia for a year to enroll his son, Noah Rev, 7, in a special school where the mission it is to “create the next generation of environmental leaders,” Lucas said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Lucas explained, “It’s deeply in the jungle. It’s like Swiss Family Robinson – they grow their own food, they make their own buildings out of bamboo.” The Sweet Home Alabama actor also had a pretty horrific story to share involving thousands of baby spiders. His ex and mother to his son, Jessica Ciencin Henriquez, wrote on Instagram, “They say if heaven and hell had a baby, it would be Bali. I’ve never heard a more accurate sentence. One second I’m watching a picture perfect sunset, painted by the gods and the next I’m swatting away a dark cloud of mosquitoes and trying to keep frogs out of the house. One moment I’m madly in love with this nature soaked isolation and the next, I’m on sky scanner checking flights back to civilization.” Now, Lucas is back in the U.S. but still living a more remote life, on a large piece of property in Ojai, Calif. that he works with a tractor.
15 of 24 Carter Oosterhouse & Amy Smart PAUL COSTELLO The couple isn’t thinking about Trading Spaces anytime soon: they’ve settled in nicely to their 100-year-old farmhouse in Traverse City, Michigan.
16 of 24 Renée Zellweger Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty After living in her Connecticut farmhouse for nearly a decade, the Bridget Jones’s Diary actress put the historical home on the market in 2014. These days, she’s back in Southern California but not in Hollywood — she lives outside of San Diego with boyfriend Ant Anstead and his son.
17 of 24 Dean Unglert Caelynn Miller-Keyes/Instagram The Bachelor in Paradise star lived out of his van for a time. He told Entertainment Tonight of the decision, “I’m just, like, trying to travel the country and see what happens. I live in a van now. I’m planning on [traveling] all across the continental U.S. and then maybe up into Canada as well.” He added, “I’ve just always kind of had like a nomadic spirit in me, and I’ve always wanted to do it, and I was, like, no better time than now.”
18 of 24 John Mayer Daniel Knighton/Getty The singer sold his New York City and Los Angeles homes in 2012 and retreated to Montana, which he has called home since.
19 of 24 Mark Ruffalo Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Ruffalo, his wife and three children live on a 50-acre plot of land in upstate New York, far from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood and Manhattan. Ruffalo said of the real estate purchase, “The whole guiding idea for living upstate was to simplify. We asked ourselves, what do we need all this s— for? What is it adding to our lives?”
20 of 24 Jeff Daniels Getty Daniels moved to Michigan with his family 32 years ago “to create as much a sense of normalcy as possible.” He said of the decision to relocate, “It was a very dramatic move in 1986 to move to Michigan, but that was to keep the family number one. And that worked.”
21 of 24 Christian Slater Nicholas Hunt/Getty The Mr. Robot actor bought a home in Coconut Grove, Florida, in 2013.
22 of 24 Michael Keaton Matthew Simmons/Getty Images Holy Toledo, Batman! Keaton owns a ranch in southern Montana, where he has spent much of his time in the past 28 years. Keaton once said in an interview, “Once you see the west, there is no going back,” and for him it may just be true.
23 of 24 Elijah Wood Elijah Wood. Astrid Stawiarz/Getty The Lord of the Rings actor spends most of his time in Austin, Texas.
5 Top Celebrity Champions for Green Living
The lives of the rich and famous often leave us breathless over the excess, the waste, and the drama. Leonardo DiCaprio is not only a world-famous actor and producer, he is a green hero, too. Cate Blanchett is also a stunning actress but a genuine heroine of the environment. Brad Pitt has used his fame to spark meaningful environmental debates across the globe. Jack Johnson rocks the world with his green vibes. The UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador also sings to support Climate Counts, ActNow, Live Earth, Waterkeeper Alliance, Kokua Hawaii Foundation for environmental education, the turtles of Australian Marine Conservation Society, and 1% For the Planet. We may collect a share of sales from items linked to on this page. Learn more about eco-friendly e-books and how to buy them here: http://www.justgiving.com/e-book/green-books-and-how-to-buy-a-green-book-for-free.
Green living is becoming a popular trend among A-list celebrities. The lives of the rich and famous often leave us breathless over the excess, the waste, and the drama.
The press churns out stories of parties, marriages, fundraisers, and awards.
The rest of the world stands in awestruck fascination but we rarely fixate on their contributions to the natural world unless they are Jane Goodall or David Attenborough.
Here are five top celebrities doing good for all things green:
#1 Leonardo DiCaprio
A Hollywood star with an impressive repertoire, Leonardo DiCaprio is not only a world-famous actor and producer, he is a green hero, too. A versatile practitioner, DiCaprio has starred in blockbuster hits like The Great Gatsby (2013), Inception (2010), Blood Diamond (2006), Catch Me If You Can (2002), and Titanic (1997).
After his rise to fame after his dramatic role as Jack in Titanic, he founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998.
Twenty years on, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is doing amazing work for both humanitarian and environmental issues. It campaigns in aid of habitats, biodiversity, renewable energy, climate change awareness, and ocean conservation projects.
They donated $3 million to Global Tiger Summit to support Nepal in its efforts to double wild tiger numbers in the next five years. The organization has done brilliant work on behalf of wild things.
DiCaprio serves on the board of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), International Fund for Animal Welfare, Global Green USA, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
He also produced The 11th Hour documentary which stirred up a global discussion on the state of the environment from activists, politicians, and scientists.
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation also produces documentaries to highlight the need for balanced ecosystems, water conservation and the protection of natural habitats.
#2 James Cameron
A giant in the film industry and a man of many talents, James Cameron is probably best known for successful undertakings such as Avatar (2009), the Terminator film series and Titanic (1997).
His concern for the environment runs deep.
In the wake of Avatar, he championed a number of green causes with his profits and pledged to employ clean energy in the production of the Avatar sequels.
He is also involved in the promotion of green building and ocean preservation.
Cameron is also speaking out against animal agriculture in support of a vegan lifestyle. He emphasizes the role of agriculture in climate change, deforestation, water use and emissions.
#3 Cate Blanchett
A beautiful Elf in The Lord of the Rings, Cate Blanchett is not only a stunning actress but a genuine heroine of the environment, too.
She is known to live in an off-the-grid home and has urged the Wharf theatre to reuse and recycle its theatrical props and costumes.
She was instrumental in solar panel and rainwater collection system installation for the Sydney Theatre Company. The theater now draws 70 percent of its power from its solar installation and the hope is to eventually achieve carbon neutrality.
She is also the face of Who On Earth Cares, a campaign against climate change.
#4 Jack Johnson
A sultry singer who loves to surf, Jack Johnson rocks the world with his green vibes. His most notable contributions include the Johnson Ohana Charitable Campaign and All At Once.
Johnson Ohana Charitable Campaign is his public charity to promote lasting change through music, art, education and the environment. All at Once is his initiative for making positive changes in your local community.
It connects NPOs, environmentalists, and rewards programmes to promote plastic-free living and sustainable food systems.
The UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador also sings to support Climate Counts, Inspire Foundation’s ActNow, Live Earth, Waterkeeper Alliance, Kokua Hawaii Foundation for environmental education, the turtles of Australian Marine Conservation Society, and 1% For the Planet.
Last, but not least, his insistence on the use of the EnviroRider, an environmental handbook promoting eco-friendly tour production, ensures his venues and tour operators are on board, too.
Among other things, hosts are required to purchase renewable energy, to compost, to change to efficient lighting, and to recycle more than half the total waste generated from the event.
#5 Brad Pitt
A household name and extremely talented actor, Brad Pitt is famous not only for his on-screen achievements but also his heart for humanitarian and environmental issues across the globe.
He has used his fame to spark meaningful environmental policy debates, like his narration of RX for Survival: A Global Health Challenge (about global health issues), and Design: e2 (about eco-friendly architecture), both television series on PBS public television.
Among his long list of green contributions is the Make It Right organization which originally began to rebuild eco-friendly homes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
It has since expanded to other community development programs. In partnership with Angelina Jolie, he also founded the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which aims at community development, poverty eradication, and environmental education in rural Cambodia.
25 USA Celebs Who Actually Live Normal Lives Off The Grid
Some celebrities feel that living in a big city where they are spotted every day is not a path to happiness. This leads to some big names trying to find homes in places you would not guess. We will look at some of the big names that choose to live life outside of the spotlight. These are twenty-five USA celebs that try to live normal lives off the grid. The list includes stars like Mark Ruffalo, Nicole Kidman, Steve Martin, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Elijah Wood and more. The full list can be found at: http://www.dailymailonline.co.uk/news/article-261515/celebrities-try-to-live-normal-lives-off-the-grid-in-countries-including-New-Orleans-and-North-Carolina.html#storylink=cpy. This article has been updated to include the list of celebs who live in places other than New Orleans and Los Angeles.
Actors, actresses, musicians, athletes and other famous folks will scour to find the ideal place to spend their lives with family and loved ones. Quite a few will seek out suburbs that are away from the busy cities. Some prefer the small-town life where they can feel normal where everyone knows each other rather than being the only person everyone knows. There are even those that like to live near places where they can have a ranch or climb mountains or enjoy other interests. We will look at some of the big names that choose to live life outside of the spotlight. These are twenty-five USA celebs that try to live normal lives off the grid.
25 Elijah Wood – Loves the quiet Texas nights
Elijah Wood has been an actor since his younger days with a long list of films and television shows attached to his resume. The career of Wood is likely most associated with the Lord of the Rings film franchise.
Wood has relocated from Los Angeles to Texas to enjoy life more. Not everyone can handle the celebrity lifestyle every single day. Wood has spoken in interviews about how fun the area of Bouldin Creek is to live in. He doesn’t mind stopping to take pictures with fans since it doesn’t get stopped as much as the common celebrity places.
24 Mark Ruffalo – Hopefully he doesn’t turn into The Hulk in Callicoon
Mark Ruffalo is currently most known for his role as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk in the Avengers film franchise. There are quite a few scenes of The Hulk battling in New York City. Ruffalo does live in New York in his real life, but it is not in the city.
Callicoon is the home of Ruffalo and his family today. Ruffalo has sought a quieter life than NYC or Los Angeles. Ruffalo does often visit Hollywood for movie work, but the everyday life has him spending time with his loved ones in one of the least known areas in New York.
23 Nicole Kidman – Fell in love with Keith Urban and Nashville
Nicole Kidman has been a top name in Hollywood for a long time now with countless hit films. The relationship with country music star Keith Urban made them a power couple in the entertainment industry.
Kidman made the move to Nashville to support Urban as it’s the place best suited for his music career. However, she fell in love with the area as well. Kidman does not want to leave Tennessee any time soon and seems content to spend the rest of her life there.
22 Tom Hanks – Seeks ranch life in Idaho
Tom Hanks deserves consideration when discussing the greatest actors of all-time. The roles in Forest Gump, Cast Away and many other films led to the success of Hanks as a household name. Hanks has acted long enough to leave Hollywood and still get roles while living off the grid.
Idaho is the place that Hanks chooses to live with his actress wife Rita Wilson. Hanks has a huge home and ranch in a small town in Ketchum. This allows him to skip out on Hollywood life while enjoying nature and the privacy of his own life.
21 Steve Martin – Loves playing music in North Carolina
Steve Martin is another actor that has been relevant for many decades now and wants to get off the grid due to it. The comedic talent of Martin has made him a well-known actor for many years thanks to countless hit films.
North Carolina is the place Martin chose to live a quiet life in his older years. Martin lives in the very tiny area known as Brevard. He plays banjo with the Steep Canyon Rangers on stage when he is up to it. Martin clearly loves the small-town life of doing what he enjoys and not having to deal with a busy lifestyle anymore.
20 Sandra Bullock – Fell in love with New Orleans during her time there for work
New Orleans is a fun place to visit and live for those lucky enough to experience it. Hollywood star Sandra Bullock is still as relevant as ever following her starring role in the Netflix hit film Bird Box. Bullock has been a fixture in Hollywood for many years now but does not want to reside there.
The home owned in New Orleans is the main place that she chooses to live. Bullock first spent time there filming a movie and fell in love with the area. She purchased an incredible home there. New Orleans is clearly near and dear to her heart.
19 Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively – Trying to create a quiet suburban life for the family
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are one of the top power couples in Hollywood today. Both are linked together since they’ve been an item for a while, but they have individually successful careers Reynolds and Lively have a couple of young kids that they are raising away from Hollywood.
Bedford, New York is where the couple resides in a large house. This area is mostly suburbs for families to raise their children. Lively and Reynolds did not want to have a family growing up in Los Angeles where they would be stopped by paparazzi every day.
18 Kelly Clarkson –Never wants to leave Tennessee
The singing career of Kelly Clarkson has been going strong since she won the first season of American Idol. There have been many different chapters of her singing career with different styles. Art tends to follow life when someone wants to change things up.
Clarkson made the decision to live in Tennessee due to the busier places for celebrities not feeling like the right place for her. She did purchase a huge mansion to ensure she lives a fancier lifestyle. However, the everyday life for Clarkson is just enjoying the simple joys of Tennessee.
17 Harrison Ford – Wyoming gives him the private life he seeks
Harrison Ford is one of the most successful actors of all-time. The iconic roles of Indiana Jones and Han Solo have made him a relevant figure in film that will continue to live on many decades into the future.
Ford, however, does not like the busy and active lifestyle of a celebrity. He only wanted to appear in one of the current Star Wars trilogy films due to not wanting to be back in the public eye. Ford lives a quiet life off the grid in Wyoming with wife Calista Flockhart. Unlike many of his peers, he does not like the spotlight in his older age.
16 Donald Glover – Keeps his home a mystery
Donald Glover has become one of the most famous people in the world in recent years. Success in television with the series Atlanta along with his music career as rapper Childish Gambino has millions of fans following him. Glover does not want that to extend to his private life.
The wife and child of Glover are kept mysterious despite being such a public figure. Glover has been spotted with his new family in various places like Hawaii, Atlanta and New York. The only thing certain is that Glover wants as normal a life as possible off the grid.
Source: https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/celebrities-starting-new-life/