Almost Famous star Patrick Fugit has opened up about his decision to move away from Hollywood, opting instead for life in rural Texas.
Fugit, 42, made his screen acting debut with Cameron Crowe’s hit 2000 film, which turned 25 this week. Fugit was just a teenager from Salt Lake City when he landed the leading role of William Miller opposite Kate Hudson as Penny Lane.
While he’s continued to act in the decades since the film’s debut, he decided a few years ago to trade in big city life for a quieter farm town.
“I grew up in Utah, and LA’s energy never resonated with me,” Fugit told People in a new interview.
“I love being on set and I love character development and scene development, I love storytelling, I love being around other actors and good directors. I love making the films. And auditioning and stuff like that is its own… it’s almost like a different art form, or a different part of the business.”
Fugit added that he’s been focused on his family in his adult life. He married Jenny del Rosario, they welcomed their first child in 2019, and then moved to Texas about three years ago. It was in 2020 that Fugit realized it was time to leave Los Angeles.
“2020 was a very dynamic period of time in LA and it was not, in fact, dynamism that we really liked,” he said.
“We also wanted to have chickens and goats and a big garden and a trampoline in a backyard and cool s*** that we have now for our kids,” he added.
Fugit continues to perform, having amassed credits that include television shows ER, House, and Outcast, as well as films like We Bought a Zoo (2011), Gone Girl (2012), and Babylon (2022). He most recently appeared in seven episodes of the 2023 TV mini-series Love & Death.
With the way the industry has shifted post-Covid, being based in LA isn’t a necessity anymore. Fugit can audition for projects virtually and fly back and forth between cities as needed. That flexibility allows him to preserve the life he’s built with his family in Texas, while also pursuing his passion.
“It obviously has positives and drawbacks in terms of acting,” he said of Texas. “It used to be very good to be in LA when we would get together for auditions in person. Nowadays everything’s very digital, so you can kind of be wherever you want to be.”
