Chris Hemsworth Calls Leaving Los Angeles for Australia the 'Greatest Decision' He's Made
chris Hemsworth has characterized his decision to leave Los Angeles and return to his native Australia as the "greatest decision" he has made, emphasizing that the move reshaped daily life for his family and afforded his children a more private, outdoors-centered upbringing. The actor made the remarks during an episode of the Smartless podcast, and he framed the shift as a direct response to industry changes and the intrusions of life in Los Angeles.
Development details: Chris's relocation and property timeline
The family relocated to the Byron Bay area in 2014, around the time Hemsworth's twin sons, Sasha and Tristan, were born in March of that year. His daughter, India Rose, is described as 13. The couple moved onto what has been called a "big farm, " and the property has undergone significant transformation: the family initially purchased an estate for $7 million that was later reconstructed into a multi-bedroom mansion with amenities such as a media room, gym, spa and game room. Separately, the family’s eco-friendly ranch was completed in 2021 and is now described as a high-end residence with features including a private gym, a bowling alley, a spa and an Olympic-sized swimming pool, with an estimated value cited around $35 million. Hemsworth also divested his California holdings when the Byron Bay property was finished, selling a Malibu home in January 2021 that the siblings had bought in 2016 for $3. 45 million and that ultimately sold for $4. 25 million after being listed at $4. 9 million in September 2020.
Context and escalation
chris explained that the decision to leave Los Angeles followed a combination of professional and personal pressures. By the time the twins arrived, many of his projects were being filmed outside Los Angeles, prompting frequent travel. At home, he and his wife, Elsa Pataky, found the relentless attention and paparazzi culture increasingly burdensome. On the Smartless podcast—hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett—Hemsworth described returning to a farm setting as restorative, noting that coming home now feels like a holiday. He also invoked his own upbringing in semi-rural Australia—growing up with bushland and few nearby neighbors—as formative for his desire to offer similar space and experiences to his children.
Immediate impact
The move has had measurable effects on family life and privacy. The children now have daily access to outdoor activities—horses, motorbikes and surf are part of the household routine—reducing exposure to the public scrutiny that accompanied life in Los Angeles. Hemsworth credited the farm environment with providing more opportunities for play and for the kind of childhood he remembers, and he said that the shift in filming locations lessened the need to remain based in Hollywood. The decision also coincided with concrete real estate moves: the sale of the Malibu property in January 2021 closed a chapter in California and underscored the family’s physical and financial commitment to the Australian estate.
Forward outlook
Key milestones are already complete: the Byron Bay property transformation finished in 2021, and the Malibu home sale closed in January 2021, signaling a formal exit from Hemsworth’s Los Angeles residence. What makes this notable is that the transition aligns both personal priorities—privacy and childhood experience—and professional realities, namely that large-scale projects were increasingly filmed outside Los Angeles, prompting a base outside the city. Hemsworth’s family arrangement and property decisions are now established, and the immediate next steps described are maintenance of the farm lifestyle and ongoing work that takes him to shoots around the globe, with homecoming framed as respite rather than a return to the pressures of Hollywood life.
