Dennis Quaid Reveals Why He Ditched Hollywood for Tennessee—Months After Listing $5.2 Million L.A. Home

"The Parent Trap" actor Dennis Quaid has lifted the lid on his life in Tennessee after trading Hollywood for Nashville six years ago—months after listing his $5.2 million California home.

Quaid, 72, who hails from Texas, relocated from Los Angeles to Music City with his wife, Laura Savoie, 33, in 2020, leaving behind the city where he had spent decades building his Hollywood career.

Six years after the move, the actor took another step toward cutting ties with California when he listed his contemporary Brentwood Hills home for $5.2 million in May, having previously claimed the Golden State had gone "downhill" in recent years.

Now, Quaid has opened up about what he loves most about his Tennessee lifestyle, revealing that he has become particularly fond of spending time at home and enjoying the space his new surroundings afford him.

“Basically I play golf. I love to be around the house here. You get a lot of land and space, but you’re still in an urban environment. I’ve made some really good friends here to spend time with. It’s important and a great place to raise a family," he told People.

For Quaid, Nashville's appeal extends beyond sprawling properties and additional space. The actor said he has also found a sense of community that he believes has become harder to come by in Los Angeles as the entertainment industry has evolved.

“It used to be if you were auditioning for something, you’d go to an office. You’d go in and there would be five people dressed just like you, all up for the same part, waiting for time to read. You met a lot of people that way, and that’s where a community was formed. Now, everybody puts something on tape in their room and sends it in. You don’t have this feeling of community over that," he said.

In fact, Quaid confessed that if he were an aspiring actor beginning his career today, Los Angeles wouldn't be his first choice.

“I would go to Atlanta," he said. And still, the actor hasn't ruled out returning to the West Coast altogether, admitting that he could envision making his way back to Los Angeles if circumstances there improve.

“I moved before the fires and everything, but I just think things have got to get a little better there," he said.

For now, however, Quaid appears more than content with his Tennessee lifestyle.

"It's so nice here in Tennessee. It’s soft and it’s a real feeling of community,” he said.

Quaid also pushed back on the idea that Nashville's appeal revolves solely around its famed music scene, pointing to the city's growing economy and influx of residents from across the country.

“It’s not a one-horse town. It’s not just music," he insisted. "They have so many other industries, and it’s also booming, but it’s still holding its character. I think because it’s not just people from California. There’s people from New York and Chicago and really all over that are coming to live in Nashville."

Quaid's comments come just months after he put his longtime Los Angeles property on the market for $5.2 million, further underscoring the actor's shift away from his former Hollywood lifestyle and toward his adopted Tennessee home.

He purchased the home for $3.9 million in 2017, according to records, and carried out an extensive remodel, the listing notes.

"Pristine, completely remodeled, two-story warm Contemporary done with great taste and quality at the end of a quiet, flat cul-de-sac street in a desirable Brentwood Hills location," the description begins.

Offering just over 4,100 square feet of living space, including five bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms, Quaid's home features a spacious open floor plan and enormous windows that create "airy, sun-filled spaces" throughout.

Yet the sun-soaked lifestyle he was able to enjoy at the home wasn't enough to keep Quaid tethered to California. The actor revealed earlier this month that he made the decision to quit Los Angeles altogether and move to Nashville, having grown  frustrated with the lack of public "services" he was receiving in return for his staggering tax payments.

"It used to be such a great town and the '90s was nice. And then it's been kind of going downhill, and I feel like people pay these taxes for no services," he told Fox News.

The actor went on to note that the 2025 California wildfires had only exacerbated his feelings about the state, explaining that residents had been left "angry" and disappointed about the way that local leaders had handled the incident.

"Then fire happens and it kind of exposes all those things that go on that should be taken care of," he continued. "So people are—people are angry and half angry, and they're half kind of feel like giving up, to tell you the truth."

"The Substance" star was forced to evacuate his home during the wildfires, previously revealing that, while his home was spared from destruction, many people he knew were not so lucky.

"I have so many friends who have lost—my agent, he lost both of his houses, and another good friend over at Palisades, he just moved into a house and was renting the other one. He lost both of them," he said at the time.

In his interview with Fox News, Quaid noted that he is "just one of thousands who have left," adding that he remains hopeful that Los Angeles will one day recover.

But, for him, that rejuvenation simply didn't happen fast enough—prompting him to seek out a place where he feels better supported, something he found in Nashville.

The actor initially made the move to the Tennessee city in 2020. However, he and his wife retained their residence in Brentwood for six years, traveling back and forth between the two states, despite making their Nashville home their primary base.

Now, however, it seems Quaid is ready to sever his remaining ties to California.

Listed with David Offer of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the property centers around a stunning great room that features wraparound windows and opens into a "cook's kitchen," a dining area, and a family room.

Of the five bedrooms, the primary suite is arguably the jewel of the lot, offering a private terrace, a sitting room and office space, a kitchenette, dual walk-in closets, an enormous spa-inspired bathroom, and a cozy fireplace.

Outside, luxury abounds across the elegantly manicured lawns, while a built-in barbecue area and private covered patios provide the perfect place for an outdoor meal. Residents can also cool off with a dip in the glittering pool, which comes with a large lounging area.

"Other features include a large laundry room and a direct access private garage," the listing notes. The property also features "easy access to world class mountain biking and hiking trails.

"A true retreat with the feeling of being out of the city, yet in close proximity to all that Brentwood has to offer," it concludes.

As for Quaid's Nashville home base, the actor purchased a stunning four-bedroom abode in the exclusive Hillwood Estates neighborhood for just under $2.4 million in 2021, records show.

Much like his California manse, the property features a wide and open floor plan with enormous windows that fill the main living spaces with light—while vaulted ceilings help to create a truly expansive feel.

Multiple fireplaces can be found throughout the dwelling, including in the charming breakfast nook, as well as in the great room.

On the second level, a sizable primary suite creates a beautifully serene sanctuary, complete with a huge en suite bathroom and a sizable walk-in closet.

Quaid is one of a host of celebrities who have relocated out of California in recent years—joining the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Chris Evans, Matthew McConaughey, Glenn Powell, and Rachel McAdams.