Mark Wahlberg is one of several celebrities to leave Hollywood for a different lifestyle, which he says has been beneficial for his children.
“It’s really giving the kids a chance to thrive,” the 51-year-old actor told Fox News Digital in an article published Thursday about settling his family in Las Vegas.
“It just has the best of both worlds. I know a lot of people, when they think Las Vegas, they think the Strip. But just about 15, 20 minutes away, there’s a whole lot of other amazing areas that are all about family and community.”
Wahlberg has four children with wife Rhea Durham. He says daughters Ella, 19, and Grace, 13, and sons Michael, 17, and Brendan, 14, are all doing well after he sold their home in Beverly Hills last April.
“My daughter’s an equestrian,” the “Father Stu” star told the publication. “My son’s a golfer. My oldest daughter, now she’s off to college. My son’s a junior. There’s lots of opportunity here as well for me. We’re trying to create a studio. We’re trying to build the shoe factory. We want to create lots of jobs here.”
“I moved to Nevada where, after this gubernatorial election, hopefully it will go to legislation and get a bill passed so we can get a tax credit for the state — build a state-of-the-art studio here and make this Hollywood 2.0,” Wahlberg added.
The Hollywood veteran went on to say that Vegas has the potential to become a new entertainment hub, but also that his kids’ happiness is his main priority.
“We’re always looking for new opportunities and new adventures,” he continued. “I hope to create a lot of opportunity here. And I moved to California originally to make movies. I’ve made three movies in the last 15 years in L.A. So, as you know, it’s been difficult.”
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Wahlberg concluded: “The kids are really happy, and it’s all about them.”
The leading man explained that he convinced other people to move with him, pointing out how much more house they can get for their money outside of California.
“When I moved here, I brought probably like 15 or 20 people that work with me also moving here,” Wahlberg told the outlet. “They went from three-bedroom houses that they were really struggling to pay rent for. And now they have a six-bedroom house. And it’s, you know, half the cost.”
“And, you know, they walk their dogs,” he went on. “They’re in a gated community. They’ve got the school right there two blocks down the road. It’s just a much better lifestyle here and more affordable.”
Multiple other celebrities have raved about the benefits of leaving Los Angeles, including Matthew McConaughey, James Van Der Beek, Katy Perry, Chris Hemsworth, Joe Rogan, and Katherine Heigl.