Jonah Hill says a major life shift—not Hollywood success—finally brought him a sense of real happiness.
Speaking during a live taping of SmartLess at the Avalon in Hollywood, the Oscar-nominated actor opened up about stepping away from the spotlight, starting a family, and why he’s now ready to return to comedy with a completely different mindset.
“I’ve been gone for a while,” Hill said, per The Hollywood Reporter, explaining that he spent recent years focusing inward. “I got all serious for a while and I wasn’t as happy.”
That changed after marrying Olivia Millar and becoming a father of two. The couple relocated from Los Angeles to a small town in San Diego roughly three years ago, a move Hill described as intentional.
“I wanted to leave L.A. and raise a family outside of Los Angeles,” he said, adding that the quieter environment—and neighbors who “never treat me weird”—helped him reset.
The actor noted he still travels for work, but his day-to-day life is now far removed from the industry bubble.
Hill’s career arc has long balanced blockbuster comedy and prestige drama. After breaking out in films like Superbad and Knocked Up, he earned Academy Award nominations for Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street.
More recently, he’s taken on behind-the-camera roles, including writing, directing, and starring in Outcome, a Hollywood satire featuring Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz, and Matt Bomer.
During the live event, Hill credited his family with reconnecting him to the reason he started in comedy in the first place. “When I had my kids… I connected back to when I was like 12 and just being funny for fun,” he said. “That’s the thing I fell in love with my whole life.”
He also gave a shout-out to Millar from the stage, calling her his “best friend” while pointing her out in the audience.
That renewed perspective is shaping his next creative phase. Hill teased an upcoming run of projects leaning heavily into absurd humor, including the Warner Bros. comedy Cut Off, co-starring Kristen Wiig alongside Bette Midler and Nathan Lane.
“I’m about to go on a run of just the dumbest sh*t you’ve ever seen,” he said, describing the film as intentionally over-the-top.
Hill’s return also follows a period where he publicly stepped back due to anxiety tied to decades of media exposure.
