PoliticsZachary Levi Calls California a 'Failed State' After Leaving Hollywood for Texas: 'It Is Literally and Figuratively on Fire'
Zachary Levi called California a 'failed state' and explained how his Hollywood frustrations led him to build an entertainment community in Texas.
Sept. 16 2026, Updated 12:02 p.m. ET
Zachary Levi traded Hollywood for Texas, citing California's downward spiral as the reason behind the big move.
"I grew up in California, I love California, [but] it is a failed state," Levi said. "It is literally and figuratively on fire."
The Shazam! star made the remarks during a Fox News Digital interview with his The Fix costar Liam Neeson, revisiting the decision that took him from Los Angeles to a ranch outside Austin.
Levi's Hollywood Experience Changed His View of California
Zachary Levi did not mince his words when talking about California, saying it was a 'failed state.'
For Levi, the frustration was not confined to the state itself. His years working in Hollywood shaped his thinking about what he believed was wrong with the entertainment business.
"I saw how broken it [Hollywood] all was," said the performer. "I felt very compelled by God to go build a better Hollywood."
He had a clear idea of what such a place should like: one in which artists had ownership, fewer intermediaries stood between creators and their work and the business could support an actual community.
The Vision Went Beyond Just Work
Zachary Levi envisioned a setup where artists had a better work-life experience.
Levi's concept went beyond creating another production facility, as he imagined a place where the people making movies could also build their lives around the work.
"People can live there and kids can go to school there," he said, describing a vision that also includes an organic farm.
The idea eventually became Wyldwood Studios, a planned $100 million film and lifestyle campus in Bastrop County. The first two soundstages expected to open in 2027.
- Zachary Levi Reveals He Struggled With His Mental Health While Starring On 'Chuck,' Felt Like 'A Puppet'
- Stephen Baldwin Ditched Hollywood After He 'Felt a Calling' at an Evangelical Event: 'Jesus and the Holy Spirit Fascinated Me'
- Matthew McConaughey Escaped to Peru for 22 Days to Face His 'Demons' After Struggling With Overnight Fame
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Levi Sees Texas as the Perfect Hollywood Alternative
Zachary Levi explained he was driven by the feeling that people can do better.
Levi said the Texas property gave his idea somewhere to take root.
"We look at the regular world around us and we see it burning," he said. "Can we do this better? I feel like we can do this better."
He connected that question directly to the decision to relocate. "So, that all culminated in nine years ago, me finding 75 acres outside of Austin, Texas, to buy, to develop, to turn into this magical kind of idea. That's why I left," said the actor.
Zachary Levi said he gave up community, family and good weather in California to follow his calling.
The move was not without a personal cost.
"I left behind a lot of community and family and perfect weather in Southern California," he said.
However, Levi said the larger purpose he saw in his Texas project outweighed what he was giving up.
"To me, that calling on my life was more important," added the star.
