“It Used to Be a Great City”: Dennis Quaid Explains His Decision to Leave Los Angeles

Dennis Quaid says his decision to leave Los Angeles was not sudden. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the actor explained that he had become frustrated with how the city changed over the years and felt that many residents were feeling the same way.

Quaid moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2020 with his wife, Lauren Savoie. After spending decades living in Los Angeles, he said the city no longer felt like the place he once loved.

During the interview at CMA Fest, Quaid reflected on what Los Angeles was like in the 1990s and why he believes it has declined since then.

“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 is what it gets down to.”

He also pointed to the California wildfires in early 2025 as a moment that exposed deeper problems in the city. “And then fire happens and it kind of exposes all those things that go on that should be taken care of.”

Quaid added that many people seem exhausted and discouraged. “People are angry and half angry, and they’re half kind of feel like giving up, to tell you the truth.”

Quaid said he is far from alone in leaving Los Angeles. “I’m just one of thousands who have left, and I don’t know, I hope the town comes back. I really do. It used to be such a fantastic town. It was. It was a great community, too. And something’s happened. People need to be inspired there.”

Even after moving to Nashville, he kept a home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. In January 2025, he was forced to evacuate during the wildfires that destroyed thousands of buildings and killed dozens of people.

Following the fires, Quaid became an outspoken critic of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the city’s emergency response. According to Fox News Digital, he criticized city leadership over preparedness, water shortages, and cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department budget.

He also took part in protests connected to the wildfire response and publicly supported efforts calling for Bass to resign.

When asked about the Los Angeles mayoral race, Quaid voiced support for reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who ran as an Independent in the city’s nonpartisan primary. “I hope Pratt wins.” Quaid had previously endorsed Pratt’s campaign in another interview with Fox News Digital, saying:

“Why? What are you talking about? Why? Just look around, man.”

Pratt has also been critical of the city’s handling of the fires after losing his own home in the disaster.

Quaid said Nashville’s music culture was one of the biggest reasons he was drawn to the city. Besides acting, he has spent years pursuing music with his band, Dennis Quaid & The Sharks.

He has released albums blending rock, country, and gospel influences, including his 2023 gospel record Fallen: A Gospel Record for Sinners.

At CMA Fest, Quaid appeared with country singer Tanya Tucker to discuss their collaboration on the song “On My Way to Heaven”, which also features the late Kris Kristofferson and Brandi Carlile.

Quaid described Kristofferson as one of his lifelong heroes and said working on the song was a major personal moment for him. Quaid also spoke about the deeper meaning behind “On My Way to Heaven.” He said he wrote the song after leaving rehab in the early 1990s and reconnecting with his faith. “It was right after I got out of what I call ‘cocaine school’ — rehab. And it was a song that I wrote that night.”

He said rereading religious texts and developing a personal relationship with Jesus played a major role in that period of his life.

Despite his criticism, Quaid made it clear that he has not completely given up on Los Angeles. He said he still hopes the city can recover and regain the sense of community it once had.

For now, though, Nashville has become his primary home, and he seems more at ease there than he was in the city he left behind.

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