Jesse Eisenberg on favouring ‘Indiana’ over Hollywood, ‘I just loved it so much’

Jesse Eisenberg got candid about prioritising Indiana over Hollywood.

The actor talked about distancing himself from Hollywood, choosing to embrace a quieter life in the Midwest.

In a February 2 interview with CBS News, the 41-year-old actor revealed that he has been living in Indiana on and off for the past decade. 

"I’ve lived in Indiana for a decade on-and-off, and that’s where I feel the most comfortable," Eisenberg shared. 

"I’m not somebody who wants to surround myself in an industry that just feels kind of unstable."

Eisenberg's connection to Indiana runs deep, as his wife, Anna Strout, was born and raised in Bloomington, home to Indiana University. Calling it "one of the great American cities," Eisenberg explained that they have been visiting for the past 20 years before eventually settling there.

The move became more permanent when Anna’s late mother, Toby Strout, who led the Middle Way House, Bloomington’s domestic violence shelter, for 35 years, fell ill. 

"She got sick, so we kind of moved back to help take care of her," Eisenberg recalled. After Toby’s passing in 2017, the city honored her by naming a street after her two years later.

Eisenberg and Strout married in 2017 and welcomed their son, Banner, in April of that year. The actor said their time in Indiana extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now, with their son attending school in New York, they have returned to the city.

Despite his Hollywood success, Eisenberg finds comfort in having a life outside of the entertainment industry. 

"I like to keep as many feet outside the door of the entertainment industry as possible," he said. "I don’t feel like I’m somebody who’s constantly trying to pound the pavement and knock on doors and try and get jobs. I just don’t want to be that person. It doesn’t fit me."

During the pandemic, Eisenberg devoted time to volunteering at Middle Way House, an experience he described as one of the most fulfilling times of his life. 

"It was the happiest time of my life. I was painting walls and fixing garbage disposals. It was the first time I had a real job," he said. "I just loved it so much."