Matthew Fox has decided some things are more important than fame.
The 59-year-old actor, who rose to fame playing Dr. Jack Shepard on “Lost,” has left Los Angeles and moved with his family to Italy. “I spent a lot of time, for a few years there [in Los Angeles], heavily in the spotlight, specifically with ‘Lost,’ and then did a couple of years of doing films after that,” he told People. “For me, the step away was more about spending time with my family.”
Fox has two children with his wife, Margherita Ronchi, which played heavily into his decision. “Our daughter was entering her teen years, and I had been on sets and also traveling around doing a lot of promotion for ‘Lost,’” he said. Margherita and I really felt like it was a great time for us to really, really focus on our kids that are going through the teen years, which is always a bit of a challenge.”
He then added, “When you’re in this business, I think it’s really good to carve out a place where you feel like you’re living life. I think that feeds the work you do when you reenter and take a gig.”
In March, the “World War Z” actor told Variety about his break from Hollywood, “I felt like it was time to engage really intensely with my family. I had missed some of their childhood because I was on set all the time with ‘Lost’ and doing films and promoting everything. And so it was the right moment for me to step back and take a moment and engage with the people I love and care about most in the world.”
Fox hasn’t given up acting, though. Recently, he made his return to TV after three years away. On Paramount+’s “The Madison,” Fox plays Paul Clyburn, the brother of the show’s main character.
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