Why Home Alone star Daniel Stern ditched Hollywood

Daniel Stern in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Picture: YouTube

---

“Home Alone” star Daniel Stern has shared a glimpse into his life on a remote cattle ranch after quitting Hollywood.

The actor, best known for his role as bungling burglar Marv in the 1990 holiday hit movie, now favours a much quieter life on a sprawling ranch in California, miles away from the bright lights of Tinseltown.

Stern, 67, has been documenting his day-to-day life on his off-grid property in a series of TikTok videos, revealing how he has traded the big screen for sculpting and fruit harvesting while living on his rural estate.

RELATED: Macaulay Culkin nearly buys $7.9m Home Alone house

Iconic ‘Home Alone’ house up for sale

Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and Roberts Blossom in Home Alone. Picture: 20th Century Fox Film corp

---

“Home Alone” star Daniel Stern is best known for his role as bungling burglar Marv in the 1990 holiday hit. Picture: TikTok/Daniel Stern

---

Stern has been documenting his day-to-day life on his off-grid property in a series of TikTok videos. Picture: TikTok/Daniel Stern

---

Located in California’s Central Valley, the ranch features a main residence, as well as an art studio where Stern creates incredible sculptures, which he sells to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, according to his website.

Realtor reports the ranch is home to a slew of animals, including cattle and horses, with Stern revealing that many of the “chores” he has to complete at the property are those taken on by professional farmers, from fixing ATVs to ensuring that the cows remain in their designated grazing areas.

In one video, Stern filmed himself juicing an enormous pile of tangerines that had been picked from the grounds of his home.

“Hello, as you will come to discover, I live on a farm and we grow tangerines here,” he tells the camera.

“They came and picked them the other day and I like to have them pick me a bin.

“Then what I like to do is, I take them, then I juice them up. Then I freeze them and then I give them away to my friends.”

Showcasing the juicing process, Stern reveals an enormous collection of the fruit, before revealing two freezers set up in his garage, ready to hold the many bottles of juice. He then pans to an electric Zummo juicer, which helps him to create the “delicious” juice.

MORE: Inside Kanye West’s new $53m mansion

‘Furious’: Bitter $10m Harry Potter war explodes

There are plenty of animals on Stern’s property, as well as a host of fruit trees. Picture: TikTok/Daniel Stern

---

Stern filmed himself juicing tangerines, explaining that one of his favourite activities is to juice fruit, freeze it, and share it with friends. Picture: TikTok/Daniel Stern

---

In other videos, Stern juices everything from lemons to grapefruits, all of which are grown on his property.

When he is not working with the fruit or tending to his animals, Stern, who wed actress Laure Mattos in 1980, spends much of his time in his studio sculpting a variety of figures, some of which can be found in various spots around the greater Los Angeles area.

The actor and director has created all manner of sculptures, from a life-size flamenco dancer to a tabletop figure of former NFL pro Colin Kaepernick.

Although Stern does not reveal the location of his property, he and his wife have owned multiple homes over the years, according to records, including one vast plot of land in Porterville, California, which they appear to have purchased in 2014. That property is currently in Mattos’ name.

Stern did open up about his decision to embrace a more low-key lifestyle in his 2024 book, “Home and Alone,” in which he documented his ascent through Hollywood, the roller-coaster years he spent working as a full-time actor, and his love of his ranch.

“I have found spectacular artistic satisfaction in my life in the movies, theatre, and television,” he writes.

“But [I] have also found deep artistic satisfaction in my life as a bronze sculptor, cattle rancher, and lemon farmer.”

MORE: ‘Get realistic!’: Shark Tank star’s warning to celebs

Wild Pink Floyd legend’s $19m nightmare

Stern spends much of his time in his studio, creating a variety of sculptures. Picture: TikTok/Daniel Stern

---

He sells the sculptures to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Picture: Daniel Stern

---

Stern’s videos taken on his ranch have sparked a wave of nostalgia among TikTok users, many of whom have heaped praise on the star for once again providing them with such wholesome content.

“I’m glad Marv changed career paths,” one joked, as another chimed in: “I don’t know how I got on Marv-tok but I’m glad I did!”

As for his artwork, many users are astounded that the man who portrayed such an inept criminal is capable of creating something so staggering.

“I never wouldn’t thought that funny guy from my childhood could do this,” one wrote. “We need more of this!”

A second added: “I always knew you were an amazing actor and you are also clearly a talented artist.”

Stern is far from the only A-list celebrity to leave Hollywood to enjoy life off the radar.

“Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek left Los Angeles in 2020 and moved his family to a ranch in Austin, Texas.

Matthew McConaughey also opted to walk away from California to live in the Lone Star State.

The Texas native now lives in a sprawling mansion outside of Austin, where he and his wife, Camila Alves, are raising their children while enjoying a much more rural lifestyle.

Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor were republished with permission.