We all know Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins from the hit TV show Friday Night Lights, and more recently as Ben Edwards in the Jack Carr series The Terminal List, but he’s also been featured in X-Men, True Detective, Lone Survivor, and more.
But there’s no doubt that his role as Tim Riggins kickstarted him into a long and successful acting career in Hollywood.
However, Kitsch is admitting that the Hollywood, Los Angeles lifestyle just isn’t his speed, and he has recently traded the fast lifestyle of Hollywood for the slower paced, gorgeous views of Bozeman, Montana.
Like a number of rich Californians…
Discussing his move to Montana, he told The Hollywood Reporter:
“I got a later start in the business, and I was able to have a sense of who I was and what I needed.
Being in L.A. was never a great thing for me, and I love being out here — there’s just so much peace to grasp.
That’s what this place represents to me: It’s not going to solve every problem, but hopefully, it will help at least one person work toward what they need.”
Kitsch is building a space in Bozeman for veterans, as well as those who are going through recovery and sobriety, that will feature cabins, a geodesic dome, a wood-burning hot tub and more.
He weighed in on the project:
“I’m just really excited about this, about it being a base camp for people to empower themselves.”
Kitsch admitted that “every f*cking nickel” is coming out of his pocket for this project, but he did ask for the assistance of a veteran to help with the build…
And I’m talking about Marcus Luttrell, whose story is portrayed in the 2013 movie Lone Survivor, which Kitsch also starred in. The two have kept a close friendship since, and that has ultimately led to this project.
“The stakes were very life-and-death, and Marcus was one of the few people I called for help.
When you get into that community, it’s like you’re a brother for life, and it’s really beautiful.”
Needless to say, it’s great to hear that Kitsch is not only making the move for himself, but for a great cause as well.
The famed actor isn’t the only one who has decided to call Montana home, as Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton on Yellowstone, has made the move as well.
However, it’s pretty clear that folks in Montana aren’t too happy with the recent influx of newcomers…
Longtime Montana Residents Say ‘Yellowstone’ Has Made It “Inaccessible” After Influx Of The Rich
Tons of us have jumped on the Yellowstone train as this point, and how could we not?
From the badass characters of John, Beth, Rip, and well, just about everybody, the intense storyline, and the gorgeous backdrop of Montana, not to mention the killer country music soundtrack… it’s a win-win for drama, suspense, crime, action, nature lovers, and country music fans alike.
However, there’s one thing we often forget about the show, and it’s the impact that the hit TV series has taken on the actual residents of Montana.
CNBC recently talked with some Montana locals, and as you can imagine, things have changed drastically, and not in a good way for most residents.
Ginger Rice, a lifelong resident of Montana, said she refused to watch the rest of the show after just one episode:
“It’s unreal… it doesn’t portray Bozeman or Montana life as far as I’m concerned.”
However, she also acknowledged the fact that the show has opened a ton of eyes to her gorgeous state:
“Do you see what our state looks like? The mountains and prairies and who can can’t love this?”
A study by the University of Montana also resulted in proof that the show has led to an economic boom for the state. Production spent $72 million in the state, with businesses getting a whopping $85 million economic boost.
But that also means rich people are moving to Montana, trying to get a shot of that fictitious ranch life. Trying to channel their inner John Dutton.
Robert Keith, founder of boutique investment firm Beartooth Group, addressed the number of wealthy people coming into the state recently:
“We’ve had an influx of all sorts of wealthy individuals looking for ranches… they’re looking to own really amazing large properties.”
In the Bozeman area alone, a single-family home price jumped from $500K before the pandemic, to $750K. Missoula and Kalispell, where a good bit of the show has been filmed, has seen an even larger spikes in price.
On top of that, Montana has seen a 9.6% population increase between 2010 to 2020. In 2021, during the pandemic, the state became one of the fastest growing states in the country.
Tim Murphy, a ranch broker from Bozeman and partner at Hall & Hall, weighed in on the drastic population boost:
“A lot of our clients during the pandemic, came out and found shelter at the ranches, a safe place to be and no people around.”
Rice also discussed her concerns for the quick rising home prices, and how her daughter and son-in-law were recently told that their landlord was not renewing their lease due to the price spike:
“My daughter says we’ll never be able to afford a house. We tried to save but everything’s going up and up and up.”
Some have opted to move into campers and RVs, and others in tents… Habitat for Humanity is calling it a housing crisis:
“Montana has quickly become inaccessible to those who live and work here.”
And when newcomers arrive in town, they don’t necessarily rush to become part of the community. Rice adds that she isn’t close to her neighbors anymore, nor does she like all the fancy rich folks that seem to be all over Bozeman:
“I used to love the fact that you knew your neighbors. We still do know our neighbors, but we’re not really friends with our neighbors.
I don’t like how busy it is. I don’t like traffic. And it’s too expensive.”
Granted, the same thing is happening in a lot of cities that are booming… cities like Austin, Nashville, Boise, Spokane… rich people are fleeing places like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, and they’re willing to pay above asking for property.
And when everybody is overpaying to make sure they get the spots they want, everybody else gets priced out of the market. What’s the answer?
I’m not sure, but I’m not sure that you can entirely blame it on television show.
Then again, look at this place… who wouldn’t want to live here:
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