Kurt Russell says leaving LA with Goldie Hawn was worth the risk: 'It’s a beautiful way of life'
OLD SNOWMASS, CALIFORNIA: Actor Kurt Russell recently reflected on the decision he and longtime partner Goldie Hawn made to leave Los Angeles and settle in Colorado while speaking to PEOPLE at the Madison FYC Panel on Saturday, May 30.
Russell also discussed how the move shaped their family life and why Colorado became the place where they chose to put down roots. The actor shared personal memories about building a ranch, raising children, and finding a lifestyle that matched his values.
Kurt Russell opens up about Colorado life
Russell said Colorado offered exactly the kind of life he wanted to live. “Everything that I like to do is available to me there. The visual aspect is available to me there. The ranch life, which I always wanted to try and eventually did," he said.
After getting together with Hawn, the couple built a ranch in Colorado and raised their family there. “Goldie and I, 40 years ago, built a ranch and raised our family there,” Russell said.
The actor explained that moving away from Los Angeles was not an attempt to leave Hollywood behind. Instead, it was about choosing a place that felt right for him personally. “I don’t have anything against LA, but it’s not my particular cup of tea."
Russell recalled that many people in the entertainment industry questioned the decision at the time. “Back then, everybody thought you were crazy if you left LA. People would say, ‘Well, your career’s over.’ And I’d go, ‘Well, I don’t know. Maybe. But I think it’ll work out.’”
Looking at how attitudes have changed over the years, he noted, “Now everybody’s leaving LA.”
Russell also spoke warmly about the community around Old Snowmass. “The people who live in Old Snowmass are there because they want to be there. It’s a beautiful way of life.”
Kurt Russell on raising children in Colorado
For Russell and Hawn, Colorado became more than a home; it became the foundation of their family life. The couple raised their blended family, which includes Boston Russell, Oliver Hudson, Kate Hudson, and Wyatt Russell, on the ranch they built together.
Russell said the setting gave their children experiences that were very different from those available in a large city. He also connected his love of Colorado to memories from his own childhood in Maine.
Reflecting on those early years, he recalled, “My grandparents built a cabin in Maine, and I spent a lot of time there. Once you get that in your blood, it’s hard to get it out.”
The actor suggested that those formative experiences helped shape the life he later created with Hawn in Colorado. Looking back, he expressed appreciation for the lifestyle they built and the environment in which they raised their children.
“Everything that I like to do is available to me there,” Russell reiterated, describing the enduring appeal of the place that has remained home for him and Hawn for four decades.
