“Homestead” star Bailey Chase is opening up about the “final straw” that drove him and his family out of California for a new life in North Carolina.
During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the 54-year-old actor, who shares daughter Waverly, 12, and 10-year-old twins Maggie and Gauge with his wife Amy, explained that concerns over how California’s COVID-19 restrictions would impact his children led him to leave the Golden State behind.
“That happened five years ago in the throes of COVID,” Chase said. “My wife and I picked up sticks with our three young children when they were mandating vaccines out there.”
“They said they couldn’t go back to school without it,” Chase, who stars as former Green Beret Jeff Eriksson in “Homestead,” continued. “And that was the final straw. And we’ve been in the mountains of North Carolina ever since living our best life.”
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Five years after trading Los Angeles for North Carolina, Chase told Fox News Digital that his life now largely revolves around his children’s activities when he isn’t working.
“I’m like soccer dad right now. It’s soccer season, so we’re going here and there,” he said. “My oldest is really into ballet, and I couldn’t be more proud of her and getting ready for ‘The Nutcracker’ in December, and basketball season’s around the corner.”
While Chase remains committed to his acting career, the “Longmire” alum said his priorities shift completely when he returns home.
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“I love my job, and when I’m off filming, I’m 100% focused on that. But when I’m home, I’m home,” he said. “There’s no greater job than being a dad.”
Chase and his family currently live in Amy’s hometown of Hendersonville in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, about 25 miles south of Asheville. Chase has previously explained that Amy had long envisioned eventually returning to the area where she was born and raised. The actor also has ties to North Carolina after attending Duke University in Durham on a football scholarship.
“Amy, being from the mountains of North Carolina, always had it in the back of her mind that she’d go back home one day,” he said in a January 2026 interview with Duke Alumni Magazine. “We didn’t know how or when.”
However, Chase recalled they decided the time was right due to California’s handling of the pandemic.
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“Things started to not work in LA during COVID – they shut down the schools, there were no sports for the kids,” he said. “Really, no life, no work. And it became more and more obvious that we should leave LA.”
“Amy’s very close with her parents, who are in N.C.,” he continued. “Everything’s about seven minutes away: school, the in-laws, the grocery store, golf course, soccer field. It’s a great location. We live in a house that would not have been affordable in LA.”
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“It’s a kid’s dream,” he added. “There’s a sports court and a pool. We have two golden retriever puppies, so it’s a full and lively house.”
During a February appearance on the “Undaunted.Life: A Man’s Podcast,” Chase elaborated on the concerns that he had over California’s proposed vaccine mandate for his young children’s return to school.
“At that time, you know, they’re 4, 4 and 6 years old,” he recalled. “I got two young girls and, you know we don’t need to go down that rabbit hole.”
“I was like, ‘No, I just don’t know enough,'” he continued. “And I got one job right now, and it’s to take care of these little nuggets. That’s the most important job I have right now.”
In October 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans for a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for students that he said would eventually apply to all the state’s 6.7 million public and private schoolchildren.
However, the mandate was repeatedly delayed and ultimately never took effect. In February 2023, state health officials announced that they would not pursue or implement the requirement as the COVID-19 state of emergency expired at the end of that month.
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Chase previously acknowledged that while relocating to North Carolina was the best move for his family, leaving LA came at a professional cost after he spent 21 years building his career in Hollywood.
“I’ve lost out on some work by not being in L.A.,” he admitted while appearing on the “Living Local” podcast in August.
“There was a big role on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,'” he continued. “And I understand, it’s a lot cheaper for them. They just move on to the next guy and cast someone who’s local to L.A.”
“But what has happened is I’ve gotten new opportunities and different kind of jobs and some faith-based films and shows,” Chase added.
The “Saving Grace” actor has also spoken openly about how he “lost touch” with God during his years in LA and shared that moving to North Carolina eventually led him back to his Christian faith.
“Moving back here, I’ve gotten reconnected to my faith,” Chase told “Crosswalk” in January. “Just started going to church recently. It took a few years, but I really like the church where we’re going to here.”
“My cousin started taking us,” he continued. “The girls are in youth group. They really love it.”
“It’s nice to be in an environment where I can openly talk about God and Jesus and without fear of criticism,” he added.
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In a 2024 Instagram post, Chase reflected on how his priorities have shifted since leaving behind “all that worry, all that stress, 20 years of hustle in LA.”
“It also got me thinking if I spent as much time chasing God as I’ve spent chasing success the last 25 years, what would that look like?” he wrote.
Chase is currently starring as former Green Beret Jeff Eriksson in the faith-based streaming platform Angel Studios’ post-apocalyptic drama “Homestead,” which will premiere its second season on Nov. 3.
The series follows survivors living at a fortified prepper compound in the Rocky Mountains known as The Homestead after a nuclear attack on LA plunges the country into chaos. After the bomb is detonated, Jeff escapes with his family to The Homestead, where he serves as head of security.
The actor starred in the 2024 theatrical movie “Homestead,” which introduces the story and the TV series picks up directly afterward. The cast also includes Neal McDonough, Kevin Lawson Emmanuel McCord, Jesse Hutch, Betzaida Landín, Charles Esten and Dawn Olivieri.
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Chase told Fox News Digital that starring in the “Homestead” movie and follow-up TV show had inspired the cast to start prepping for a potential apocalypse.
“‘Homestead’ has changed all of our lives and the first thing I did when I came home after the film was arm my home more,” he said. “And then right before season two, Hurricane Helene hit here in the mountains of North Carolina. And I now have a brand-new generator and some other things.”
When asked if most Americans would be able to survive a major disaster, Chase predicted that it would be more challenging for people who live in bigger cities.
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“They’re overpopulated and there aren’t enough resources,” he said. “So for those who are a little bit more in the country, their odds are a lot higher.”
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“Those are the kind of people who hunt and fish and can go out and find their own game,” Chase added. “So if I’m laying odds, I’m betting on those guys.”
While reflecting on what drew him to “Homestead,” Chase explained that his focus on faith and family has also influenced the projects he chooses, noting that the show offers a different message than much of what is coming out of Hollywood.
“I take my job as being a father as the best job and most important job that I’ll ever have. And I do take it seriously,” Chase told Fox News Digital.
“And how that translates to me being an actor, that’s why I’m so proud of ‘Homestead’ and the story that we get to tell, because it reflects my own personal values,” he continued. “We got men and women and boys and girls, and it’s about promoting faith, family, community and being there for your brother.”
“Not all the shows that Hollywood’s putting out does that, so I feel truly blessed to be part of a show that delivers a message that I believe in so deeply to my core.”
“Homestead: The Series” season two premieres Nov. 3 on Angel with new episodes released weekly on Tuesdays.
