"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.
asserted
that → open → 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.
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restrictions → share → State
"That happened five years ago in the throes of COVID," Chase said.
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Chase → happen → COVID
"My wife and I picked up sticks with our three young children when they were mandating vaccines out there."
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they → pick → vaccines
"They said they couldn't go back to school without it," Chase, who stars as former Green Beret Jeff Eriksson in "Homestead," continued.
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who → say → Homestead
And we've been in the mountains of North Carolina ever since living our best life."
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we → live → life
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.
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he → trade → activities
It's soccer season, so we're going here and there," he said.
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he → go → ?
"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."
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season → get → 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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he → remain → career
"I love my job, and when I'm off filming, I'm 100% focused on that.
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I → love → that
But when I'm home, I'm home," he said.
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he → say → ?
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.
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Chase → live → Asheville
Chase has previously explained that Amy had long envisioned eventually returning to the area where she was born and raised.
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she → explain → area
The actor also has ties to North Carolina after attending Duke University in Durham on a football scholarship.
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actor → have → 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.
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he → have → Magazine
"We didn’t know how or when."
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We → know → ?
However, Chase recalled they decided the time was right due to California's handling of the pandemic.
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time → recall → pandemic
"Things started to not work in LA during COVID – they shut down the schools, there were no sports for the kids," he said.
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he → start → kids
And it became more and more obvious that we should leave LA."
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we → become → LA
"Amy’s very close with her parents, who are in N.C.," he continued.
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he → ’ → N.C.
"Everything’s about seven minutes away: school, the in-laws, the grocery store, golf course, soccer field.
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Everything → ’ → ?
It’s a great location.
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It → ’ → ?
We live in a house that would not have been affordable in LA."
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that → live → LA
"It’s a kid’s dream," he added.
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he → ’ → ?
We have two golden retriever puppies, so it’s a full and lively house."
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it → have → puppies
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.
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he → elaborate → school
"At that time, you know, they're 4, 4 and 6 years old," he recalled.
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he → know → time
"I got two young girls and, you know we don't need to go down that rabbit hole."
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we → get → hole
"I was like, 'No, I just don't know enough,'" he continued.
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he → know → enough
"And I got one job right now, and it's to take care of these little nuggets.
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it → get → nuggets
That's the most important job I have right now."
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I → have → ?
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.
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he → announce → schoolchildren
However, the mandate was repeatedly delayed and ultimately never took effect.
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mandate → delay → 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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state → announce → month
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.
"
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he → acknowledge → 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.
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he → lose → August
"There was a big role on 'Grey's Anatomy,'" he continued.
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he → be → Anatomy
"And I understand, it's a lot cheaper for them.
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it → understand → them
They just move on to the next guy and cast someone who's local to L.A."
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who → move → L.A.
…and 29 more, not listed.
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