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After living in Hollywood for 20 years, Tom Green was ready to go home.
It was 2021 when the comedian and actor moved back to his native country of Canada. Today, he resides on a 150-acre farm in a remote area of Ontario alongside chickens, a donkey and a 1,500-pound mule, among other animals.
“I’m often in the wilderness,” the 53-year-old told Fox News Digital. “There’s not a lot outside the farm as far as restaurants and conveniences. In California, it was nice to be able to do stand-up comedy every night. It was nice to be able to have 200 different sushi restaurants you could go to. But… there’s nothing really I miss about living there, to be honest with you. It’s nice to be living in the country at the farm.”
TOM GREEN NEVER FELT HIS ‘AUTHENTIC SELF’ IN HOLLYWOOD, SHARES WHY HE PREFERS A MUCH SIMPLER LIFE IN CANADA
“Fanny is 16.3 hands tall – I am 6 foot 4,” Tom Green told his followers on Instagram. (Tom Green Productions Canada Inc.)
The MTV star who famously pranked everyone during the Y2K era — including his parents — is chronicling his new life in a series on Prime Video, “Tom Green Country.”
The streaming giant is also offering “This Is the Tom Green Documentary” about his rise to fame, as well as his stand-up special, “Tom Green: I Got a Mule!”. He also has a new country album, “Home to the Country,” a love letter to his new life.
Tom Green was born and raised in Canada. (Bryan Steffy/WireImage/Getty Images)
“I’ve kept all of this footage for years of my old public access show and videos that I used to make and my MTV show,” Green explained about why he decided to be the subject of a tell-all now.
Tom Green is seen here during an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” circa 2000. (Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
“The show was pretty outrageous and kind of a crazy show,” he reflected. “It was done in those early days of home video before social media. I think it sometimes shocked people, confused people. I was playing a little bit of a character or an amplified wild and crazy version of myself. I think I wanted to put this documentary together to… set the record straight and let people… get to know what I’m all about.”
Green said his desire to leave California started during the pandemic. His stand-up comedy tour was postponed for the year. So, he decided to go out into the desert in a camper van.
Tom Green was married to Drew Barrymore from 2001 to 2002. (S. Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)
“I was traveling all around the southwestern United States in a camper van doing videos for my YouTube channel and just recording podcasts,” he explained. “Then I just realized I love being out in nature so much. I grew up in Canada, and I always spent a lot of time fishing and being out in the wilderness there. I just decided I wanted to live like that.”
WATCH: TOM GREEN LEFT HOLLYWOOD FOR GREENER PASTURES
“So, I moved back home,” he noted.
Green’s farm is located “not far from where I grew up,” he shared. It’s also close to his parents, who’ve forgiven him since he famously put a cow’s head on their bed, “Godfather”-style.
Tom Green told Fox News Digital he’s happy to live near his parents. (Tom Green Productions Canada Inc.)
“They still talk to me,” he said. “Getting a farm close to my family, it’s been the best decision I’ve made, I think ever, really… It’s a lot different from Los Angeles, and I’m happy to be on the farm.”
Tom Green is seen here with his parents in Canada. They’ve forgiven him for the pranks. (Tom Green Productions Canada Inc.)
“I’ve never really felt completely at home in Los Angeles… it always felt foreign to me,” Green reflected. “It always felt strange to me to be in Los Angeles and in that world. I had a lot of fun there. I started doing stand-up comedy again in Los Angeles 20 years ago… I performed at the great comedy clubs of LA… But I always felt like I was missing home, and I wanted to be living closer to my family.”
Green has picked up some unexpected skills along the way.
Tom Green still does stand-up comedy and travels. (Tara Ziemba/Getty Images)
“Riding my mule,” he boasted. “I didn’t know anything about riding horses or mules. Certainly didn’t know how to get up in the morning and go out and take care of a giant 1,500-pound animal.”
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Tom Green and Fanny. (Tom Green Productions Canada Inc.)
His new lady has been an inspiration, he said.
“Fanny is a massive rideable mule, maybe the biggest rideable mule in Canada… I saddle her up every morning. I ride her out into the wilderness. I’ve really gotten to become very comfortable riding Fanny and using her just to get around the property. And it’s also been an extremely beautiful experience to be able to bond with an animal like that,” he said.
Tom Green’s three projects — “This Is the Tom Green Documentary,” “Tom Green Country” and “Tom Green: I Got a Mule!” — are all available on Prime Video now. (Tom Green Productions Canada Inc.)
“I never really lived on a farm when I grew up,” Green shared. “I lived in the city of Ottawa… [But] I would go out into nature. I’d go fishing, and I’d go out in the country. We had a cabin as a kid that we would go out and fish at, but I never actually had farm animals and all of that.”
Tom Green is seen here with his parents and his dog Charley. He lives close to where he grew up. (Tom Green Productions Canada Inc.)
Escaping the glitz and glam of Hollywood has brought Green newfound peace. He spends his morning riding Fanny and feeding his chickens. He also works around his 1857 farmhouse with his dog Charley always nearby. You may even spot him on an ATV with his fiancée, Amanda Nelson. He was previously married to Drew Barrymore from 2001 to 2002.
“When I was living in Los Angeles, and I was working in show business, it was always go-go-go,” he said. “You’re always trying to figure out what you’re doing next, and you can get stressed out. It’s nice to live in a simpler, calmer environment and just be in the presence of these animals. It’s a very calming and peaceful thing. I think it makes me a much happier person for sure.”
Tom Green at the MTV Movie Awards, circa 2000. (Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
Today, Green is living life on his terms. He still hits the road to perform comedy. But then he goes right back home, where his animals eagerly greet him.
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Tom Green left Hollywood in 2021. (Tom Green Productions Canada Inc.)
Anyone can do it too, he insisted. Just know what you’re signing up for.
“If you do want to move to the country and leave the city, you have to genuinely like that rural lifestyle,” Green said. “You have to want not just peace and quiet, but you have to enjoy all aspects of it. I love getting up in the morning and walking in the wilderness. Maybe there’ll be a few mosquitoes here and there. Maybe there’ll be some muddy boots. But it’s something that’s in your blood.”
Tom Green’s parents. (Tom Green Productions Canada Inc.)
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“Doing things like fishing, hunting or just being outdoors can be very cathartic if it’s really in your heart,” he said. “If you feel that it’s in your heart, and you want to live a simpler, more rural lifestyle, you should do it, because I think you won’t regret it. It’s not for everyone, but it was a great choice for me.”
