Haley Joel Osment thinks his house burning down in the Los Angeles wildfires was a sign not to settle down
The 36-year-old actor bought his home in Altadena four years ago but it was destroyed in the Eaton Fire last month, and he's reflected on the loss of what became his "refuge" during a long period of uncertainty
23 February 2025
Speaking on the 'Mentor Buffet' podcast, he said: "I got my place in LA on March 16th 2020, which was the day of the first lockdowns. So then immediately we were in the pandemic for a very long time.
"I had this very intense pandemic relationship that ended up going nowhere. Then things started picking up after the worse the pandemic.
"Then there was the [SAG/WGA] strike, which I totally supported, but that put everything on hold for a very long time.
"And then we've had some political upheaval and this house that had been my refuge during the pandemic was completely destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
"So now it's like, all right like I guess I'm getting a message to not settle down and be responsible?"
But the 'Sixth Sense' actor can see positives in the situation because the loss of his home has made him more willing to travel for work and be away for long periods of time.
He said: "I have a good mindset right now because I'm back to where I was before I moved back to LA five years ago where I was just like, 'Send me anywhere!'
"Like six years in South Africa, I signed up for a show there in 2016. I was like, 'I'll go anywhere in the world now because every time I try and domesticate myself the world really has been punching me in the mouth every time that happens.' "
Despite the loss of his home, Haley is pleased he managed to keep hold of a special souvenir from his movie debut, playing Forrest Jr. in 1994's 'Forrest Gump' when he was five years old.
He said: "Tom Hanks wrote out the new dialogue for the scene in a red marker on yellow legal pad and was like, 'These are your new lines. Go learn these lines.'
"And I still have that piece of paper now! That actually survived the fire. I took that frame off the wall [before evacuating]."
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