Actor Simon Rex prefers a minimalist lifestyle compared to the glamour of Hollywood.
Rex, 50, detailed living in a “shipping container” outside of Joshua Tree National Park in California during an appearance on brothers Josh Meyers and Seth Meyers’ “Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers” podcast.
“It’s a basically 450-square-foot room,” the Red Rocket actor, who also frequently travels in his RV, explained. “You learn that you don’t need much, and there’s something sort of zen about that and simplifying everything and not having a lot of clutter because you don’t need all this stuff, you know?”
Rex admitted his living conditions pushed him out of his “comfort zone,” while noting his “tiny house” is made up of two shipping containers and was designed by an architect. His home sits on five acres in a remote area just 30 minutes from Joshua Tree.
“It’s off grid, you know, meaning that there is no infrastructure. I have a water well. I have solar power and a septic tank,” Rex said. “It feels like you’re on, like, 50 acres with no one around as far as you could see. I mean, you couldn’t be more, as a city guy, out of your comfort zone and in nature. And so, yeah, it’s a tiny box, all glass on one side.”
The Scary Movie 3 actor was inspired to try the unique lifestyle after spending his life in large urban cities, and he found the experience “life changing.”
“I was looking at places in Joshua Tree for a while, saw some shipping containers, and this guy did a really, really nice job,” Rex said during the podcast appearance. “I’ve been living in New York, L.A., San Francisco my whole life in an urban metropolis, in the human zoo, and I was like, ‘Let me just do the total opposite.’ And I can’t even tell you. It’s, like, life changing. I just go there — It’s almost just like my getaway pad to go decompress.”
Rex seems to be smitten with Joshua Tree and frequently posts about his adventures in the desert via Instagram, including riding his motorcycle and the gorgeous “no filter” sunsets. In 2022, he revealed he built an ultra-modern “tiny guest house” on his property.
“Off grid life is so crispy in Joshua Tree,” he captioned a series of Instagram photos showing off the new addition to his property.