‘Friday Night Lights’ Star Taylor Kitsch Leaves Hollywood to Help Veterans

Taylor Kitsch attends "The Terminal List" Los Angeles premiere at DGA Theater Complex in Los Angeles on June 22, 2022. (Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

Taylor Kitsch has played everything from a high school football player in “Friday Night Lights” to an OxyContin-addicted mechanic in the upcoming Netflix drama “Painkiller,” but the actor sees one of his most important roles as a positive facilitator for veterans needing a helping hand.

It’s since Kitsch has spent time away from the Tinsel town spotlight building a healing retreat for veterans and sober/recovery communities in Bozeman, Montana, that he’s made the realization. Located in the Rocky Mountains in the southern part of the state, Kitsch has found solace in a place known for its scenic beauty and skiing, biking and hiking trails.

“I got a later start in the business, and I was able to have a sense of who I was and what I needed,” he said. “Being in L.A. was never a great thing for me, and I love being out here — there’s just so much peace to grasp. That’s what this place represents to me: It’s not going to solve every problem, but hopefully it will help at least one person work toward what they need.”

“Lone Survivor” Role Led to Passion For Vets

Originally from Canada, the 42-year-old Kitsch has also had roles in such films as “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” “Battleship,” “John Carter,” “Savages,” “The Grand Seduction,” “American Assassin,” “Only The Brave,” and “21 Bridges.”

It was after the actor worked closely with retired Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell while filming the movie “Lone Survivor” that Kitsch became more attuned to veteran issues. The film recounted Luttrell’s harrowing survivor story in 2005 after being a part of Operation Red Wings.

Kitsch told The Hollywood Reporter that while he’s interested in helping all kinds of people, his desire to help those dealing with addiction issues comes from a personal place. He divulged that it’s something that runs in his family, and the reason he took time away from the limelight was to support a close relative’s sobriety.

“The stakes were very life-and-death, and Marcus was one of the few people I called for help,” he told the entertainment trade. “When you get into that community, it’s like you’re a brother for life, and it’s really beautiful.”

Big Plans for Bozeman Retreat

It was two years ago that after selling his Austin, Texas home, Kitsch drove 20 hours north to Bozeman where he stayed during part of the pandemic. While attracted to the location because of his interest in wildlife photography and a need for more serenity, once he was shown the land he now owns, he visualized a nature retreat that could offer healing to those who needed it.

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While Kitsch is currently building an A-frame house to serve as a central meeting space of the retreat along with cabins and a geodesic dome, he also referred to his new ideas for an outdoor shower and a soon-to-be burning hot tub. Kitsch told the publication he has paid for all of his passion project to date and feels grateful to contribute in such a way, and lucky that he found a charitable passion and a place to call home that is far removed from Los Angeles.

“I’m just really excited about this, about it being a base camp for people to empower themselves,” he said.