'Desperate Housewives' Actor James Denton Explains Why He Decided to Leave Hollywood

James Denton is opening up about his life outside of Hollywood.

The 58-year-old actor, who played Mike Delfino on Desperate Housewives, gave a rare interview on Thursday (March 25) from his home in Minnesota where he explained how he and wife Erin made the “conscious decision” to get their two kids “out of L.A.” when the show ended.

James and Erin married in 2002 and share two kids, son Sheppard, 18, and daughter Malin, 16. They have been living in Minnesota since Desperate Housewives ended in 2012.

“Their mom was born here in Minnesota so we thought maybe we should get the kids out of L.A.,” James shared during his interview on Australia’s The Morning Show.

“[Los Angeles] is not a great place for kids. It’s tough,” James continued. “The schools are really expensive, so we decided as soon as Housewives ended, we’d come up here and let them grow up in a little more normal suburban American neighborhood.”

Even though he moved out of Los Angeles, James didn’t give up acting. He recently starred in The Hallmark Channel’s series The Good Witch.

Also in the interview, James admitted he had a hard time finding work after Desperate Housewives ended.

“I had trouble getting seen for anything that was, like, a suit and tie role, or maybe a politician,” James shared. “Anything like that that wasn’t blue-collar, I had a little trouble right after Housewives.”

“Because you get a little bit typecast, but that’s a small price you pay for being on a show that was that popular,” James explained, but added, “you’ll never hear me complain.”