The Superman actor, who is starring in 'Condition of Return,' cites California's 'ridiculous large government, incredible taxation, horrible regulations'
Dean Cain raves about life in Las Vegas after moving out of California
Dean Cain recalls leaving California behind and raves about his new house in Las Vegas.
Dean Cain shared his thoughts on his decision to move out of California despite believing he would "never" leave the Golden State.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the 57-year-old actor, who is starring in the new movie "Condition of Return," cited a number of factors that motivated him to sell his Malibu home for $6.25 million in May and relocate to Las Vegas.
"My home in Malibu was going to be my forever home," Cain recalled. "That was where I was going to die, and everything was going to be just fine. You can't beat the weather. And I had a lovely house with the most incredible views.
"Governments can ruin an area. And that's what's going on in California.
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Dean Cain reflected on his decision to move out of California after believing he would "never" leave the Golden State. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images )
"What is happening under [Democratic California Gov.] Gavin Newsom and the Democratic leadership in the House, in Congress — people I did not vote for.
"People did in California vote for it. I didn't," he added. "But it's the most ridiculous large government, incredible taxation, horrible regulations for business. Very anti-business. The personal income tax is 13 — the highest levels — 13, 13.2, whatever it happens to be.
"You're getting hit with the highest gas tax in the nation. Sales tax, food tax, energy tax, natural gas tax. It's as though they're trying to tax people out of there."
WATCH: Dean Cain raves about life in Las Vegas after moving out of California
In addition to high taxes, Cain told "Fox & Friends" host Brian Kilmeade California's rampant homelessness and lenient crime policies were leading to a mass exodus from the state.
"The policies are just terrible. The fiscal policies, the soft-on-crime policies, the homelessness policies," he said in June. "The things that our leaders in California have been doing have driven out anybody who can really afford to get out. People are flocking out of there in droves."
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Cain said he also took issue with a California bill that would have required judges in child custody cases to consider whether a parent has affirmed a child's gender identity
The actor told Fox News Digital he was opposed to the policies of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Getty)
"If I were to end up in a custody case with somebody over an adolescent child who thought they were … like my son thought he was a bird, he wanted to be a bird when he was young," Cain said. "And if I didn't affirm his ‘birdness,’ they might have tried to take that child away from me. Which is some of the crazy things that are going on in California when it comes to that, when it comes to schools."
The bill, AB 957, originally proposed that courts deciding custody cases must consider whether each parent affirmed a child's gender identity. An amendment in June added a parent's affirmation of a child's gender identity to the state's standard of what constitutes parental responsibility in a court of law for providing for "the health, safety, and welfare of the child."
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The bill was passed last month by the state assembly, but Newsom vetoed it when it reached his desk for a signature.
Cain said he enrolled his son Christopher in a private Christian school while they were leaving in California. (Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Cain told Fox News Digital he withdrew his son Christopher from a public school and enrolled him in a private Christian school while they were living in California.
"I didn't like the things they were teaching in the public school," he recalled of his decision. "So, there's so many things like that.
"It's pernicious, you know, just bit by bit by bit. It gets there, and it just makes you feel like you're working for Big Brother or that you can't do anything. So, I had to get out of California. I'm ecstatic to be in Nevada.
WATCH: Dean Cain talks chemistry with his "Condition of Return" co-star AnnaLynne McCord
"I feel like they're going to come get me someday," Cain joked. "And be like, 'I'm sorry, sir. This is too good for you. You got to come back here with us to this land of ridiculousness.' I hope that doesn't happen."
The Michigan native told Fox News Digital he felt lucky he had the money and the resources to leave the Golden State.
"I know so many people who want to get out of California who just cannot do it," he said. "I left. I moved into Las Vegas. I live in Nevada now. I have ten times as nice a house. I'm not kidding. Ten times as nice a house as I had in Malibu. The house is absolutely stunningly built. Gorgeous, beautiful. Everything is brand new.
"I look at my son sometimes because he's there with me, and I go, ‘This is our house, man. Unbelievable,’" Cain continued. "And it cost less than our place in Malibu."
The "Lois & Clark" star raved about the perks of living in Nevada. (Albert L. Ortega)
The "God's Not Dead" star raved about the other perks of living in Nevada.
"There's no state income tax and there's every sports team in the world that we would want to go watch will come through here," he said. "Every show you could possibly see. Getting in and out of the airport in Nevada? Absolute piece of cake."
Cain admitted he did miss the "perfect" weather in Malibu but pointed out many other areas of California frequently saw temperatures as high as those in Las Vegas.
"I remember there were times when I was driving back to Malibu via Calabasas, and it was 109 [degrees] in Calabasas," he said. "And by the time I got over to Malibu, it dropped 36 degrees. So that hill, that mountaintop there, keeping the sea air and all that stuff — it's unbelievable.
"But the rest of California, you know, go up. Go to Stockton. Go to Sacramento," Cain added. "California's huge, and it's warm inland. It's a desert. And Las Vegas, yeah, it's hot there. No joke. My buddy told me, he's like, 'You're going to love living here, but it's hot.' July and August are hot. Outside of that — greatest thing in the world."
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While he may have left Hollywood behind, Cain has stayed busy with his acting career. The former "Ripley's Believe It or Not" host has starred in five projects this year, including his latest film "Condition of Return."
In the psychological thriller, Cain plays psychoanalyst Dr. Donald Thomas, who is tasked with evaluating if a woman who recently committed a massacre is mentally fit to stand trial.
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The actor told Fox News Digital he prepared for the role by drawing on his own experiences with criminals as a sworn deputy sheriff in Frederick County, Virginia, and a reserve police officer in Pocatello, Idaho.
"I'm aware of these types of folks, that meaning the perpetrators of crimes like this," Cain explained. "And, so, I didn't have to do a ton of research to try to figure out, you know, 'What are these guys thinking? What's going on?' I've seen it. I know the guys who do this for a living. So, I watched them. I listened to them and then I just sort of acted that out."
During his interview with Fox News Digital, Cain praised his "Condition of Return" co-star AnnaLynne McCord. (Tommaso Boddi/Variety)
Throughout the film, Cain's character attempts to delve into the mind of Eve Sullivan (AnnaLynne McCord), a Catholic schoolteacher who commits a mass shooting at a church after making a "deal with the devil in order to escape a life out of control."
As Dr. Thomas interviews Eve about her past and the events that led to the heinous act, the two begin to connect over their troubled lives.
During his interview with Fox News Digital, Cain discussed working with McCord, 36, and praised his co-star's performance.
WATCH: Dean Cain explains how he prepared to play a psychoanalyst in "Condition of Return"
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"AnnaLynne was so good and so wonderful and so compelling," he said. "It was very easy for me to listen to her and just react to what she was doing. It's a full psychological thriller. It's a lot of fun, and I enjoyed going to work every single day."
McCord previously told Fox News Digital she initially didn't want to take on the role of Eve and filming the mass shooting scene was difficult.
"It was actually really intense because the day we filmed that scene, the scene where Eve walks into the church holding an AR-15, literally two days of my career, 22 years of working that I didn't want to go to work, and that day was one of them," the "90210" alum said.
Cain told Fox News Digital he could understand why McCord found it challenging to portray Eve.
"I'm glad she did all the heavy lifting because she played a character so much more complex and having to go through so much more than I did. So, I could see why it would be tough for AnnaLynne to go to work every day," he said. "I just had to play a doctor who sat across from her and asked her questions all day. That was fun for me. I enjoyed it."
The actor said he believes the chemistry he and McCord shared on set will translate on screen.
"You never know for sure, but I think for sure this one will," he said. "And it was just great because she was so dynamic and what she was going through was so fantastic. And you always hope to have a chemistry on screen.
"I don't want to give too much away with what's going on in the film, but let's just say it's not hard to be charmed by the amazing AnnaLynne and her character, as odd as her character is.
In the movie, Cain plays a psychoanalyst who must determine if a woman who committed a mass murder is fit to stand trial. (Eric Charbonneau )
"You can see the charm in somebody who has just committed mass murder and tries to explain to you what it is," Cain added. "I mean, the whole idea is. What if he sold your soul to the devil and wanted to get it back? Right? What would you do in order to get it back?
"And it's quite a compelling premise for a film. And it starts off in a way I never saw coming."
Cain also reflected on the movie's message, telling Fox News Digital, "I guess I would say ‘Be careful what you wish for.’
"My character is wishing for a lot of things throughout this film," he added. "And certainly his response would be, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ Because he's going to get what he's wishing for. But it ain't what he really thinks it is."
"Condition of Return" premiered in theaters Sept. 22 and is available to stream Oct. 23.
Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
