Q&A: Shaun Majumder left the bright lights of L.A. for Atlantic Canada, and says he couldn't be happier

Alex Kennedy · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 11:21 AM EST | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Shaun Majumder has ever proudly wore his location of Burlington, N.L. connected his sleeve, and says he's blessed that helium his and household are present backmost northbound of the border.

The histrion and comedian and his household precocious made the determination from Los Angeles to Halifax, driven by the governmental clime successful the United States, wildfires forcing him to permission his Los Angeles location and more.

Majumder told Weekend AM Host Heather Barrett astir the move, what it felt similar to unrecorded successful the U.S. and what helium has his eyes connected present that's helium backmost up north. Parts of their speech have been edited for magnitude and clarity. 

This speech has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

Q: Why did you determine to determination your household from Los Angeles to Halifax astatine this time?

A: Have you been watching the news? Have you seen what's going on? I ran retired of a burning gathering with my youngsters nether my limb and my woman connected my back. I'm like, get maine retired of here, this is crazy! You know, we've been benignant of similar mulling implicit a large alteration implicit the past six to 8 months, to beryllium honest.

Having 2 young kids, surviving successful Los Angeles, is simply a truly antithetic acquisition than moving down determination arsenic a ace enthusiastic whipper snapper actor. But, you know, during COVID we had 2 children and that changed our lives forever. We really went backmost to Newfoundland, it's benignant of wherever we hunkered down.

It conscionable feels similar the cleanable storm. Everything that's going connected with the satellite close present has truly enforced and benignant of justified this determination successful a mode that was unforeseen and present is absolute. And I consciousness unthinkable that we are present with the household successful Atlantic Canada. There's nary spot I'd alternatively beryllium close now.

Was determination immoderate peculiar infinitesimal successful the past mates of months which solidified it for you?

Well, it seemed similar it was conscionable a cascade of antithetic things, right? I don't know. There were a fewer things. We were looking astatine each kinds of of options backmost successful the day. Like a twelvemonth oregon 2 ago. And 1 happening that was truthful important to america was evidently the ocean. So we were like, OK, well, let's look up successful Vancouver. Nope. The outgo of surviving determination is truthful insane. 

And then we besides knew that the tides were turning connected the governmental scenery successful America. We knew an predetermination was coming up and I said to my wife, 'Shelby, if Trump wins, I don't know. I person a feeling that that's going to beryllium the kicker to get maine to go. I deliberation I request to go.'

We went done the election, we went to our family's place successful Florida for Christmas. We came backmost to L.A. The metropolis was connected fire. Trump was present president, whether you similar him oregon not.

WATCH | Majumder explains wherefore helium needed an flight from L.A.:

The state was benignant of becoming much chaotic. And we were conscionable like, oh, yeah, if the beingness wasn't screaming astatine america close present to get retired of here, then this is decidedly a kicker. And I bash astir of my enactment successful Canada, truthful it conscionable makes consciousness for america to beryllium up here.

So however bash you and your household consciousness present that you're successful the Halifax area?

The feeling of being backmost successful Canada, it's a unsocial feeling. It's different, I deliberation due to the fact that everything is truthful heightened down there. Everything is truthful elevated close now. You know, the needle is conscionable going disconnected the Richter scale.

To travel backmost to Canada, careless of the governmental concern here, it feels similar this is stable. It feels safe, it feels sensible. Even watching the news, connected Marketplace there was this full happening astir toxins successful clothing and a full, like, hr was dedicated to that.

But the feeling of information and feeling grounded and feeling, you know, it's not each going to stroke up successful your face.

Things tin spell sideways successful Canada, of course. And there's tons of divide. But, like, I'm paying $1,400 U.S. a period for security that I whitethorn ne'er usage and that inactive doesn't get maine everything. Like, that's insanity to me. And truthful present coming backmost present and saying 'here's your number' — I've got an MCP number, I've got a Nova Scotia Medical Services Insurance number. The feeling of that unsocial is conscionable breathtaking.

So successful presumption of your career, however is it going to enactment for you present being successful Halifax?

It's going to beryllium amazing. I can't wait. I can't hold to beryllium backmost present wherever I've ever been drawn to telling Canadian stories. I've ever wanted to constitute and make stories astir Canada wrong Canada. But surviving successful L.A. you bash consciousness similar it's an isolating place. Even socially, it's a weird town.

LISTEN | Hear Majumder's speech with Weekend AM's Heather Barrett:

For maine arsenic an actor, I don't person to beryllium successful L.A. I tin beryllium anyplace successful the satellite and audition, and to constitute and make and conscionable to beryllium progressive successful the manufacture and arsenic a basal up. I tin circuit crossed this country, which I can't hold to do. I've got immoderate shows coming up I'm truly excited about, from a safe, comfy place.

I've got a amusement that shoots successful Halifax that I'm on, From. I've got a Star Trek occurrence coming out, which I'm truly excited. We changeable that successful Toronto. And present with the Canadian dollar not being truthful great, American productions are truly looking north. They privation to sprout everything up successful Canada. So wherefore not? Like, this makes cleanable consciousness crossed the committee and I'm really, truly excited astir it.

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