Dead Poets Society star Robert Sean Leonard left behind the Big Apple for a quieter life in a small town, and for a sweet reason.
The star recalled the toughness and grit that came with moving to New York City alone from New Jersey when he was 16 years old, and he didn't want the same kind of upbringing for his children.
Robert and his wife Gabriella Salick, who share three daughters who are between the ages of eight and 17, had a serious talk together about where they would plant their family roots.
© FilmMagicAlthough they're not in the metropolitan city, they're an easy car ride away in New Jersey, where the actor was raised.
Robert revealed to People: "I knew I couldn't do it in New York. My wife told me, 'You need nostalgia. You bathe in it.'"
The neighboring state was a happy medium between being close to the city, and relishing in a slower pace of living for the growing family.
The movie star explained how his life came full circle, sharing: "I cherished all the times I had there. Now I'm handing out pizza on Thursdays at the same grammar school I went to. I'm watching my daughter cheerleading on the same high school field I went to. And I love it."
© FilmMagicUnlike his daughters, Robert experienced his teen years unconventionally.
He shared: "I dropped out of high school because I was Matthew Broderick's understudy in a Neil Simon play, but then he had to go do a movie called War Games, and I took over the play for him, and yeah, I had my own apartment when I was 16, on 10th Avenue and 29th Street."
The actor ended up getting his high school diploma and later on studied at Fordham University. While being a college student, Robert worked on Broadway and on films in the city.
© Getty ImagesRobert recalled that he used to feel jealous about his fellow actor friends, who had the opportunity of growing up in the Big Apple.
He explained: "Cynthia Nixon did, Josh Hamilton did. We both had things we envied about each other's youths…You don't get much more real than growing up in New York — it probably does a lot more for you than living in a homogenized suburb does."
© Getty ImagesThe performer continued: "What makes New York such a special place is that — more than any other place in the world — it's a place where everyone in the world belongs."
Robert admitted: "It's a tough place, it's a driving place, but it's a place that doesn't ask you where you're from, or what your religion is, or anything else for that matter. New York a home for everybody."
