“Doctor Odyssey” star Joshua Jackson is no stranger to emotional storytelling on screen, but his latest heartbreak unfolded in real life. The former “Dawson’s Creek” and “The Affair” actor revealed that the Topanga Canyon home he grew up in—and later raised his daughter—was completely destroyed in the California wildfires. For Jackson, the loss was far more than just financial—it was deeply symbolic.
Joshua Jackson Had Incredible Ties to His Topanga Canyon Home
Jackson, 46, had lived in the 1,902-square-foot property on and off for the past 25 years. It’s the same home he first called his own as a child, before his family split up and he returned to Canada with his mother. Years later, when his career took off, Jackson bought the home in 2001 for $865,000, telling Mr Porter that it was a “healing” place where “everything felt simple.”
More recently, Jackson shared the house with his daughter, Juno, and his now-ex-wife, actress Jodie Turner-Smith. “That house has given me so much over the years,” Jackson said during an appearance on “The Tonight Show.” “The heartbreak, the baby… just life. All of life is in there.”
He found only ashes and smoke when he returned to the site after the blaze. “I’m standing in front of this thing, and it’s still literally smoking,” he told Jimmy Fallon. “This bears no relation to my home. This is just a pile of stuff that burned in a fire.”
The Dragon on the Wall Remained When He Reclaimed the Home
One of the most haunting details of Jackson’s connection to the house was a mural of a dragon that was on the wall of his childhood bedroom. Remarkably, the mural was still there when he repurchased the house.
“I couldn’t believe it was still there,” he said, adding that the previous owner had preserved it out of a hunch.
“They said, ‘I knew it meant a lot to somebody and that they were going to come back for it someday.’”
Jackson described the home as unexpectedly cozy and “baby-oriented” despite its rustic canyon exterior. His daughter slept in the same bedroom he once did, bridging the past with the present in the most intimate way.
Though devastated by the loss, Jackson shared that he’s excited to rebuild. “In some ways, it’s not how I would have chosen to do a remodel, but in some ways I’m actually excited about the process,” he said. “I’m excited to build a new house… that is for her and I.”
Joshua Jackson Was Among Several Celebrities That Lost Their Homes
The $2 million property was one of more than 16,000 structures damaged in the deadly wildfires that ravaged California. According to Cal Fire, the fires displaced over 80,000 people and claimed at least 29 lives. Jackson wasn’t alone in his loss—celebrities like Jeff Bridges, Tina Knowles, Adam Brody, Paris Hilton, and Eugene Levy were also among those affected.
Despite the destruction, Jackson remains grateful. “First and most importantly, all the people closest to me affected by the fire are okay,” he told People.
“My daughter, my family, my neighbors all made it out safely… I feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by the people I love.”
Fans can catch Joshua Jackson in new episodes of “Doctor Odyssey” on Thursday nights on ABC and Hulu the following day.
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Joshua Jackson’s Fire-Destroyed Home Was More Than a House