LOS ANGELES — John C. Reilly does not like the Westside. He felt this aversion deep in his bones from the moment he moved to Los Angeles from Chicago some 30-odd years ago. Venturing into Santa Monica one day, Reilly took inventory of the ostentatious wealth surrounding him and felt completely out of place. It was the cliche version of L.A. He didn't understand it and had absolutely no desire to even try to understand it. He fled back to his place near the Hollywood Bowl and moved to Silver Lake shortly afterward, and finally moving yet again.
For a transplanted Angeleno, this geographical antipathy can pose the occasional problem. The other day, Reilly found himself in Marina del Rey. He's interested in sailing (yes, we'll get to that "Step Brothers" music video in a moment), and to pursue this passion, you need an ocean. (The paddle boats in Echo Park can only go so far.) Reilly has come to love sailing, having taken it up during the pandemic. But the problem is obvious: Once he's back at the marina, he has to fight the traffic home.
"I get to my car, and it's like, 'Wow, I feel so anxious. Why do I feel so anxious?'" Reilly says. "Then I remember: It's the Westside. I don't belong here."
