Dean Norris has been a staple in Hollywood for more than three decades. His extensive body of work includes memorable performances in Total Recall, Law and Order: Organized Crime, and Little Miss Sunshine. He’s also set to join the upcoming season of Ghosts on CBS. Of Norris’ many roles, he’s perhaps best known for his iconic portrayal of DEA agent Hank Schrader on AMC’s Breaking Bad—a series celebrated as one of the greatest in television history. While the in-demand actor keeps busy with various projects, he’s chosen to make a home far from the Hollywood hustle.
While commuting for a film shoot in Mexico, Norris stumbled upon Temecula and was instantly charmed by its small-town vibe and family-friendly atmosphere. He decided to settle down there, and now, twenty years later, he’s still proud to call the Inland Empire wine region his home. In 2022, Norris doubled down on his commitment to the community by taking over the Swing Inn Cafe and BBQ in Old Town Temecula. There, he serves up Texas-style barbeque alongside his signature Schraderbräu beer and other Breaking Bad–inspired menu items. On the California Now Podcast, he also shared plans for a second, upscale eatery in the area. In his California Questionnaire, Norris reflects on the destinations, experiences, and hidden gems that make the Golden State truly special.
Where do you live? Temecula.
Why there? I had just gotten married and I was living in the Hollywood Hills and had a job that was shooting in Rosarito Mexico. If I was going to work on a Monday, I'd drive down late Saturday night or Sunday and cruise through the border. One time I stopped at this town Temecula to get some gas and coffee on my way home, and I was like, “Man, this is a cool little town.” I just started liking it and kept stopping by and started bringing my wife out. We knew we wanted to move out of the Hollywood Hills, which was great when I was a bachelor, but it wasn't great to have a family and I didn't really know my neighbors, whereas here I know all my neighbors. We looked up north a little bit like Ventura and Ojai, but we ultimately settled on Temecula and I’m really glad we did. It was good to get here early. It's grown up around us and we just enjoyed being part of it.
Who or what is your greatest California love? I love the weather. I mean, look, I come from Indiana, man. Trust me. Spend a winter in Indiana, you'll appreciate the weather.
What is your favorite Golden State splurge? There's a lot of those. My family and I love to go to San Diego and spend the night and go to a Padres game. They love to go to L.A., get a nice hotel, have a nice dinner, and sometimes go to a Dodgers game. We love to go up to San Francisco, so we take that trip quite often just to check out the city, the ocean, and the beautiful ferries and the beautiful bridges. I think San Francisco is probably our favorite splurge.
Time for a road trip—where are you going? I'm going up right through the center of the state, through the Sequoia National Forest Yosemite area. I have a fifth wheel that I tow behind this big old truck I got, and man, there's nothing I like more than just going right up to the central and northern part of California. Mammoth, Lake Tahoe, all the natural wonders are just beautiful and most of them are up north. I'll take that trip anytime somebody wants to come with me. We camp out in these different places. It's awesome.
If you could decree an official state culinary experience, what would it be? Well, I’ve got to be biased on that. I have to have a barbecue thing in there, but I'm a sushi guy too. I love my smoked meats on the one hand, but nobody has sushi as good at the quality as we do. There’s a stretch on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City called Sushi Row, which has like six world-class sushi places you can go to. Whenever I get into L.A., I always eat sushi. In fact, sometimes I eat it twice a day.
What is your favorite way to play in California? I love the multiple golf options that we have. I do like to go to the beach sometimes as well, but the fact that you don't have to leave California and you can just play the best golf courses around, including Torrey Pines, which is near where I live, and smaller ones too. There's just amazing golf courses ‘cause you can golf year-round here. That's what I like to play in California.
Where would you go for the ultimate shopping spree in California? That would be in Orange County. It's called South Coast Plaza and it has an amazing collection of really cool high-end stores. It also has a couple of great sushi places in there. You get all of the best of California, it's outside, you're walking around in sunshine, there’s really nice high-end retail. It's pleasant, it's close to the fresh ocean air coming in. You can both have a great shopping experience and a good eating experience as well.
Best California song? “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin. It just so captures the essence of it, especially because they were British and California must have been even more foreign for people from Britain to come out and see the sunshine and the girls with flowers in their hair. Of course, this was written in the early seventies. It just invokes somehow the way I feel about the wonder of California and what it means to come out here.
What’s your favorite hidden gem in California? I would say Death Valley or Joshua Tree. If you ever want a crazy experience, go out in the desert. I never thought of the desert as a destination place. Certainly not coming from Indiana. But if you've lived out here and you've gone to these places, the desert is beautiful and fascinating and crazy. You have to go to Death Valley in the winter because in summer it's too hot, but it's like you're in another world. We love to go to Joshua Tree and stay in a little old hotel. It’s just so beautiful.
How would your California dream day unfold? It's the greatest part of California. We could wake up and go to the beach, enjoy some sunshine, and then, were we so inclined, we would take a drive up to Big Bear and do a little skiing. If it's the right time in March or April, you could do both and it's all within an hour and a half. I also love Big Bear! That's certainly a gem that people probably know, but we love going up there in the winter, going skiing and doing that nice cold lodging and stuff. We also go up there in the summer because it's great to walk around Big Bear, go to the little ice cream shops, float around on the lake and do stuff like that. So, it would probably be a combination of those two things—the beach and then a trip to Big Bear and maybe grab some sushi in between.
