Gabriel Macht Says It’s ‘Bittersweet’ to Be Back in the U.S. After Big International Move (Exclusive)

Gabriel Macht has mixed feelings about being back in the U.S. 

The actor and producer, 53, opened up to PEOPLE about how it feels to be back home following his big international move with his family. 

“It’s nice to be here,” he tells PEOPLE at the Feb. 20 Los Angeles premiere of Suits LA. “It’s bittersweet.”

Macht and his wife, actress Jacinda Barrett, previously decided to leave the country with their two children — daughter Satine, 17, and son Luca, 10 — and are choosing to keep the location of their new home a secret.

The Suits star, who grew up in Los Angeles, explains that while he’s happy to be back, it has been difficult to see the aftermath of the tragic wildfires that swept through the city in January. 

“I took a tour of the Palisades today and that was heartbreaking. This is where I grew up and there’s a lot of people struggling right now. It’s tough,” he says. “It’s nice to be in blue skies and it’s nice to see the resilience of the city. We’ll definitely bounce back, but they’re challenging times.” 

Macht adds that “as we’re in a bit of a crisis,” he hopes Suits LA can serve as an “escape” for viewers and “a nice little pocket to dive into once a week.”

Macht previously told PEOPLE in January that despite embarking on an exciting new journey with his family, he refuses to tell anyone exactly where they live. 

“I don’t tell anybody where I live because I like to keep that under wraps,” he said at the time, adding, “I got out of town and we’re exploring the world.”

He also revealed why his family decided to take the leap and move abroad. 

“Right before COVID, we wanted to take the kids out of school and homeschool them,” he said. “But then we got stuck and so we were in Manhattan. That just wasn’t doing it for us.”

Explaining his connection to both coasts, he added, “I grew up in L.A. and I lived in New York for many, many years. Half of my life on the East Coast, half of my life on the West Coast.”

Despite his connection to both sides of the country, he and his family were ready for a complete change: “We decided to explore the world, so we left.” 

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Macht first met Barrett, who is originally from Australia, in 2000 on a blind date. The pair later tied the knot in a private ceremony in 2004, and they welcomed their daughter in 2007 and their son in 2014. 

“I’m a family man. My relationships with my wife and my kids are my priorities,” he said during an interview with New Zealand outlet, Woman’s Day, in April 2016. “And I have the utmost confidence in my love for my family and I prioritize that.”

Suits LA premieres Sunday, Feb. 23 on NBC.