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Kiffin and his family at USC in 2010.
“Hayden’s voice is still very much alive in my head,” Kemp said. “It’s
really fun to write him again for Craig to play.”
What hasn’t been a blast is the commute to Los Angeles, which
shifts from a couple days a week to a full-time job once the production
office is fully staffed in July, in advance of the new
Coach
airing as a
mid-season replacement in early 2016. Like many who have moved
to Montecito, Kemp was enjoying his private life and not missing
Hollywood connections much, even as many of his former colleagues
live within minutes. “Montecito is a wonderful small community, and
you meet people fairly easily. And to be truthful, we really don’t see (the
people we used to work with). We just enjoy living here, among people
outside the industry who don’t know what we used to do. We have
normal relationships. It’s nice to meet people who have no idea what
you’ve done but are with you just by how you live your life.”
Kemp said he relished his time away from show business –
“rejuvenating, enjoying life, having the freedom to be home at night
and spend time together.” The Kemps often stay close to home when
dining out, enjoying frequent meals at Tre Lune on Coast Village Road,
Pierre Lafond in the upper village, and Via Vai, across the way. “Pretty
much all of the ones everyone else loves,” he says.
The couple have also immersed themselves in the local arts culture,
becoming sponsors and benefactors of the Santa Barbara Bowl and the
Music Academy of the West. “They’re both just so convenient,” he said,
still marveling at the fact that the world-class venues are just minutes
away. “We had a wonderful box at the Hollywood Bowl and for the
Los Angeles Philharmonic. So, the Santa Barbara Bowl and the Music
Academy have really taken their place and it’s great.”
But now, break time is over for Kemp.
“I was very happy to have had the time off, but now I’m excited to
be doing this show again, to see if we can pull it off creatively,” he said.
“I really doubt I’ll be looking for anything after this, but you never say
never. I just want to get this puzzle solved and hope it has legs, and that
people enjoy it as much as they did the first time around.”
