Mel Gibson revealed he lost his Malibu home in the Los Angeles wildfires while in Austin to record a podcast interview with Joe Rogan.

In a phone interview on NewsNation Elizabeth Vargas reportsThe Crazy Max The actor tried to remain optimistic as he spoke at length about the “devastating” feeling of losing the house he had lived in for 14 to 15 years. “Obviously it’s pretty devastating. It’s emotional,” Gibson told host Elizabeth Vargas. “You’ve lived there for a long time and had all your things. Do you remember George Carlin talking about your stuff? I had my things there and it’s like I’ve been freed from the burden of my things because everything is in ashes.”

More from The Hollywood Reporter

When asked where he was in his home during the fire, Gibson said he was in Austin, Texas, recording an episode of it at the time Joe Rogan experience. “I did the Rogan podcast… And as we were talking, I felt kind of uneasy knowing my neighborhood was on fire, so I thought, ‘I wonder if my apartment is still there.’ But when I got home it actually wasn’t there. I went home and said to myself, ‘Well, at least I don’t have any of those annoying plumbing problems anymore.'”

Gibson said his wife, Rosalind Ross, and their son, Lars, were safe because they had evacuated their home. He added that fellow actor Ed Harris’ house, down the street from Gibson’s house, also burned down. Despite the devastation, Gibson said his chickens survived the fire.

Pushed by Vargas, the Brave heart Star offered further insight into what he lost in the fires. “I had a lot of personal things there that, you know, I can’t get back… All sorts of things, everything from photos to files to, you know, you know, just personal things that I’ve had over the years, and Clothes, you know, pretty cool stuff, you know, but you know it can all be replaced,” Gibson said. “These are just things. And the good, good news is that the people in my family and those I love are all doing well and we’re all happy and healthy and out of danger, that’s all I can really care about.”

The best of The Hollywood Reporter

Sign up for the THR newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.