Did Joel McCrea own a ranch?

Key Takeaways

• He often listed his occupation as rancher and his hobby as acting
• Being hands-on at his ranch kept him grounded
• After death, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

It was widely known back in the day that, aside from his family, Joel McCrea loved one thing more than he loved acting. He was a successful and passionate rancher in addition to being a Hollywood star who appeared in more than 100 films during his illustrious career.

McCrea loved ranching so much that at one point in his career, he listed his occupation as “rancher” and his hobby as “acting.”

So, did McCrea have a ranch? You bet he did.

It was not just any ranch. The man who has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame started buying property as far back as 1933, in the early stages of his career. He purchased 1,000 acres of a ranch that eventually covered over 3,000 acres and produced 200,000 pounds of beef for several years there in Thousand Oaks, California. McCrea was said to have been extremely hands-on when he was not on a movie set. It was something he felt kept him grounded and away from the spotlight.

“I liked doing comedies, but as I got older, I was better suited to do Westerns,” McCrea once said. “Because I think it becomes unattractive for an older fellow trying to look young, falling in love with attractive girls in those kinds of situations.”

With a career spanning five decades—where he appeared in over 100 films, starring in more than 80—McCrea goes down in history as one of the most accomplished Western genre actors. He died Oct. 20, 1990, at age 84 because of pulmonary complications. In 2004, his ranch was donated by his family to the Conejo Recreation and Park District. Parts of the ranch—the main house, bunkhouse and a few other buildings—is a public park, which preserves the legacy of McCrea and his wife, Frances Dee. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places starting in 1997.