Burn Notice' Star Finds Joy Raising Kids in Colorado

Jeffrey Donovan discovered something better than stardom when he followed his heart to Colorado.

The "Burn Notice" star met his wife Michelle Woods on set in 2011, and one visit to her home state changed everything. They married a year later, welcomed three children, and built a life far from Hollywood's spotlight.

"I'm raising my children there, and we're never leaving," Donovan told Fox News Digital. The 57-year-old actor says Colorado has become his family's permanent home.

While his friends in Los Angeles navigate the challenges of raising kids in the city, Donovan found an easier path. "I find it less challenging in Colorado, which plays to my talent level of raising kids," he explained with characteristic honesty.

The state's natural advantages sealed the deal. Donovan calls Colorado "secretly the sunshine state," noting it gets more sun than Arizona and New Mexico. "It's a beautiful part of the country. It's really healthy living," he said.

The move came full circle with his career too. Donovan reflected that without taking the grueling "Burn Notice" job, he would never have met his wife or had his three children, Claire, Lucas, and Ethan.

Sunny's Take

What makes Donovan's story so refreshing is his complete lack of pretense. He didn't leave LA for some grand philosophical reason. He simply found a place where being a dad felt more manageable, where his kids could grow up with sunshine and fresh air.

His recent role as Abraham in "The Faithful" taught him even more about marriage and parenting. Playing a couple married for decades reinforced what he already knew: putting children first and committing for the long haul is what makes families work.

Sometimes the best life decisions are the simplest ones.