Scott Baio left California for Florida and 'Happy Days,' 'Charles in Charge' actor went viral

Sorry, West Coast. Actor Scott Baio left California for Florida − and he's apparently living his best life on the East Coast now.

The actor best known for "Happy Days" and "Charles in Charge" reportedly left the Golden State for the Sunshine State in April on account of California's homelessness issue. His wife, Renee Baio, bought a home in Bradenton, according to Manatee County property records. In a phone interview Thursday with the Herald-Tribune, she said the couple is living in a condo until their house nearby is completed.

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Here are things to know about Baio.

Who is Scott Baio?

Scott Baio is best known for playing Chachi Arcola in "Happy Days" alongside Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham and Henry Winkler as The Fonz from 1977-84. He had a catchphrase, too: "Wah wah wah." His character's storyline with love interest Joanie, played by actress Erin Moran, inspired the spin-off "Joanie Loves Chachi," which briefly aired from 1982-83.

After "Happy Days," Baio starred in "Charles in Charge." His character was a college student-slash-nanny to three children. That show, which co-starred Willie Aames ("Eight is Enough") and Ellen Travolta (John's sister), was on the air from 1984-90.

Other TV credits include "Diagnosis: Murder" with Dick Van Dyke from 1993-95 and the Nickelodeon series "See Dad Run" from 2012-15.

Is Scott Baio friends with Donald Trump?

On July 18, 2016, Baio said he was asked by Donald Trump to speak at the Republican National Convention ahead of the 2016 presidential election. In his 2016 speech, Baio said: "Folks, our country right now is in a very bad spot. You can feel it. You can see it everywhere. There's no stability. Nothing seems right. And all the things that we hold dear are being attacked every single day. We cannot go down this road anymore. We need to stop. We need Donald Trump to fix this. Is Donald Trump a messiah? No. He's just a man. A man who wants to give back to his country, America."

Where does Scott Baio live?

On April 20, the 62-year-old retired actor tweeted a photo of himself and wife, Renee Baio, at the beach with the caption "Living our best life in Florida." On May 3, he tweeted about why he left California for Florida, and went viral.

"A longtime California resident, the 'Happy Days' and 'Charles in Charge' star announced on Twitter last week that he was moving out of California, due to what he described as the state’s homelessness issue," USA TODAY reported May 10.

“After 45 years, I’m making my way to finally ‘exit stage right’ from California,” Baio wrote May 3 on Twitter, citing statistics from a 2022 report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. “The most recent survey … found approximately 69,000 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County and 41,000 in the city in 2022.”

On May 3, Baio also tweeted that he has two homes in Florida and wrote "love them both!"

The Herald-Tribune has only been able to confirm the purchase of the home in Manatee County. In an interview Thursday, May 11, Renee Baio said by phone from their home in Los Angeles: "I chose Manatee County for various reasons. It's close to Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, and I love the small town feel and values of Manatee County and I support mom-and-pop businesses and would like to keep them thriving."

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Scott Baio: Why did 'Happy Days' actor leave California for Florida?