Andy Samberg buys former home of Mary Astor, Charlie Chaplin
Andy Samberg and his wife, Joanna Newsom, have purchased a gated estate in the Hollywood Hills for $6.25 million in an off-market deal, and with it a slice of L.A.’s rich real estate history.
The distinctive residence known as Moorcrest served as the former home to both actor Charlie Chaplin and actress Mary Astor. While Chaplin was merely a tenant, renting out the home in the early 1920s, Astor and her parents, Otto and Helen Langhanke, lived at the property for nearly a decade after the family purchased the residence in 1925.
Despite being valued at $210,000, the Langhankes’ home was later sold for $21,500 at a foreclosure auction in 1934, according to a Los Angeles Times report. The story recounts how the couple “sat quietly in an upstairs room of the house when Auctioneer C. H. O’Connor pronounced the place sold” and later protested the sale, calling it “too ridiculous.”
Designed by Marie Russak Hotchener and built in the early 1920s, the restored estate samples from a variety of architectural styles, including tastes of Moorish, Mission Revival, Gothic and even Art Nouveau design. Exotic features include leaded stained-glass windows, copper and marble baseboards, custom cabinetry, hand-painted frescos and elaborate mosaic tiles.
The more than 6,400 square feet of living space includes a gourmet kitchen, formal living spaces, four bedrooms and six bathrooms. The master suite boasts an impressive copper fireplace and custom steam shower.
Outdoors, patios and walkways are awash in ornate finishes and decorative touches. A pool with a walkway is also present on the nearly one-acre grounds.
Samberg, 35, is known for his tenure on Saturday Night Live (2005-2012) and his role on the Fox sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” His film credits include “Hot Rod,” “I Love You, Man” and “That’s My Boy.”
Newsom, 32, is a singer, songwriter and harpist who has released three studio albums. She has also made television appearances on “Portlandia” and “Austin City Limits.”
The off-market sale was completed toward the end of March, the Times has confirmed. Barry Sloane and Marc Silver of Sotheby’s International Realty, Beverly Hills, represented the seller in the sale. Samberg and Newsome were represented by Jill Fischer at Whitehouse Properties.
Twitter: @NJLeitereg
