You might have noticed Australian comedian and musician Tim Minchin take a step out of the spotlight in recent years, a move that was quite deliberated on his behalf.

Speaking with The Music about his latest single, Leaving LA, the local legend said he moved to the US and signed up for DreamWorks animated musical Larrikins (which was axed four years later) in part as a means to “flatten the curve” of his fame.

“In LA, no one knew who I was or really cared, and If I ever got stopped on the street it was because someone saw me in Californication, you know, being drug-fucked and naked, or, more commonly, because they’d seen my university speech,” Minchin said.

“I wasn’t the centre of attention at DreamWorks, I was a generator of the work. It was quite nice and it was a very deliberate move. I had gotten quite well known in England and quite well known in Australia and decided to take my foot off the gas in terms of getting more well known, because I thought it was bad for me and my family.

“It worked and I was obscure for a few years – unfortunately, in the end, it was a wasted four years of work, but I got lots of other shit done in the same time so it’s fine.”

READ MORE: ‘You’re Battling Scary Men’ - Tim Minchin Talks Fighting For His Axed $100m Animated Film

Minchin admitted it was hard to step out of the spotlight “because [fame] is addictive”, but “being famous is really bad for you”.

“It’s terrible for your personality, it’s really bad for your family, it’s terrible for you, psychologically and for your mental health, and for your humbleness in the world,” he said.

“It distorts how you see the world and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s not famous people's fault that they’re fuck ups, it’s what happens to a human being when all their normal power relationships and social interactions are distorted.”

But, ultimately, his decision to work behind the scenes for a few years was done to create longevity with his career.

“I’ve sort of flattened the curve with my career and that's actually probably the thing that I’m proudest of, that I’ve managed to flatten the curve, which I love as a phrase because I love graphs and it’s a pity it’s become famous for a virus,” he said.

“English people are like, ‘Tim Minchin got famous and then he disappeared. Obviously, you know, he couldn’t cut it or something.’

“But actually, what I did is, I went, ‘No, one day, I’m going to be a dramatic actor and I’m going to write and direct and I’m going to see if I can leverage this little bit of fame into a much longer, slow curve.’

“And I think I’ve done it. I feel really, really good about the career I’ve had. I could have been the host of my own panel show and be known by every single person on the street in England, but why would I do that?”

Last week, Minchin rescheduled his Australian tour to January next year due to COVID-19.

For more details on the rescheduled tour, click on theGuide, and keep an eye on The Music for the full Tim Minchin interview.