British actor JOSEPH FIENNES’ life has been turned upside down since moving out to Hollywood – he compares his new Los Angeles existence to a “witness protection” program.

The Shakespeare In Love star moved to Los Angeles to set up home with his then-lover, model Maria Dolores Dieguez, after landing regular TV work on sci-fi drama hit Flash Forward.

And Fiennes claims living in L.A. is a completely different experience than his existence in the U.K. – because he has started afresh in a every aspect of his life.

He tells Britain’s Now magazine, “I feel like I’m in witness protection. I’ve got a new wife, a new bank account, a new car and a new home. It’s been exhilarating, but also exhausting.”