“I relate to the guy a lot,” the 52-year-old actor exclusively tells Parade, adding that Ransom Canyon is a story of legacy. “It's about keeping this land that they've been nurturing for years in the family and not selling it off to whoever for whatever's [buried] underneath it.”
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Duhamel gets an even bigger — albeit much more dramatic — playground inthe show’s titular Texas town. The romantic western, landing on Netflix April 17, comes from the popular series of novels by Jodi Thomas. Also starring James Brolin and Friday Night Lights alum Minka Kelly, the main story concerns three ranching family dynasties, each facing the pressure to sell their property to outside forces. While Ransom Canyon is a small burb, it’s big on melodramatics, full of game-changing secrets, loaded backstories and complicated romance.
“It is very much about family,” he says of how his series differs from the Kevin Costner drama, “this generational thing.”
“He's been in a pretty dark place,” Duhamel describes. “The relationships that he has have sort of fallen off. He's forgotten how much a lot of these people really meant to him, and how much they've actually done for him to get through all this. It's this guy who's really kind of shut off to the world, coming back to the world of living.”
Staten is challenged to re-engage with a society he shut out a year ago, and Duhamel had to quite literally get back in the saddle himself in preparation for Ransom Canyon. Having been born and raised in North Dakota, Duhamel had significant experience horse riding and credits the show with renewing his love of “ranch life.”
"I just loved the direction of the show, and that's kind of why I did it," Duhamel tells Parade of starring in Ransom Canyon.Brian Bowen Smith
“At the end of the day, it's about the universal language of love and human connection and all of the stuff that goes with that,” Duhamel reflects. “The loss, the love, the heartbreak, the jealousy, all these things that come up. Whether you're living in California or somewhere over in Spain, everybody understands that language.
Duhamel is quite open about his own insecurities during our discussion (in one of the rare moments he diverges from the usually-taciturn Staten). Calling himself a “work in progress,” he’s admitted to learning a lot about himself and relationships following his 2019 divorce from ex-wife Fergie, after a two-year separation. The Black Eyed Peas singer, 50, is still in his life as they co-parent their 11-year-old son, Axl Jack, and he says there’s “very little conflict” between the two. His younger son, Shepherd, whom he shares with current wife and former Miss World America, Audra Mari,recently turned 15 months old and has quite literally taken off with his milestones, having started walking “really early,” Duhamel says. Having both of his boys go through such transitional periods is simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting.
“It’s either gonna keep me young, or it’s gonna age me really quickly,” he quips.
"Thankfully, we still have a really good relationship," Duhamel tells Parade of ex-wife Fergie. "We have different ways of going about [parenting Axl]. But she lets me parent. She trusts that I've got his best interests, and I'm going to do a good job. And I do the same for her."Brian Bowen Smith
“Part of the reason I built my place out in Minnesota, deep in the woods, is it’s removed from everything,” he explains. “The closest store is 40 miles away. Once we get there, it's really about everybody taking care of each other — making memories, spending time with family and friends. You really get a chance to get back to the basics. You're not consumed by all these other distractions. When you're out there, it's really about having fun, making sure everybody's warm, everybody's got food and water.”
It’s all about forming a community. In an increasingly unstable world, there’s an ability to find stability nestled in the Midwest. As Duhamel claims, even just getting a glimpse of the cabin as they drive up to the property drops his blood pressure by 30 points.
Part of that fulfillment comes from the cross-generational connection the venture has fostered. Like his character Staten Kirkland, who has a fraught relationship with his father as he pushes to sell the ranch, Duhamel had a fractured dynamic with his parents growing up in a household that fell into disarray amid a dramatic divorce.
As of late, however, things have changed. Not only was Duhamel’s dad the one to find the land out in Minnesota, but the entire project has brought them together in ways he never could have imagined growing up.
"Your real life does inform a lot of how you interpret a script," Duhamel, who plays Staten Kirkland in Ransom Canyon, tells Parade.Duhamel is eager to continue the work on his property and, eventually, hopes his boys will one day take the reins.
“My son is going to have memories of this place forever,” he says. “He's not on his iPad when he's out there. He's out there in the boat with me, or he's playing soccer on the beach, or he's out there in the woods doing whatever I'm doing. And then I have a little baby who's going to experience the same thing. Someday, I hope to pass this on to them [so] they're able to share it with their kids. It's really important to me that they have this. It's not just about having all the amenities and all the luxuries that we become so used to. It's really about family. It's about legacy.”
"Yes, I have learned from any mistakes I made in the past," says Duhamel. However, he admits, "I'm a work in progress."Brian Bowen Smith
There’s no clear picture on the horizon for Josh Duhamel. There is, however, a cabin in Minnesota, a refuge where he can go to focus less on making movies and TV, and more on making memories.
Photographer: Brian Bowen Smith Production: Alejandro Restrepo Stylist: Melanie BauerGrooming: Natalia Bruschi Photo Assistant: Kevin McHugh
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