Josh Duhamel Revealed How Off-Grid Cabin Prepped Him for ‘Ransom Canyon’

Actor Josh Duhamel you might have revealed how spending time at his rustic “doomsday prepper cabin” in Minnesota served as the proper crash course for his rancher function within the hit Netflix sequence “Ransom Canyon.”

Duhamel, 53, has owned a sprawling property simply throughout the border from his house state of North Dakota for greater than a decade now—throughout which era he has slowly reworked the rugged plot into an idyllic off-grid retreat for his household.

Now, forward of the discharge of Season 2 of his Netflix sequence, wherein he stars as ranch proprietor Staten Kirkland, the actor is opening up concerning the parallels between his personal life and the one he portrays on display, explaining throughout an appearance on CBS Mornings that there are broad similarities between artwork and actuality.

“I have a cabin just on the other side of the border from North Dakota, in Minnesota, which is very ranch-like,” he informed hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson. “It’s a cabin, it’s a lot of property, a lot of land we have to take care of.

“So I sort of stay this life anyway in a number of methods.”

He even hinted that the time he was spending at his cabin convinced him to take the role, revealing that he was at the property when showrunner April Blair first contacted him about “Ransom Canyon.”

“Actually after I talked to April Blair about this present three years in the past, I used to be on the market at my cabin and I used to be type of within the temper to do one thing like this. She caught me on the excellent time,” he said.

Duhamel concedes that there are some key contrasts between his at-home life and that of his on-screen character—largely the fact that he doesn’t currently have any horses or livestock, which play a key role in the Netflix show.

“I haven’t got horses and cattle, however I do have tractors and all of the tools and stuff,” I shared.

And it’s not just his life at his off-grid haven that contributed to his portrayal of Kirkland. Duhamel noted that he grew up being exposed to the kind of very rural environment seen in the series, albeit in North Dakota rather than Texas.

Remarkably, he confessed that he actually struggled with a fear of horses when he was younger, despite the hosts noting that he looks so natural on horsesback in the show.

“I grew up in North Dakota which is in shut proximity to a number of horses and I did journey a bit, however I used to be by no means a man who was like, ‘I can not wait to go journey a horse!’ I used to be at all times a little bit bit skittish,” he stated.

“One of my pals acquired kicked within the head after I was younger and I used to be at all times like, ‘I do not wish to get kicked within the head or bucked off.'”

However, the horse that he is working with on the show, J.W.helped him to get much more comfortable with riding and with being around the animals, with Duhamel explaining that he now understands “why folks love… why they’ve such a relationship with their horses.”

He stopped short of saying he plans to get his personal horses at his cabin property, where he has been spending more and more time in recent years—even going as far as to list his longtime Los Angeles home for sale so that he and his wife, Audra Marican focus on their life near their home state of North Dakota.

The “Transformers” star put the four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom abode on the market on June 25, with an asking price of $2.99 ​​million, and within days the property came under offer. Records show that it is currently “pending” launch.

Duhamel—who recently welcomed his second child with Mari, a baby girl named Rock—had previously split his time between his LA dwelling, his family’s home in Fargo, ND, and the off-grid cabin, which is located in the Land of 10,000 Lakes; However, his decision to let go of his California home suggests he is moving away from spending time in the Golden State.

The father of three, who shares a son with his ex-wife, Fergiehas previously made clear his desire to increase the amount of time his family spends at his off-grid “doomsday prepper” cabinexplaining in a recent interview that being at the property helps him to de-stress.

He first opened the doors to his cabin in an October 2023 video shoot with YouTube host Graham Besingerduring which he described the property as a true “paradise,” one that is equipped to help the actor and his family ride out whatever disaster may occur in the near future, natural or otherwise.

Duhamel shared that he bought the property around 18 years ago, thanks to his dad, who brought him out to see it for the first time.

“He knew I needed a spot that was away from all the pieces, one thing distant,” he said.

Duhamel began his off-grid spread with the purchase of a 12-acre plot, which he has since expanded to around 50 acres after buying up additional plots.

Taking Bensinger on a tour of his Minnesota property, the self-described “doomsday prepper” revealed he has installed multiple survival resources on his property, including three wells and “meals plots,” including several filled with clover and chicory to help lure in game to hunt.

While he noted that he had never hunted growing up, he explained it felt like an essential skill to learn in order to ensure that he was fully prepared to provide for his family in dire circumstances.

“Part of being out right here, I’ve a worry of getting to maneuver out right here and stay off the land,” he explained. “I do not know if that is ever going to occur. But I really feel it is a ability I have to be taught.”

Duhamel added that he was impressed by the “Patriots” survival guide and confessed that he worried about the delicate nature of a society so tech dependent.

“We lose our cellphones, and all of us lose our g**d*** minds,” he said, imagining what the future might look like if the stock market were to crash, triggering a shortage of fuel and food. “I simply need a spot the place I may simply get away till issues get again to regular.”

However, when Duhamel first bought the property, he admitted that it was in a very rustic state, telling Country Living in April 2025 that the cabin did not have plumbing for a few years.

“We had been mainly homesteading the primary 12 years. For the longest time, we did not have plumbing. We had been utilizing outhouses and washing dishes within the lake,” he admitted.

Over the years, Duhamel has upgraded his cabin with a slew of amenities, including plumbing. However, it has maintained its rustic charm.

“I really feel so related to it. I did not simply purchase the place, I formed this place,” he explained. “While we have made a number of enhancements, you continue to really feel such as you’re roughing it, and I really like that.”

Despite those drawbacks, Duhamel has been open about his desire to spend more time at the property, revealing during a recent appearance on Dana Carvey and David Spade‘s “Fly on the Wall” podcast that he instantly feels all stress melting away when he’s there.

“What I feel I really like essentially the most about it’s I simply get on the market and my coronary heart charge drops about 25%,” he said. “My priorities change too, I really feel like I’ve a goal.”

Duhamel explained that he also has a lot more to occupy his time when he’s at the Minnesota dwelling—admitting that when he’s in Los Angeles, he barely gets the opportunity to do basic yard work.

“I’m at all times engaged on one thing the place I do not even mow my very own garden [in L.A.]”he said. “It’s simply absolute freedom on the market.”

He revealed to the podcast hosts that he has relished the opportunity to build a true sanctuary for his family, steadily transforming the rural, rustic property into something he can be proud of.

“It’s became like an entire ardour of mine,” he said. “I began transferring filth and I began shaping it.”