Why This ‘Ransom Canyon’ Star Left Hollywood to ‘Get Back to the Basics’ originally appeared on Parade.
Ransom Canyon — Netflix’s recent answer to Yellowstone — sees big names likes Minka Kelly and Josh Duhamel playing characters living in the tucked-away Texas community — a far cry from Hollywood’s palm trees.
In fact, Duhamel, 52, hasn’t been living anywhere near Tinseltown in recent years. In a new interview with People, the longtime actor opened up about his new life in Minnesota and why he felt it was right to move out of Los Angeles.
“I make movies and TV shows, and I love it, I truly do love it, but I had this calling to go and really do things with my hands again — fix things, make things and just do the basic things that we take for granted,” Duhamel said. “I’m really more of a guy who wants to stay true to my roots, get back to the basics, hone whatever basic skills I need in this world of massive technology, to do the basic things to provide for my family. That’s really what it’s about for me.”
As Duhamel explained in his interview, he had bought the land more than a decade ago and slowly built a rustic cabin there himself. The Transformers star later expanded the space with more land in the years to follow. He refers to the home as his “doomsday cabin” and noted that it didn’t have electricity, running water or other amenities for a long time.
“We’re at a place now where it feels done. It’s completely livable now,” he told People. “It’s so back to the basics. We get so accustomed to all these luxuries and these amenities that we have … and I think that’s what this is for me — it’s an opportunity to get back to the basics and really enjoy the simple things in life, and that’s family, that’s friends, that’s making memories.”
Meanwhile, there are the expected drawbacks to living so deep in the wilderness — and miles away from other people.
“We are constantly fighting the mice from getting into the cabins,” Duhamel said. “That’s a constant man versus nature struggle we deal with.”
Why This ‘Ransom Canyon’ Star Left Hollywood to ‘Get Back to the Basics’ first appeared on Parade on Aug 10, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
