Ransom Canyon, the new Western drama streaming now on Netflix, isn’t a true story—but don’t tell that to star Josh Duhamel. While the actor knows his character, the powerful Texas rancher Staten Kirkland, is fictional, he’s got no trouble relating to Kirkland’s dedication to his family or his resistance to change when it comes to his home.
Indeed, Duhamel himself logs plenty of time at his own version of Kirkland’s ranch, a family home in his native North Dakota, and having an attachment to the land where he lives has been a powerful connection between the actor and his character. “I really related to the guy in a lot of ways,” he tells T&C.
But, of course, Duhamel’s life isn’t quite as dramatic as Kirkand’s. Having lost his wife and son, the character isn’t only navigating grief but also fending off advances from shadowy interests looking to run a pipeline through the town—and spending whatever it takes to do so. If that wasn’t enough, his late wife’s best friend (Minka Kelly’s Quinn O’Grady) has also come back to town, and while the two of them seem destined for something more than friendship, he isn’t the only man in Ransom Canyon with eyes for her.
Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly star in the new Netflix series Ransom Canyon.
Here, Duhamel speaks with T&C about what made the show irresistible to him, how his own experience influenced Kirkland, and what a second season of the series might have in store.
You’re starring in this new series, playing a character who’s navigating a rapidly changing world. What about Ransom Canyon made you want to get involved?
He’s a guy who values family, he values the legacy of his family and the land that they’ve worked for generations, and he’ll do anything to protect that. That’s really what I loved about him, because I’ve got a place in North Dakota where my family all comes together, and we make so many memories there. Hopefully my kids will pass it down to their kids one day, and I hope they always want to keep coming back. I’m very proud of what I built, and I would do anything to protect it. I think that’s the same with Staten: He’s desperately trying to protect what has been in his family for so long.
It’s a new series, but it’s the kind of story that feels timeless. He’s not looking for a payday—at one point he says he’s got enough money already—but to preserve a way of life.
There’s something refreshing about that, I think. I love that line, too—“I’ve got enough money.” He’s not out there trying to maximize his valuation; he just wants to protect. He sees the value in this land that others don’t; they all want to cash out because they see dollar signs, whereas he sees this thing staying in the family forever. That’s important to him.
Duhamel says he can relate to his character, partly because of his own experience with his family home and his connection to its land.
When we meet Staten, he’s been through a lot. What was the most interesting part of playing this character in such a complex situation?
He’s a complicated dude. He’s stubborn, he doesn’t know how to express himself, he doesn’t always say or do the right thing, but his intentions are always good. So, I think that the journey for him was getting out of that dark place that h’es been in after a rough couple of years.
For me as an actor, it’s all about trying to put the façade, pull the covers up, and pretend like everything’s okay. I think that Minka’s character really does for the first time allow him to come out of his shell and see what might be out there. Now, the way he goes about that isn’t always the most evolved, but he realizes there is a life after everything he lost.
If you get the chance to come back and more of this, what do you hope to see in a second season?
Hopefully not more karaoke! That was painful. I want it to feel unpredictable, raw, real, and interesting. I don’t know what they have planned—they’ve been in the writer’s room now for a bit, so we’ll see.
Given your own connection to family land and experience living on a farm, does your personal experience inform the show at all?
It’s like anything else in that when you’ve done enough of it, it becomes part of you. So, if I’m hopping in a tractor or fixing something, I know what that feels like. I know some of these struggles. And none of this stuff is easy; I was not a handyman before, but I started at my place 15 years ago and I’ve become pretty good. I’m no expert, and nobody’s calling me to fix their carburetor anytime soon, but I do know the basics.
So, you didn’t need a training day on set to learn how to use a wrench.
I am constantly taking two steps backwards to get one step ahead out there. It is not pretty, but through trial and error, I’ve become pretty good. Whether it’s fixing a tire, cleaning vents, making sure we’ve got enough hydraulic fluid in the skid steer, or changing an attachment on the tractor, I had to learn how to do all that. I like it so much because I feel like I have a purpose; these are simple, basic, mundane things, but it’s all to make sure that the road is clear. There are always things like that, which are menial, but to me are fun.
Did you bring home anything from the show? Any Texas ranch energy for the spread in North Dakota?
I haven’t had any urges to raise cattle out there yet. There are a lot of wolves and bears out there, they might not do so well.
All ten episodes of Ransom Canyon season one are now streaming on Netflix. Watch now
Adam Rathe is Town & Country’s Deputy Features Director, covering film, theater, books, travel, art, philanthropy, and a range of other subjects.
