Josh Duhamel Is ‘Making Great Memories’ with His Kids in Minnesota Cabin (Exclusive)

Josh Duhamel is enjoying a slower pace off the grid with his children.

While speaking with PEOPLE exclusively for his upcoming Netflix series Ransom Canyon, the Safe Haven star, 52, opened up about the private life he’s created for himself and his family out in Minnesota. Duhamel shared that he loves enjoying this new experience through “my kids’ eyes.” 

“I love seeing it through my kids’ eyes now,” he tells PEOPLE. “My 11-year-old Axl is really starting to love it. He’s got some buddies who are out there. I’m able to teach him some of the things that I’ve learned and I didn’t know much when I got the place, so it’s been good.”

“I’ve become much more handy than I was before I started, and you have to be just out of necessity. You have to be able to fix stuff,” he continues. “And so all that, all around, it’s been great. Making a lot of great memories out there.”

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The Ransom Canyon star also opened up about his “off-the-grid” lifestyle in the Midwest during an interview with Parade on Thursday, April 10. In addition to sharing a rare glimpse of what his life away from Hollywood looks like, Duhamel also explained his reasoning for wanting to live a quieter life in the first place.

“Part of the reason I built my place out in Minnesota, deep in the woods, is it’s removed from everything,” he said. “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.”

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The Transformers star welcomed his older son, Axl, with his ex-wife, Fergie, in August 2013. The former couple married in January 2009 and finalized their divorce a decade later in November 2019. Duhamel married his wife, Audra Mari, in September 2022, and the pair welcomed their son, Shepherd, in January 2024.

Duhamel told Fatherly in January 2023 that his son Axl brought “so much joy” to his life, and he embraced his new stepmom.

“We’ll play catch in the backyard. We made [my wife] a giant birthday card. He loves art. He’s 9, but his imagination is still huge,” the Daytime Emmy winner said. “He and I are like a couple of bachelors. And then she comes around, and she brings so much structure to the house.”

Duhamel added, “They have the most beautiful relationship.”

All episodes of Ransom Canyon premiere on Thursday, April 17, on Netflix.