Actor Josh Duhamel has spoken of his disappointment following the cancellation of Ransom Canyon, the Netflix western series which was axed after just two seasons by the streaming service.
Duhamel played the lead character, Staten Kirkland, in the romantic drama, alongside Minka Kelly, who portrayed Kirkland’s love interest, Quinn O’Grady, in the adaptation of the Jodi Thomas novels of the same name.
Ransom Canyon, which was cancelled just weeks after the premiere of Season 2 in July 2026, is “A heartfelt drama set against the sweeping vistas of Texas Hill Country,” per Netflix’s official synopsis for the series, which “follows the intersecting lives of deep-rooted families in a town where your neighbors know everyone’s business.”
Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly, Duhamel said he was “bummed” to learn the show would not be renewed for a third season.
“I was a little upset with Netflix for not giving the audience another season, because people really did love the show … but that’s the business,” the actor continued. “At the same time, I get it. They have their reasons for why things stay and why things go. I don’t always understand those reasons, but it’s not my job to question.”
According to Deadline, which initially broke the news of Ransom Canyon’s cancellation, the neo-western was “on borrowed time.” The first season of the show retained “respectable but not massive viewership,” which resulted in the episode count for Season 2 being cut from ten episodes to eight. That, paired with a slump in viewership between seasons, resulted in Netflix’s decision to scrap the project.
For Duhamel, his experience working on Ransom Canyon was a positive one. “I really loved playing that character,” he told US Weekly. “It was in my wheelhouse, because I remember when I first got the job, I was actually out of my cabin, which isn’t a ranch. But I’m always doing ranch-y type things.”
When asked if he would return to the western genre, Duhamel responded, “I’d much rather play a cowboy than a defense attorney.”
