The self-described ‘doomsday prepper’ says his kids are living a life removed from distractions

Hollywood actor Josh Duhamel has candidly opened up about his decision to build a “doomsday prepper paradise” in the Minnesota woods, while explaining how the remote location has helped to strengthen his bond with his two sons.

Duhamel, 52, has spent the past few years building an off-grid haven in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, having turned his back on the glamour of Hollywood in order to “get back to the basics” and, in doing so, to nurture his relationships with his children and his own parents.

“Part of the reason I built my place out in Minnesota, deep in the woods, is it’s removed from everything,” he tells Parade in a new interview, while discussing the parallels between his own off-grid lifestyle and that of his new character, Staten Kirkland, a rancher at the center of Netflix’s

NFLX

+0.22%

 new Western series, “Ransom Canyon.”

“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. You really get a chance to get back to the basics.

“You’re not consumed by all these other distractions. When you’re out there, it’s really about having fun, making sure everybody’s warm, everybody’s got food and water.”

Duhamel reveals that it was his dad who actually found the land on which his off-grid cabin now sits, noting that building the property and spending time there has helped the two of them to mend a once-fraught relationship that was severely impacted by the actor’s parents’ divorce.

“I’ve become a lot closer to my own parents because of this place, which has been interesting,” he shares. “My dad absolutely loves coming out there to hang out. And we’ve spent more time together in these last five, 10 years than we ever did growing up. I’m much closer to my dad. My mom now loves coming out there. It’s become a real, central hub for all of us.”

But it is his children—11-year-old Axl Jack, who he shares with former spouse Fergie, and 15-month-old Shepherd, his son with wife Audra Mari—who he believes are gaining the most from living a life removed from “distractions.”

Duhamel says that when his older boy is at the cabin, he puts down his iPad and actually enjoys the great outdoors, whether that’s taking a boat trip with his father, playing soccer, or just working in the woods, with the actor proudly declaring that Axl will “have memories of this place forever.”

Much like his “Ransom Canyon” character, Duhamel hopes to pass the property down to his two kids, so they can one day enjoy it with their own children, noting that he’s trying to create something much more important than a real estate asset at the Minnesota property.

“It’s really important to me that they have this. It’s not just about having all the amenities and all the luxuries that we become so used to. It’s really about family. It’s about legacy,” he explains.

Duhamel’s latest interview comes not long after he opened up the doors to the cabin in an episode of “In Depth with Graham Bensinger,” during which he discusses why he felt it was so important to establish a home base away from Los Angeles.

He explains in the interview that he much prefers the simple life to the star-studded, party-hard Hollywood environment, while revealing how he and his second wife have been able to use the skills they learned while being raised in North Dakota to carve out a self-sustaining “paradise” for their own family.

Taking Bensinger on a tour of his Minnesota property, the self-described “doomsday prepper” reveals he has installed multiple survival resources on his property, including three wells and “food plots.”

The tour features two cabins, an outdoor sauna, and a functioning outhouse.

The actor also planted “food plots” of clover and chicory to lure in game to hunt. He says that although he never hunted growing up, he was determined to learn the skill because he believed it was essential for his chances of survival.

“Part of being out here, I have a fear of having to move out here and live off the land,” he explains. “I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen. But I feel it’s a skill I need to learn.”

Duhamel adds that he’s inspired by the “Patriots” survival guide—as well as his increasing fears about the delicate nature of a society that is so tech-dependent.

“We lose our cellphones, and we all lose our g**d*** minds,” he says, imagining what the future might look like if the stock market were to crash, triggering a shortage of fuel and food. “I just want a place where I could just get away to until things get back to normal.”

He adds on a lighter note, “Who knows if that will ever happen. But it’s a fun thing to pretend.”

Although he prefers the peace and quiet of his Minnesota home, Duhamel does still own property near Los Angeles: an Encino abode that he purchased for $2.65 million in 2018, shortly after his split from first wife Fergie.

The actor put that dwelling on the rental market for $15,000 a month in February 2024; however, the listing was removed in May that year.