Why This Hollywood Actor Chose a Rural Life

Published: April 30, 2025

By Kayla DeKraker

Actor Josh Duhamel traded his Los Angeles lifestyle for a quiet life in the Midwest, and he has no regrets.

“I think it’s really about the memories that we make as a family. My parents love coming out here to hang out,” the RANSOM CANYON actor told Fox News Digital of his rural life in Minnesota. “My wife’s parents love hanging out here. My son, Axl, my 11-year-old.”

Duhamel acknowledged that while LA does have good qualities, there are just some things in the Midwest that his children can’t get in California.

“There’s a lot of good things about L.A., but it’s good for him to get his hands dirty and come out into the woods and help dad with whatever,” he said.

Rural life gives Duhamel the chance to teach his son skills he’d miss out on living in LA.

“We had a tree that fell over in the winter,” he said. “We had to go out there and cut it up and put it in the back of the side-by-side and go stack the wood. He’s not doing that in Los Angeles, you know, and he sort of does it begrudgingly, but he’s going to be grateful because one day he’s going to have to do all this stuff, you know, and I think that it’s these little lessons.”

Duhamel has two sons, Axl Jack, 11, whom he shares with ex-wife Fergie, and Shepherd, 1, whom he shares with his wife Audra Mari.

“Shepherd is 15 months, he’s going to be doing the same thing, and I think that these things just help contribute, because we’re 40 miles from anything here, there’s nothing,” Duhamel added. “We have to pretty much fend for ourselves when we’re out here. So these kids need to learn how to do this stuff, and they’re not going to get to do that in L.A.”

Duhamel told Parade for a cover story earlier this month that he likes living in a place with few distractions.

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

In a world full of social media and constant entertainment, living in rural Minnesota helps Duhamel and his family put their focus on each other.

“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,” he emphasized.

Last week, Duhamel posted a video to Instagram of himself canoeing in an icy Minnesota lake.