Josh Duhamel‘s wife, Audra Mari, made a cameo on his new Netflix series Ransom Canyon that was cut — and neither of them knew until they watched the show.
“My wife was on the show too. Yeah, she did a cameo,” Duhamel, 52, told People about the western, which premiered on Thursday, April 17. “She was [Eoin Macken‘s character] Davis’ girlfriend [that] he brought to the party, but they cut her out! Poor thing.”
Duhamel recalled how Mari, 31, was put “through all that hair and makeup” before they “cut her out,” adding, “She saw it with me.”
Based on Jodi Thomas’ book series, Ransom Canyon introduces Texas Hill Country where Duhamel’s Staten Kirkland is grieving two major losses while navigating his undeniable connection to childhood friend Quinn (Minka Kelly), who has also caught the eye of Staten’s brother-in-law and love triangle rival Davis (Macken).
After a high-profile marriage and subsequent divorce from Fergie, Josh Duhamel sparked a low-key romance with now-wife Audra Mari. “Everyone told me that after you get married you feel different,” Mari exclusively gushed to Us Weekly in September 2022, shortly after exchanging vows with the Safe Haven star. “To be honest, I never really believed them and I thought it would […]
Despite not making her Ransom Canyon debut, Mari celebrated Duhamel’s new gig, writing via Instagram on Thursday, “Not many of you know this.. but two weeks after our sweet Shepherd was born, we packed up and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico for six months. Josh was set to start filming Ransom Canyon and today it comes out on @netflix.”
Josh Duhamel as Staten and Minka Kelly as Quinn in ‘Ransom Canyon.’ Anna Kooris/Netflix
Mari admitted that traveling for Duhamel’s job has its challenges.
“I’m often asked how we do it, how we pick up and find a home away from home so swiftly and without a thought. Truth is, it’s not always easy. But this team and family that Josh picked up along the way while filming this beautiful show made it that much easier,” she continued. “You’ll always have a special place in my heart RC as I became a brand new mama watching you become a cowboy. We love you Staten Kirkland aka ‘dada.’ 🐴🤎.”
Before the actor expanded his family with Mari, he became a father when his first wife, Fergie, welcomed son Axl in 2013. The pair, who got married in 2009, announced their separation four years after their child’s birth. Their divorce was finalized in 2019.
Duhamel subsequently found love with Mari and they dated for two years before he popped the question. “It’s on!! She found a message in a bottle that washed ashore and said YES!! @audramari,” he wrote via Instagram in January 2022, alongside a snap of the couple holding up a piece of paper that read, “Audra Diane Mari, Will you marry me?”
At the time, Duhamel exclusively shared with Us Weekly details about the spontaneous proposal, saying, “I just sort of decided last-minute that was how I wanted to do it. I didn’t have anything planned. I didn’t have a ring yet. I was like, ‘OK, you’re gonna do this today. Today’s the day.’ And that’s just how it all kind of happened. … I coordinated with [the hotel concierge] there to make sure that bottle was floating up to shore as we were walking out there.”
Josh Duhamel as Staten, Eoin Macken as Davis, Andrew Liner as Reid, and Brett Cullen as Sam Kirkland in ‘Ransom Canyon.’ Anna Kooris/Netflix
Duhamel also offered a glimpse into his eldest child’s bond with his now-wife. “He is very excited about [our engagement]. That was a big part of it. They get along great. It’s been good,” he told Us in January 2022, which came months before his wedding to Mari.
Duhamel also opened up about his parenting approach, adding, “I want to make sure that I’m making him get out there and do things, making sure that he knows he’s safe and secure but also can go out and take risks. I also want to be a good role model for him. Because he is watching very closely.”
After exchanging vows with Mari, the pair expanded their family with son Shepherd in January 2024.