Theres a lot of will they, wont they dynamic.
What were your conversations like about establishing that vibe between them?
JOSH DUHAMEL:A lot actually.
L to R: Minka Kelly as Quinn, Jack Schumacher as Yancy and Marianly Tejada as Ellie in ‘Ransom Canyon’ on NetflixAnna Kooris/Netflix
For me, its about how you execute these kinds of things.
Because it is a will they wont they, and the audience knows.
And how do we make this the most unpredictable and interesting way to tell the story.
[Minka]s so good in the show.
And I love how real she played it.
She she made it tough for Staten, and I love that because he deserved it.
Theyve known each other for so long.
I can save him.
I just have to accept you for who you are right now.
KELLY:You wouldnt be feelin like a woman?
DUHAMEL:So I talked to April.
I said, I love the scene, but can we maybe?
How about Hootie the Blowfish?
Shes like, Sure.
Can we get it approved?
They went and got it approved, and then I was on the hook to sing Hootie.
Sometimes be careful what you wish for, but that was sort of the anthem of my college years.
It was Hootie & the Blowfish, it was Pearl Jam, it was Counting Crows.
So I knew the words inside and out.
And I was just like , Okay, here we go.
KELLY:Isnt he an amazing drunk?
You know how hard that is to do?
DUHAMEL:Lots of practice.
DEADLINE:And you still have the nod to I didnt go full Shania, did I?
DUHAMEL:I probably did that exact scene in college.
KELLY:you might tell.
DUHAME::I worked at Tillys.
It was a country bar.
And, yeah, I probably did that exact seat at one point.
KELLY:It did feel like just sense memory.
DUHAMEL:It did, right?
KELLY:Just dropped right back into it.
The part where hes balancing himself is my favorite.
DUHAMLEL:[Mock slurring] Im fine officer.
KELLY:Good job, buddy.
DUHAMEL:Yeah, its funny how the alcohol brings out the honesty, right?
Its like, Dude, why couldnt you tell me stuff when youre, like, perfectly sober?
KELLY:You need that liquid courage.
DUHAMEL:Of course, thats what he would do.
He just, he trips himself up and gets in his own way so much.
But I love it.
KELLY:Its so human.
Why was that the timing for them to get together?
I think it was all the things.
They just let their guards down and let themselves just actually feel good together for once.
Nothing more romantic than that.
DEADLINE:Josh, theres the final scene in Gracies the line dance, and Staten is sitting there.
Quinn tries to approach him, but by that point, hes left and hes left the bracelet.
Is that him letting her go?
How did you interpret that goodbye for him?
DUHAMEL:I think so.
I think a couple of things probably happened.
He knows that shes moving on from him.
The easiest thing for him to do is walk away and go back into that dark hole.
And thats probably how he deals, how he dealt with it in that moment.
Im not recommending anybody out there do that, but yeah.
DEADLINE:Should the show get another season, what do you hope to see for your characters?
KELLY:Oh I was like, should it?
DEADLINE:Haha yes.
Together part, what do you hope for Staten and Quinn?
KELLY:I hope for Stanton to get his stuff together.
I dont know, I dont really think Im thinking too much about Stanton.
I think shes given up.
Shes gone to New York, and shes living her Philharmonic dreams.
DUHAMEL:And what do I think about it?
Yes, he wants it.
I dont mind continuing to work that out.
Att some point, yes, but not until [Quinn] is ready.
I mean, shes clear.
He needs to work through his shit first.
He needs to figure it out before hes worthy of that.
And I think that he probably knows it, but would never admit it to her.
KELLY:I want to see her taking over.
I want to see her thriving
DUHAMEL:Of course.
KELLY:With her businesses and her friendship with Ellie and not being very concerned with men.
DUHAMEL:You dont wanna be pining over Staten all day?
KELLY:No, shes given up on worrying about men.
DUHAMEL:Oh, come on!
DEADLINE: Okaylast question.
This show is a contemporary Western romance.
Its such a different thing than anything else thats already out there.
They do have a similar backdrop, but it really is its own thing.
And I think the actors and the cast in the show have that same desire.
KELLY:Quest for truth.
DUHAMEL:Everybodys just trying to make this thing as real and relatable as we can.
Theres something so relatable about a town like this.
There are towns like this all over, not only the US, but all over the world.
DUHAMEL:It does feel like a comfort food in a lot of ways.
It is what it is.
Im not trying to do anything other than make a show thats really interesting and easy to watch.
We dont need to be anything more than that.
KELLY:I think we want to feel good right now.
We want to escape.
