Josh Duhamel has been out of the Hollywood spotlight for a while, and it’s because he’s been living off the grid in what he calls his “doomsday cabin” in Minnesota. The Transformers star spoke with People and revealed that when it comes to a possible apocalypse, he feels somewhat prepared.
“Well, I have enough,” said Duhamel. “Not 100%. Probably 70%.”
He admits that his cabin still needs some work to be fully self-sufficient and ready to survive anything. When it comes ot his own skills, Duhamel says he needs to work more on his survival skills.
“I could be a better hunter, I could be a better fisherman. I could stockpile a little more food supply,” he admits.
Duhamel left Los Angeles to live off the grid in a cabin he spent 15 years building on an empty half-parcel of land he bought, about an hour-and-a-half away from Fargo, N.D. Over the years, the land has expanded, but it originally didn’t have any running water, electricity, or other ammenities.
The actor lives on the land with his wife Audra Mari and their 1-year-old son Shephard and, Duhamel’s 11-year-old son, Axl, who was from his previous marriage with Fergie.
When it comes to why he bought the land and moved away from Hollywood, he explains, “I make movies and TV shows, and I love it, I truly do love it, but I had this calling.”
He wanted “to go and really do things with my hands again — fix things, make things, and just do the basic things that we take for granted.”
When it comes to his home’s seclusion, he admits that it’s a needed break from the world of technology, especially how artificial intelligence (AI) tends to “scare” him. While many may see his cabin as part of an apocalyptic safehold, he explains it’s something more.
“But the truth is, yes, people want to call it a doomsday prepper thing, but it’s really not that,” he explains. “I’m really more of a guy who wants to stay true to my roots, get back to the basics, hone whatever basic skills I need.”
“I don’t think that we’re in any dire situation that we have to worry about prepping for doomsday, but it is good to have some of those skills,” he added.
Duhamel currently stars in the Netflix series Ransom Canyon, which was renewed for a second season in June 2025. He also stars in the 2025 action movie Off the Grid.
