Josh Duhamel Unplugged: Survival Skills, Dad Life, and Graceful Aging

Off-Screen Hideaway Mirrors On-Screen Plot

Josh Duhamel’s new thriller, Off the Grid, centers on a brilliant scientist who vanishes into the wilderness to shield dangerous tech. Off camera, the actor has created his own remote refuge—one he never hopes to leave.

A Cabin Cameo via Zoom

Calling from a secluded Minnesota lodge with a giant American flag behind him, Duhamel swung his laptop around, offering a glimpse of the compound he has spent 15 years constructing. The tour revealed a sprawling lawn—site of a fiercely contested croquet “tournament”—just as a deer wandered past.

“Who usually wins?” the interviewer asked.
“Me, of course,” Duhamel laughed. “I built the course. Home-field advantage.”

Prepping for “What If”

The film’s premise resonates strongly with its star. “A guy who takes something powerful and disappears into nowhere—that grabs me,” he said. “I keep wondering: if disaster struck, could we really live off the land? Right now, probably not—but I’m learning.” His property has been labeled a “doomsday bunker,” a tag he meets with a shrug and a grin.

Finding Purpose in Handwork

Apocalypse-ready or not, Duhamel relishes the constant projects. “I’m fixing gear, inventing games for the kids, towing them on the jet ski, clearing brush with the tractor,” he said. “Being busy out here gives me purpose; I thrive on it.”

Lessons in Solitude

That hands-on rhythm echoes the isolation in Off the Grid, prompting him to ponder how his character copes without companionship. “I’ve been fortunate to share this place with my wife, kids, and nearby family,” he noted. “Imagining months alone—that longing for real human contact—adds a whole other challenge.”

A Lakeside Sign-Off

“Want the grand view?” he offered, stepping outside. The camera captured a tranquil lake, a grilling nook and the now-legendary croquet court—a fitting backdrop for an actor perfecting the art of living off the land while exploring it on screen.