‘Ransom Canyon’ Star Andrew Liner on ‘Prepared and Caring’ Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly (EXCLUSIVE)
The actor plays Reid Collins in the all-new Netflix Western series!
Netflix’s all-new western drama is already making waves despite only releasing a few hours ago, and viewers can’t seem to get enough of the drama that fills this Texas town. Starring Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly, Eoin Macken, James Brolin and more, Ransom Canyon follows the intertwined lives of three ranching families, all of whom are fighting their own unique fight—and in addition to familiar faces we’ve seen on our screens countless times over the years, a handful of promising Hollywood newcomers are also making their presence known in this exciting cowboy series.
While much of the plot focuses on the drama amongst those who run the ranches in Ransom, we’re also thrust into the lives of a few local teens—one of them being Reid Collins, played by Andrew Liner. While you might have caught him in Grown-ish or Vampire Academy, in Ransom Canyon, he’s showing a different side of himself as he portrays the confident, all-star football player who has it all—or so it seems. Beneath the exterior he puts on lies an emotional teen with a secret, and viewers will just have to tune in on Netflix to find out what that is.
In an exclusive interview with Woman’s World, Liner dishes on his character and what it was like working with Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly.
Andrew Liner on his connection to Reid
While Liner might not share the arrogance his character initially possesses, he approached the role with honesty and by tapping into the parts of Reid he could relate to, he shared with Woman’s World.
“I was quarterback in high school,” revealed the actor. “I’ve been around kids who are overconfident or cocky or whatnot—and I think there’s a part to that that is honest and true in that you should be confident in what you do—but I’ve also been the guy that puts it on, that isn’t as confident as I should be, and I’m trying to put it on and act more confident than I actually am,” he shared. “It never actually goes in your favor.”
Without giving away any spoilers, Liner explained that his character goes on a bit of a journey that involves trying to find his place in the world—but not before he figures out his place in Ransom. “His dad is a very rich, powerful man, and his uncle is as well, in a different way,” explained the actor. In the series, Eoin Macken plays Reid’s father, Davis, who owns the Bar W Ranch. Meanwhile, Josh Duhamel’s character of Staten is Reid’s uncle. “I think that he’s trying to live up to this persona, and maybe he’s not ready for it yet. So, it’s kind of this stumbling along trying to figure out what’s good and what’s right, and making mistakes along the way.”
What it was like filming with Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly
For any up-and-coming actor, nothing beats working alongside the people you’ve admired in films and television for years, so sharing the screen with the likes of Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly was nothing short of surreal. “I loved Josh in Transformers. I was a big Josh fan,” Liner gushed. “And I was a fan of Minka in Friday Night Lights and Euphoria, 500 Days of Summer.” He continued, “And I think that for me, working with them was such a blessing, because I got to learn from them, and you also get to see like the stars that they are, how they act, and they are gracious and sweet and prepared and caring, and that’s what you remember.”
Liner recalled a time in which they were filming a scene at 5 a.m. and though Duhamel didn’t have to stay—the young actor even urged him to get back home to his family as Josh had just recently welcomed a newborn—the 52-year-old actor stuck around. “He pushed through with me on that scene and that meant a lot to me.”
Liner praised Minka’s kindness as well, saying, “I think that that’s the thing about them, that they’re very conscious and aware, and they’re very present with the people around them. And when you conduct yourself with a high content of character, that means the most to people and our crew felt that, our cast sure felt that, and our team at Netflix did too.”
As for what viewers can expect from Ransom Canyon, Liner explains that it differs from many of the westerns you’re likely to stumble upon on television today. “I think it’s an expression of how love and drama and family all come together in a tiny town,” he shared. “I think that something that’s different is Ransom Canyon is really a character. The town is alive.”
Tune in to Ransom Canyon, now streaming on Netflix.
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