Josh Duhamel

Joshua David Duhamel ( ; born November 14, 1972) is an American actor. After working as a model, he made his acting debut as Leo du Pres on the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children, for which he won a Daytime Emmy Award, and later starred as Danny McCoy on NBC's Las Vegas.

Duhamel has ventured into film, appearing as one of the main protagonists in four of the Transformers films, most recently in the fifth entry, Transformers: The Last Knight (2017). He has also appeared in When in Rome (2010), Life as We Know It (2010), New Year's Eve (2011), Safe Haven (2013), and You're Not You (2014). In 2015, Duhamel co-starred on the short-lived CBS crime drama Battle Creek. He has also starred in several video games, most notably Call of Duty: WWII (2017). In 2018, he appeared in the coming-of-age film Love, Simon. In 2021, Duhamel starred in the role of Sheldon Sampson in the Netflix superhero series Jupiter's Legacy. He also portrayed the role of Jacob Lee in the 2022 survival horror game The Callisto Protocol.

Early life Joshua David Duhamel was born on November 14, 1972, in Minot, North Dakota. His mother, Bonnie L. (Bachmeier) Kemper, is a retired teacher and local businesswoman, and his father, Larry Duhamel, is an advertising salesman. Duhamel's family is Catholic.

His parents divorced during his youth. He was raised by his mother and stepfather, George Kemper. He has a younger sister and two younger maternal half-sisters. After graduating from Minot High School in 1991, Duhamel attended Minot State University and played backup quarterback for the university's football team. but dropped out one-and-a-half credits shy of his undergraduate degree. He later completed his credits and received his degree in 2005.

Career

Duhamel has stated, "After college, I followed an ex-girlfriend to northern California, did a bunch of odd jobs." He won the title of Male Model of the Year in an International Modeling and Talent Association (IMTA) competition in 1997 (the runner-up was actor Ashton Kutcher).

Duhamel began his acting career as an extra in the music videos for Donna Summer's "I Will Go With You (Con te partirò)" and Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle" in 1999. Josh trained with Scott Sedita Acting Studios. Later that year, he won the role of Leo du Pres on the ABC soap opera All My Children. His work on the show, especially his character's pairing with Greenlee Smythe (portrayed by actress Rebecca Budig), garnered critical acclaim. In 2000, he posed fully nude for Greg Gorman's As I See It photography book.

In 2003, he received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for the Special Fan Award for America's Favorite Couple in 2002, shared with Budig, and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Leo du Pres. Duhamel left All My Children in 2002 to pursue other acting opportunities. In 2003, Duhamel landed a primetime role on the NBC show Las Vegas, playing the head of security for the Montecito Casino, Danny McCoy. His character succeeded James Caan's as head of the casino after Caan departed the series at the end of the fourth season. The series ended in 2008.

Duhamel made his big-screen acting debut in 2004's Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, then starred in the thriller Turistas (2006). After watching an episode of Las Vegas in which Duhamel's character had just returned from the war in Iraq, Steven Spielberg handpicked him for the role of Captain William Lennox in 2007's summer blockbuster film Transformers Transformers: Dark of the Moon, released in June 2011, and Transformers: The Last Knight, released in June 2017.

Duhamel was the official pace car driver for the 2009 Indianapolis 500, driving the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro pace car. In 2010, he played the lead role in the film When in Rome as Nick Beamon. In 2014 Duhamel starred in the touching drama You're Not You playing the husband of Kate (Hilary Swank), who has the degenerative disease ALS.

On March 23, 2013, Duhamel hosted the 2013 Kids' Choice Awards, which was broadcast live from Los Angeles, California. He and his co-star from Safe Haven, Julianne Hough, performed a Safe Haven-themed showcase appearance via video on The Price is Right with Drew Carey.

In 2016, he starred as Frank Dunning in the Hulu science fiction thriller miniseries 11.22.63.

In 2018, he appeared in a Taco Bell commercial to advertise Mexican spiced fries with nacho cheese sauce called Web of Fries.

In March 2018, it was announced that Duhamel would star alongside Megan Fox, in the independent family comedy Think Like a Dog. In the same year, he starred in the romantic comedy-drama film, Love, Simon.

On February 11, 2019, it was announced that Duhamel had been cast as Sheldon Sampson in the Netflix superhero series, Jupiter's Legacy. The series premiered on May 7, 2021, and was canceled less than a month later.

In February 2021, it was announced that Duhamel would co-star opposite Jennifer Lopez in the film Shotgun Wedding, replacing Armie Hammer, who had left the project in January, following controversy concerning sexually explicit social media activity. In August 2021, it was announced that Duhamel joined Renée Zellweger in The Thing About Pam limited series on NBC. He was to play a defense attorney, Joel Schwartz, on this show based on a real-life crime story.

In early 2022, it was announced that Duhamel had been cast as a series regular on The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, for its second season, as Colin Cole, a former NHL player-turned-coach who runs the hockey institute.

On September 23, 2022, Duhamel's film Bandit, based on the best-selling novel and true story about The Flying Bandit, was released in theatres and on demand. The film received positive reviews with critics calling it a career-best performance for Duhamel.

Personal life

Relationships and family Duhamel met and began dating singer Stacy Ann Ferguson, better known as Fergie, in September 2004 after she appeared on Las Vegas with her then-band, The Black Eyed Peas. The couple married on January 10, 2009, in a Catholic ceremony at the Church Estate Vineyards in Malibu, California. They have a son born in August 2013. In September 2017, the couple announced that they had separated earlier in the year. In June 2019, they filed for divorce after two years of separation. Their divorce was finalized in November 2019.

In 2018, Duhamel began dating former Miss World America Audra Mari. The couple married on September 10, 2022. They have a son born in January 2024 and a daughter born in May 2026.

Interests and politics Duhamel is a practicing Catholic and attends church regularly.

On April 8, 2016, Duhamel posted a selfie wearing a T-shirt bearing the name of Doug Burgum, then a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor of North Dakota in the 2016 election. On June 28, 2023, Duhamel endorsed Burgum, then governor of North Dakota, in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primary. In an Instagram story, Duhamel wrote, "I don't normally get involved in politics, but Governor Burgum has become a good friend over the years and I can't think of anyone better than him to be our president."

Residence Duhamel owns two cabins in Minnesota. In October 2023, in an interview on In Depth with Graham Bensinger, he said, "And the older I got, the more I wanted to come back here [to North Dakota]." He described his lake house as a place where he "can get back to being who I really am."

In the media In 2012, Duhamel was inducted into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame, a signature event of Norsk Høstfest. On May 19, 2022, Minot State University named their Summer Theatre stage the "Josh Duhamel Stage" in his honor.

Other ventures In 2005, he became the co-owner of 10 North Main, a restaurant in Minot, North Dakota.

Duhamel is a spokesman for North Dakota tourism and has appeared in promotional videos for the state over the past decade. In 2022, Duhamel was paid $75,000 to become the face of the state's tourism campaign for the next two years.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2004 The Picture of Dorian Gray Dorian Gray Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! Tad Hamilton Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Male Breakout StarNominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Liar 2006 Turistas Alex Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Horror/Thriller 2007 Transformers Captain William Lennox Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Rumble 2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Major William Lennox 2010 The Romantics Tom When in Rome Nick Beamon Ramona and Beezus Hobart Life as We Know It Eric Messer Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Romantic Comedy 2011 Transformers: Dark of the Moon Lieutenant Colonel William Lennox New Year's Eve Sam Ahern 2012 Fire with Fire Jeremy Coleman Direct-to-video Planet Ocean Narrator Documentary Wings Ace (voice) 2013 Movie 43 Anson Segment: "Beezel" Safe Haven Alex Wheatley Scenic Route (aka Wrecked) Mitchell 2014 Wings: Sky Force Heroes Ace (voice) 2021 Batman: The Long Halloween Harvey Dent / Two-Face (voice) Direct-to-video 2022BanditGilbert Galvan Blackout Cain Shotgun Wedding Tom Released on Amazon Prime Video 2023 Buddy Games: Spring Awakening Bobfather Director, Producer 2025 Off the Grid Jack Guy London Calling Tommy Ward Not Without Hope Timothy Close Preschool Alan Also director. Filming

Television Year Title Role Notes 1999–2002; 2011 All My Children Leo du Pres Contract roleDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated — Daytime Emmy Special Fan Award: America's Favorite Couple Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Young Lead Actor 2002 Ed Richard Reed Episode: "The Shot" 2003–2008 Las Vegas Danny McCoy Main role, 106 episodesNominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout TV Star - MaleNominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor - Drama/Action Adventure 2004–2007 Crossing Jordan Danny McCoy 3 episodes 2008 The Replacements Himself (voice) 3 episodes 2009–2012 Fanboy & Chum Chum Ozwald "Oz" Harmounian (voice) Recurring role Unsolved Detective Greg Kading Main role, 10 episodes 2019 Veronica Mars Magnus Episode: "Chino and the Man"2021 Jupiter's Legacy Sheldon Sampson / The Utopian Main role, 8 episodes Love, Victor Jack Spier Episode: "There's No Gay in Team"2021–2022 Blade Runner: Black Lotus Marlowe (voice) 2022 The Thing About Pam Joel Schwartz Main role The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Coach Colin Cole Main role (Season 2) 2023Buddy Games HimselfHost 2025–present Ransom Canyon Staten Kirkland Main role

Video games Year Title Voice role Notes 2015 Skylanders: SuperChargers High Volt 2017 Call of Duty: WWII Technical Sergeant William Pierson Also motion capture 2022 The Callisto Protocol Jacob Lee Also motion capture