Ransom Canyon star Josh Duhamel reacts to being TVs next cowboy after Kevin Costner

Saddle up. Fresh off the heels of the epic Western drama “Yellowstone” ending, there’s a new cowboy in town, as Josh Duhamel stars in the new Netflix series “Ransom Canyon” premiering Thursday, April 17. When asked how he feels about being the next TV cowboy to succeed Kevin Costner on “Yellowstone,” Duhamel, 52, exclusively joked to The Post, “That’s too much to live up to! Kevin is the man.”He explained that he’s met Costner “several times, at the Pebble Beach Golf Tournament over the years.”“Yellowstone” wasn’t on his mind much while filming “Ransom Canoyon.” “I don’t know if I was looking at it like that.I just love this world.

I love the character,” he said. “I think April Blair’s an amazing writer and show runner, and we’ve got an incredible cast.That’s really what I looked at.

I’m not trying to live up to Kevin Costner’s [legend].”Similar to its Netflix predecessor, “Bridgerton,” the show is based on a series of romance novels.Set in Texas, the Western drama follows the gruff rancher Staten Kirkland (Duhamel), who is bitter and grieving after losing his family.

The owner of the local dancehall, Quinn (Minka Kelly), is in a love triangle with Staten and his rival, Davis Collins (Eoin Macken), but they also must fight larger forces that want their land. Duhamel has done a slew of action movie roles (“Transformers”) and rom-coms like 2022’s “Shotgun Wedding” with Jennifer Lopez, but “Ransom Canyon” marks a new type of role, as it combines action, romance, and cowboy fare. “I’ve never actually done anything like this,” he told The Post. “This is a guy who’s about family legacies and protecting the land, passing it on through the generations.”Duhamel has two sons: 11-year-old Axl, who he shares with his ex-wife, singer Fergie, 50 (who he was married to from 2009 to 2019) and 1-year-old son Shepherd, who he welcomed with his current wife, former beauty queen Audra Mari,...