In latest Western drama Ransom Canyon , Minka Kelly rides into the spotlight — not just on screen, but behind the scenes too. Starring alongside Josh Duhamel, the 44-year-old actress made sure her value was recognized when she signed on to play Quinn, a character entangled in a simmering love story with Duhamel’s Staten, set against the backdrop of a turbulent Texas town.


According to Deadline, Kelly pushed for pay parity with Duhamel, 52, upon receiving the offer to star in the series. While Netflix didn’t exactly match her salary to her male co-star’s, the streamer did significantly raise her pay to close the gap — a move Kelly described as refreshingly smooth.


“I didn’t have to fight very hard,” Kelly told the outlet, reflecting on the negotiations. “They sort of made that easy.”


Praising the streaming giant’s stance on equity, she added, “I think that’s probably one of the best things about working with Netflix, is that they’re very pro that. I feel really lucky to get to work with the company that does care about that.”


As for the show itself, Kelly hinted that fans will be seeing a whole new side of Josh Duhamel. “I mean, I feel like the whole world’s going to really fall in love with him all over again, in a whole new way,” she said, painting a picture of the actor transformed in full Western glory. “This is exactly what you want, seeing him in this way — cowboy hat, on a ranch, on a horse.”


With a compelling story, complex emotions, and a dynamic leading duo committed to equality on and off-screen, Ransom Canyon is set to bring the heat — and a little heart — to the Wild West.