Actor Garrett Wareing is a born and raised Texan, making his work on Netflix’s Ransom Canyon — a romantic neo-Western starring Minka Kelly and Josh Duhamel — all the more meaningful.
“My grandfather was a rodeo clown and bull-rider, as was my great-grandfather,” Wareing tells PAPER. “I feel that I’m continuing that country legacy.” Playing heartthrob Lucas Russell, Wareing brought a deep understanding of Texas culture to lend his character a grounded sense of place. “The whole Texan lifestyle runs in my blood,” Wareing says. “[My co-star] Lizzy [Greene] and I both helped inform our writers about Texan culture and lingo. It was so cool to see Texan staples like Blue Bell Ice Cream, Whataburger and UT getting some screen time and shoutouts.”
In preparation for filming, Wareing and his co-stars were initiated in the ways of the cowboys via an intensive “Cowboy Camp.” “We learned how to rope on horseback, lope, wrangle cattle, and even care for our personal horses. Mine was named Boone and he was the man,” Wareing recalls. Part training and part group bonding, “Cowboy Camp” set the stage for a long shoot that would transform this cast and crew into a family. “Ransom Canyon changed my life. And that is because of the people that made Ransom Canyon,” he shares.
Wareing chatted with PAPER about some of the most special moments from a life-changing shoot in his home state, from learning the art of the lasso to hot days under the Texas sun.
You went through “Cowboy Camp” in preparation for this role. What was that experience like for you?
The cast all got to participate in Cowboy Camp together every day for two to three months before we started shooting. It was so cool. We learned how to be real cowboys, not just play them on TV. We learned how to rope on horseback, lope, wrangle cattle, and even care for our personal horses. Mine was named Boone and he was the man. It was the best bonding experience we could’ve hoped for as a cast and it trained me to be the cowboy I always wanted to be. The coolest part was learning how to hit marks on horseback and ride in tandem with our co-stars while still being able to do dialog. And I don’t mean to brag, but I sure was the best one with a rope.
You’re from Texas originally. What was it like to be a part of a show set in your home state?
Born and raised Texan, baby! Lizzy Greene and I, both. The boots I wear in the show every episode are actually my personal Ariat boots. It felt so familiar and comfortable to be able to return to my roots in the world of Ransom Canyon. My grandfather was a rodeo clown and bull-rider, as was my great-grandfather. I feel that I’m continuing that country legacy. The whole Texan lifestyle runs in my blood. Lizzy and I both helped inform our writers about Texan culture and lingo. It was so cool to see Texan staples like Blue Bell Ice Cream, Whataburger, and UT getting some screen time and shoutouts.
What was your relationship to the Western genre prior to joining this project?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is what keeps the blood pumping through my veins. I’m not sure there has been anything I’ve loved as much as the world of that game. I love the country-western world and aesthetics and I think the romanticized country world of Ransom Canyon is a wonderful addition to the genre.
You star alongside Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly. What was your experience like working with such veteran actors?
What an honor to work alongside veteran talents like Minka and Josh, right? And how wonderful are they in the show? Minka leads our show with such talent and grace. Every time she’s on screen she is completely captivating. To be able to watch her work was, and is, awe-inspiring. Josh was always so kind and such a comrade on set. He was always down to clown and brought a youthful energy to every day he was there. We had a family like no other amongst the Ransom Canyon fam.
Is there one special memory from set that encapsulates this experience for you?
Ransom Canyon changed my life. And that is because of the people that made Ransom Canyon, our entire crew: costumes department, hair and makeup, camera, sound, our writers and producers, but especially our showrunner, April Blair. She helmed our show with the utmost goodness and kindness and it all starts with her.
One of my last days on set we were filming my big speech at Gracie’s Dance Hall for the finale and during one of the takes I took that moment in front of the whole crew, background, and our entire cast, to speak not as Lucas, but as myself, and express my true thanks to everyone on that set for what the past six months had meant to me. And I definitely cried. Others did too. Somewhere on the Netflix hard drives that speech exists. Maybe it’ll see the light of day one day. And when I finished my speech, I went right back into the scene and finished the take. That was a pretty cool life moment to share with everyone and be able to speak truthfully from the bottom of my heart.
What do you hope viewers will get out of watching this show?
I hope you all get to feel that little slice of sweet Texas life that we conjured on screen for y’all in Ransom Canyon. I also hope y’all can feel even a fraction of the love we felt on that set while making the show. This show is all love on-screen and off-screen — to have experienced that love has been the greatest joy of my young life. I hope you love it as much as we loved making it.
Photos courtesy of Garrett Wareing