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New York Times
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
In ‘Ransom Canyon,' Minka Kelly Enjoys the Ride
There were times when Minka Kelly assumed that her acting career was over. Kelly, 44, had never planned on becoming an actress. Before breaking out in her mid-20s as the sassy cheerleader Lyla Garrity in the football weeper 'Friday Night Lights,' she worked as a scrub nurse. A decade ago, during a slow period, she graduated from culinary school. So later, when fallow months turned into fallow years, she would tell herself this was fine. If Hollywood had finished with her, she would survive it. But recently, having published a sensitive, unsparing memoir, 'Tell Me Everything,' a New York Times best seller, Kelly found herself again in demand. An offer came for 'Ransom Canyon,' a Netflix neo-western series with romance elements. Kelly would fill the cowboy boots of Quinn O'Grady, a concert pianist who runs a dance hall in the Texas Hill Country. Quinn's enthusiasms include soap making, love triangles, looking wistful in prairie skirts. Kelly didn't think a romantic lead would be available to a woman in her 40s. But it was. And audiences have been enthusiastic: 'Ransom Canyon,' based on the novel by Jodi Thomas, has been one of Netflix's most popular shows since it debuted last week. And there is also more to come. After Kelly finished shooting 'Ransom Canyon' in June, she flew to Paris to film her first romantic comedy, 'Champagne Problems.' That movie will debut in November, also on Netflix. 'I've gotten to a place in my life where I am my best, and now the best thing has happened,' she said. This was on a morning in mid-April, and Kelly was seated at the counter of Wick and Pour, a candle-making studio in Manhattan's West Village. (Why candle making? Quinn makes soap. This felt close enough.) Diligently, Kelly poured a lavender and sage candle, then added a spoonful of glitter. 'I love using my hands,' she said. Kelly is, as the creator of 'Ranson Canyon,' April Blair, said in a recent interview, 'one of the most beautiful women in the business, if not the planet.' But that morning, dressed down in a white sweatshirt, she wore it casually. Soft-voiced and peaceable, she radiates a preternatural warmth and sympathy, a gratitude journal in human form. That gratitude is hard-won. Kelly endured a turbulent childhood, which she details in 'Tell Me Everything.' Maybe it's a coincidence that roles like these are coming to her only now that she has reconciled herself to her past. Or, she sometimes thinks, this could be the universe rewarding her. 'Maybe I've suffered my whole life so that now in this part of my life I can enjoy it,' Kelly said. In her first decade in the business, Kelly rarely discussed that past. 'I thought it made me bad or unlovable or different or damaged,' she said. The daughter of a single mother who often supported herself as an exotic dancer, Kelly had a childhood that was itinerant and often unstable. As she recounts in her memoir, she watched her mother struggle with drugs and alcohol, and they were both physically abused by her mother's long-term partner. By her senior year in high school, Kelly was living alone in an Albuquerque apartment that she had paid for partly by performing in a peep show. After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to be near her birth father, a guitarist who had once played with Aerosmith. She worked a series of low-wage jobs, and then with the support of a family friend who had married a sex doll magnate, she put herself through nursing school. She had also been scouted as a model, so for a while she spent her mornings in operating rooms, her afternoons at castings. Those castings landed her a commercial agent. Commercials brought her bit parts. Bit parts got her an audition for 'Friday Night Lights.' She was cast as Lyla, a rich girl with an easy, pony-tailed beauty. Back then she had little formal training. Before emotional scenes, she would put headphones on and dig deep into her own pain. This was good for the camera, and in some ways it was good for her, too. Here, she could peel away her self-protection. 'The peeling is what's addicting to me,' she said of acting. 'The exposure and the rawness and the vulnerability.' Zach Gilford was a co-star in those days. He could see how much of herself Kelly poured into her character. 'She's just so honest,' Gilford said. 'I don't think I've ever seen her lie. I don't think she knows how.' Slowly, role by role, Kelly developed a mellower process — imagining herself into a character's circumstances rather than drawing on her own life. She had an arc on 'Parenthood' and a short stint on 'Euphoria.' She shot two episodes of 'Drunk History.' The actress Leighton Meester, who has known Kelly since their days doing commercials and later starred with her in 'The Roommate,' has watched this evolution. 'She's blossomed and grown and become even more wise, but she was always incredibly kind,' Meester said. 'She has always had this sparkly light.' 'Ransom Canyon,' which arrives nearly two decades after 'Friday Night Lights,' was a measure of that personal and artistic growth. Blair, the creator, had been a 'Friday Night Lights' fan. When she saw Kelly's name on a list of potential Quinns, she thought, 'That's the person,' she said. 'I want grown-up Lyla Garrity.' Kelly immediately saw the parallels. 'Like, this is Lyla 20, years later,' she said. She wanted that, too. The show would shoot in Albuquerque, where she had spent her teenage years, but now she would return there as an adult, a professional. And if the place unearthed difficult memories, that difficulty would power Quinn, who is, as Kelly put it, a woman still coming into her own power. Which is a nice way of saying that Quinn is pretty bad with men. 'The beauty of where I am now is that I can acknowledge and recognize where she is and have compassion for it, and so not judge her for not walking away from something that's obviously unhealthy and confusing and painful,' Kelly said. Josh Duhamel, who stars in 'Ransom Canyon' as the rancher Staten Kirkland, a great candidate for therapy and one of the men Quinn shouldn't date, appreciated how Kelly could elevate even soapy scenes. 'She really did the work and stripped it away and made it feel real and raw,' he said. For the role, Kelly spent up to eight hours each day practicing piano, and she learned how to adjust her riding to a Western saddle. ('They are such majestic spiritual creatures,' Kelly, who has participated in equine therapy, said of the show's horses.) She also spent time with the young women in the cast, offering to rehearse with them, helping them advocate for themselves ahead of difficult scenes. 'She's a mama bear,' Blair sad. 'She brings everyone in.' This care for others comes naturally to her. Extending that same grace to herself is something Kelly works at. When asked why she thought a rom-com hadn't come her way before 'Champagne Problems,' she suggested she had always wanted to do one but hadn't deserved it. 'I wouldn't have been able to really have enough to offer before,' she said. Then she gently corrected herself. 'No,' she added. 'That's still my unhealed parts talking.' Kelly has always had plenty to offer: sass, vulnerability, that sparkly light. She used to think that wasn't sufficient, or that acting wasn't really acting unless she tortured herself. Now, having starred in the top show on Netflix, she is trying to know better. She decorated her candle with golden calendula and blue cornflowers, then sat back to admire it. 'It's OK to be joyful,' she said.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Ransom Canyon': Minka Kelly, Josh Duhamel heat up Netflix's new Western romance drama
If you're a fan of Virgin River, Ransom Canyon should definitely be your next Netflix watch, starring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly. Based on the book series by Jodi Thomas, with the show created, written and executive produced by April Blair (All American, Wednesday), it's centred around ranching family dynasties in Texas, navigating how to maintain their legacy, while managing grief and a few love stories along the way. Duhamel plays rancher Staten Kirkland, whose wife died a year before we meet him on the show, and in the first episode he unfortunately looses his son as well. But it seems like his friendship with Quinn O'Grady (Kelly) could be heating up, with Staten maybe opening up his heart to love again. But he now walks through life with a cloud of devastating grief that's hard to break through. "You have to kind of go there to really sort of pull this off," Duhamel told Yahoo Canada. "But I will say that it is also cathartic in a lot of ways, because as an actor, you have to go to places you wouldn't otherwise go, and I think that to work through some of those things and, ... without having to actually go through it, you have to try to put yourself into that position, which I think makes you a little bit more empathetic." "I didn't want the whole character to be working from that place. He's covering for it, but it was a great, ... I think, to start ... the series in that emotional place." While there is a lot of attention on Quinn's love life, with an obvious connection to Staten, while his brother-in-law, Davis Collins (Eoin Macken), is also pursuing her, there's also a satisfying exploration of Quinn's relationship with her friend Ellie, played by Marianly Tejada. While Quinn was advancing in her career as an impressive concert pianist in New York, she returned to her hometown and opened a dance hall, bringing on her friend Ellie to help keep the place running, particularly amid financial concerns. "I think that's one of the great things about April Blair at the helm is just making sure that it's a full and real experience," Kelly said. "And it is important to show female friendships and work dynamics and supporting each other, and giving each other grace ... and loving each other, as opposed to having to be in competition with each other." "Female characters on shows don't always have to be in conflict. They can love each other and take care of each other, and I love that." But anyone who's a fan of Kelly, maybe from her beloved role as Lyla Garrity in Friday Night Lights, or others, would have ran to pick up her beautiful memoir, Tell Me Everything, released last year. In her memoir Kelly opened up about her upbringing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The book actually stars with Kelly recalling performing in a peep show at an adult-video store in the city, and goes on to share information about toxic relationships and complex family dynamics throughout her life. Now having spent six months in Albuquerque to film Ransom Canyon, Kelly admitted it was "intimidating," but ultimately a positive experience for her. "It was pretty surreal to go back there in this way," Kelly said. "I'd gone back a couple of times, and it was pretty emotional, and so going back for six months ... was a little intimidating, I will say." "But being there again and seeing it through adult eyes, I was able to see it really isn't the boogeyman I thought it would be. ... After the book, then this happens, and then to just really be able to put a bow on that whole story was really magical. ... This place is so beautiful. The sunsets are so beautiful, the mountains and the food. I was so excited to eat that Hatch green chile again, it took me right back to the happiest parts of my childhood."
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Ransom Canyon': Minka Kelly, Josh Duhamel on filming romance drama in Albuquerque, New Mexico
A new Western romance drama has landed on Netflix, Ransom Canyon, created, written and executive produced by April Blair. Set in a close-knit community in Texas, the series is about ranching families protecting their legacy, while also having their own love stories along the way. Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly spoke to Yahoo Canada about the grief that Duhamel's character, Staten Kirkland, has after the loss of his son, shortly after the death of his wife. And Kelly talked about filming the show in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a place connected to her upbringing, documented in her memoir "Tell Me Everything." In Ransom Canyon. Everyone's running from something. We're running to something. Josh, I want to start with you because your character faces, I think, like one of the most devastating losses. I think losing a child is like number one on the list of like traumatic potential events. Um, and because you're a father yourself, what's it like to have to put yourself into that headspace of someone who has to kind of carry that grief. It's a great question. Wow, um, you know, I, I, it is, it, it's, and you have to kind of go there to to really sort of Pull this off and um but I will say that it is also cathartic in a lot of ways because as an actor you have to go to places you wouldn't otherwise go and I think that to work through some of those things and to like deal with it and try to you know put yourself gives you perspective on it in some way having I mean without having to actually go through it you have to. Try to put yourself into that position which I think makes you a little bit more empathetic, uh, and in a scene it makes you sort of there and you're kind of working from that place and I think I didn't want the whole character to be working from that place he's covering for it. But it was a great place, I think, to start. Mina for you, um, you, I have to say, gave us like the most brilliant memoir ever. It's one of my favorites, but um, as someone who read it and for all of us who read it and loved it, what was it like to be able to go back to Albuquerque and to actually work there in that capacity? Thank you for asking that. It was pretty surreal to go back there in this way. I, I'd gone back a couple of times and it was pretty emotional and so going back for 6 months to live was a little intimidating, I will say, but you know, being there again and seeing it through adult eyes I was able to see it really isn't the boogeyman I thought it would be and it was such a beautiful way to sort of. You know, after the book then this happens and then to just really be able to put a bow on that whole story was, was really magical and uh uh like you know a real real evidence of, you know, when they, when they say the stars all align it just was. Do you have a better perspective on on Albuquerque now than you did. Before you went there to shoot this. Oh gosh, you know, you're just like, wow, you're able to see like this place is so beautiful. The sunsets are so beautiful, the mountains and the food. I was so excited to eat that hatch green chili again it took me right back to like the happiest parts of my childhood. I think obviously the kind of will they will they romances and where your character is gonna go is a big part of the story, but I think what I really loved is the friendship that she has, and you get to see the kind of evolution of her female friendships and what it's like to be in a professional setting and have to work together and have to survive. What was it like to be in a project that kind of gave breath to that part of her story? It wasn't necessarily all about what was happening to her romantically, even though we loved watching that too. I love that, yeah, no way. That's what, you know, I think. That's one of the great things about April Blair at the helm is just making sure that it's a full in real experience and and it is important to show female friendships and work dynamics and supporting each other and you know giving each other grace and. Supporting each other and loving each other as opposed to having to be in competition with each other or you know it doesn't, you know, female characters on shows don't always have to be in conflict. They can they can love each other and take care of each other and I love that. All of that while still secretly pining over statin. Or not so secretly.
Asharq Al-Awsat
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Elizabeth Strout, Miranda July are Among Finalists for the Women's Prize for Fiction
American authors Elizabeth Strout and Miranda July are among finalists announced Wednesday for the Women's Prize for Fiction, alongside four debut novelists exploring the search for freedom in different countries and cultures. Pulitzer Prize winner Strout's Maine-set mystery novel 'Tell Me Everything' and writer'-filmmaker July's 'All Fours,' in which a 'semi-famous artist' seeks a new life, are shortlisted for the 30,000 pound ($39,000) prize. It's open to female English-language writers from any country. The contenders also include Dutch writer Yael van der Wouden's postwar story 'The Safekeep' and German-born poet Aria Aber's novel 'Good Girl,' about a teenager exploring her dual German-Afghan heritage. Also on the list are Iran-born writer Sanam Mahloudji's intergenerational family saga 'The Persians,' and 'Fundamentally' by Britain's Nussaibah Younis, about an academic trying to rehabilitate women caught up with ISIS, The AP news reported. Author Kit de Waal, who is chairing the panel of judges, said that the six books were 'classics of the future' that explored 'the importance of human connection.' 'What is surprising and refreshing is to see so much humor, nuance and lightness employed by these novelists to shed light on challenging concepts,' she said. Previous winners of the fiction prize, founded in 1996, include Zadie Smith, Tayari Jones and Barbara Kingsolver. Last year, award organizers launched a companion Women's Prize for Nonfiction to help rectify an imbalance in publishing. In 2022, only 26.5% of nonfiction books reviewed in Britain's newspapers were by women, and male writers dominated established nonfiction writing prizes. Winners of both nonfiction and fiction prizes will be announced on June 12 at a ceremony in London.
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The Women's Prize for Fiction 2025 shortlist is here – these are my must-reads in the running
The shortlist for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction has been announced. The top six novels include four debut authors as well as American writers Miranda July and Elizabeth Strout, all competing for a £30,000 prize. Founded to champion female authors and fresh voices, the prestigious literary award is now in its 30th year. According to the judges, each of the shortlisted books explores the need for personal freedom and human connection. These books explore a range of topics, covering cultural heritage, friendship, and sexual awakenings. 'Our selection celebrates rich, multi-layered narratives that will surprise, move and delight the reader, all drawing on, in different ways, the importance of human connection,' Kit de Waal, chair of judges, said. 'I'm in no doubt that these six novels will become the classics of the future.' One of the most talked-about books of 2024, July's novel All Fours explores a middle-aged woman's sexual reinvention and menopause. Strout's latest novel, Tell Me Everything, sees worlds collide as her two most beloved characters, Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton, meet. The rest of the shortlist is dominated by bold debuts. Yael van der Wouden's novel The Safekeep is a searing story of two women in the Netherlands after the Second World War, while Nussaibah Younis' Fundamentally tells a similar story of female connection in an Isis bride rehabilitation camp. Good Girl by Aria Aber follows the self-discovery of a young artist and daughter of an Afghan refugee in Berlin, while The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji is a story of five women from three generations of a once illustrious Iranian family whose lives are turned upside down. Above all, the shortlisted novels put a spotlight on the female experience, from 1960s Europe to present-day America. The winning tome will be announced on 12 June, but you can make your own mind up by reading all six engrossing novels now. Here's where to buy them. One of the buzziest debuts of the year - and a personal favourite - Nussaibah Younis's Fundamentally is an entertaining novel about a brutal subject. It follows Nadia, a young lecturer whose research into Isis brides leads to her running a deradicalisation program. Newly heartbroken, she is thrown into the chaotic world of international aid. Nadia soon forms a connection with east Londoner Sara, who joined Isis when she was just 15. Exploring faith and friendship, radicalism and racism, and decades of bureaucratic and systemic corruption and hypocrisy, Younis is funny, thoughtful, and sensitive about difficult topics. With signature wryness, the celebrated American writer and director Miranda July explores female reinvention, sexuality and menopause in All Fours. It follows a 45-year-old woman who sets out on a road trip from LA to New York but ends up in an unconsummated affair with a handsome man in a motel room close to home. Three weeks later, she's thrown back into her married, child-rearing life, but is this enough for her anymore? July breathes fresh life into a well-trodden theme - how creative and sexual freedom is at odds with the traditional trajectory of a woman's life. Her protagonist breaks free of convention to have her cake and eat it, too. Hilarious and profound, there's a reason why so many women love this novel. Another absorbing debut, The Persians tells the story of three generations of women in a once illustrious family in Iran. Spanning from the 1940s up to the present day, the narrative is shared between five women, beginning with Elizabeth. The elderly matriarch of the family during the 1979 revolution, Elizabeth decides to stay with her husband in Iran and sends her two daughters, Seem and Shirin, to America. Elizabeth's grandchildren are split up; one of them, Niaz, stays with her grandmother in Iran; the other, Bita, is a law student who feels generational guilt for the country her parents left behind. Drawing comparisons to Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, it's a powerful story of one family and their country. Elizabeth Strout has been longlisted four times and shortlisted twice for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Her latest recognition comes for Tell Me Everything, which sees two of her most famous characters meet - a delight for her fans. It's autumn in Maine, and long-time Crosby inhabitant Olive Kitteridge now resides at a retirement home in the coastal town. She is befriended by the acclaimed writer Lucy Barton, who lives in a house by the sea. Striking up a special bond, the two spend long afternoons telling each other stories of the people they have known and the places they've been. Quietly beautiful, the novel explores new friendships and old loves. Aria Aber's debut Good Girl follows Nila, a wild party-girl and aspiring artist growing up in Berlin. The daughter of Afghan doctors who fled their country before she was born, she is grieving the death of her mother and finding solace in the nightclubs of Berlin. A tumultuous romance with a charismatic American author offers escape from the pressure of being the Afghan ideal of a 'good girl.' Exploring politics, art, history and shame in her journey of self-discovery, it's won critical acclaim. Set in the Netherlands, The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden is a story of facing up to desire and the past. It follows Isabel, living as a recluse in her late mother's country home. Her solitary life of discipline and routine is threatened when her brother arranges for his new girlfriend to stay for the sweltering summer season. With just the two of them in the house, Isabel's need for control is tested and the tension between the women builds to a crescendo.
