Josh Duhamel on Hollywood’s rising costs, life as a father in his 50s and the 'mindf**k' of doing it all

Josh Duhamel had been enjoying something close to a pause.

After stepping behind the camera for his 2019 directorial debut Buddy Games — a laddish comedy about six friends competing for a cash prize — he was in no rush to repeat the experience, waiting instead for a project that felt worth the return.

That project arrived in the form of Preschool, a sharp comedy set in the quietly unhinged world of competitive parenting.

Originally written for Malibu, the film ultimately relocated to London, a shift Duhamel describes as “a blessing in disguise”.

“Of course, nothing can shoot in Los Angeles anymore, because it’s just too cost prohibitive so we looked around and London was actually the most beneficial place to shoot,” he says, speaking over Zoom from his cabin in Minnesota.

“London is doing it right now, the UK is doing it right with making it really appealing for productions to shoot there, but for us, you know, creatively, it worked great.”
The move gave the film a new visual language: a collision between a “hippie dippie preschool” and a centuries-old institution with what Duhamel calls a “Hogwarts vibe”.

It also opened the door to a deep pool of British acting talent.

“I got access to some amazing actors and actresses there, which was, again, a huge blessing,” he says.

Among them were his on-screen nemesis Michael Socha as well as stage stalwart Fenella Woolgar and Braveheart and Game of Thrones actor James Cosmo.

“I mean, there's some of the best in the world… even not just my lead actors, but the day players that came in were just incredible.”
For Duhamel, directing remains a process of controlled chaos — one that demands both trust and a willingness to relinquish control.

“I'll be the first to admit that when I first started directing, what scared me about it was that I didn't think I knew enough,” he admits.

“I didn't know everything I was supposed to know, but I also knew enough to know that I didn't have to know everything, and that I could lean on people to help me.”
That reliance on others proved essential as he took on the dual role of actor-director — a balancing act he admits is far from seamless.

“If I'm being honest, it's not ideal, because I would rather be behind the camera, behind the monitors, watching every camera move, every performance, but then when you're in front of the camera, you want to focus only on that.

So, it's like you can't really give 100% on both.”
Still, he found a certain freedom in letting go.

He remarks: “I just tried to take it as it came, again, depending on the people around me to really help.

And just tried to make the funniest version of this movie that I saw in my head.”
The premise, two parents battling for the final spot at an elite preschool, is one he knows first-hand.

Having navigated the process with his children, including his 12-year-old son Axl, whom he welcomed with ex, US singer Fergie, and two-year-old Shepherd, Duhamel recognises the absurdity that underpins it.

“I couldn't believe it had never been done before, not like this… It's hilarious, just by nature.

I've been through it before and to see what parents will do to give their kid a leg up in the world, even at the preschool age,” he recalls.

“I have a two-year-old, who just went through it literally in the last few months… it reminded me of how crazy and how stressful it can be for parents.”
For all its satire, the film carries a softer undercurrent.

Away from film sets, Duhamel, who is based primarily in Minnesota, gravitates towards a simpler life away from Hollywood , spending time outdoors with his wife Audra Mari, 32, and growing family.

He reflects: “Running around, exploring the woods, jet skiing, tubing… it's just, it's such a great way for them to just see… a simpler life.”
That perspective informs how he approaches his children’s future.

While he wouldn’t discourage them from acting, he is wary of exposing them too early to an industry he describes as “cutthroat”.

The Transformer star says: “I would never discourage them from doing it.

I wouldn't push them towards it either… this can be a this can be a pretty cutthroat business.

And I think that for me, it served me well not to get into this business ‘til I was 27-years-old, because I did live that normal life for so many years.”
Duhamel credits working a series of jobs — from construction to hospitality — with grounding him and wants the same for his kids.

Adding: “This business can really not only freeze you, arrest your development in some ways, but there's a lot of trappings out there that can take you down if you don't have a solid group of people around you and family and friends that will keep your ass in check.”
Duhamel, who is soon-to-be a father of three, with a daughter on the way, is navigating parenthood at a different pace than he once imagined.

“I wouldn't have I wouldn't expected to be the guy who's having kids at 53-years-old,” he says of being an older parent.

“But I guess that's my story.

I wouldn't have it any other way to be honest, because I feel like I get to impart things that I wouldn't have been able to as a younger man.

“… I just have a little bit more perspective, maybe a little bit more patience.

I appreciate every moment a little bit more, because I've seen now Axel grow from a baby to 12 in a blink of an eye.

And so I really, I feel like I don't take for granted how precious it is and how quickly these years go by.”
And while the demands of family life are relentless, he insists his energy has kept pace.

“Hey, listen, I feel great.

I really do.

I don't feel like I have any less energy than I did in my 30s and part of it is that I have to be up and I have to be ready to go, and I have to be ready for these kids.”
Preschool is available to buy on digital not or rent on digital Monday, April 20 2026