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The Last Word: Josh Duhamel
- Updated: July 25, 2016
Having made his mark on both the silver and small screens, as William Lennox from the Transformers movie franchise, and Danny McCoy from the popular TV series, Las Vegas, Josh Duhamel – also the husband of Grammy‑winning singer, Fergie – is undeniably a man of many talents. In his most recent role, the North Dakota native stepped into the cleats of former Expos pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee in his portrayal of the colorful southpaw. We sat down with the 43-year-old actor just a few weeks after a visit to Montreal to discuss everything from his latest flick to his on-ice allegiances.
What was your reaction when you were first offered the role of Bill Lee in Spaceman? Were you already familiar with his story?
JOSH DUHAMEL: Yes, I was actually quite familiar with the story of Bill “Spaceman” Lee since I’ve been a big sports fan my whole life. I used to collect baseball cards and all that kind of stuff growing up. But it wasn’t before I started doing a little bit of research that I really grasped who he was as a person, what he stood for, and what he’s gone through.
Was Bill exactly what you envisioned when you first met him?
JD: I didn’t actually get to meet him until about two weeks into the shooting of the movie and it wasn’t a very long shoot. I’ve read so many stories about who he was, and what he was like in Boston and then in Montreal. He was pretty iconic. To meet the man in person was just amazing. He’s one of those people whose mind is always working. He’s got funny anecdotes and jokes for each and every situation and he’s got some of the best stories you will ever hear. He’s most certainly a man of the people. He would show me how to throw different pitches and would even take batting practice with the team. He was just a regular dude who loves to socialize.
The story of Spaceman starts right after Bill left the Montreal Expos in the early ‘80s. Being a baseball guy, were you aware of Montreal’s rich baseball history before arriving in town?
JD: I thought I knew quite a bit, but I guess I didn’t really appreciate just how big of a baseball city Montreal is. The Expos had some really great teams. It wasn’t the fans’ fault that the team left the way it did. It came down to an ownership issue and money came into play more than anything. It’s really a shame.
You were in town for the games hosted at the Olympic Stadium earlier this season; do you think the Expos could make a comeback one day in Montreal?
JD: After attending one of those games and witnessing for myself just how much Montrealers love their baseball, it gave me hope that they can get a team back. I think the city really deserves an MLB franchise. I honestly think they deserve a team more than a lot of the cities in the U.S. It’s pretty obvious that some of those teams can’t get enough fans to come out to fill those seats. It’s similar to hockey in a sense. I often find myself asking, ‘Why is there a team in Arizona? A lot of people don’t even know much about hockey over there.’ The same thing goes for a lot of the Southern cities in the United States.
What did you think of Montreal in general? Did you have time to visit a little bit during your short stay in April?
JD: I finally got the chance to visit Montreal for the first time in April. I’ve …
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