The actress spoke out about her experience vouching for herself during negotiations with Netflix over her casting in the new Netflix Western series

Minka Kelly as Quinn in ‘Ransom Canyon’.Credit : Courtesy of Netflix

Minka Kelly made her expectations clear when she came on board Ransom Canyon.

The actress stars alongside Josh Duhamel in the Netflix Western series — which sees their characters Quinn (Kelly) and Staten (Duhamel) fight off long-reserved feelings for each other amidst upheaval in their Texas town — and she fought to be paid a fair wage as the show’s no. 2.

Deadline reported that after Kelly, 44, was offered the role alongside Duhamel, 52, she asked for her salary to match his. Though the streamer did not end up matching his salary exactly, the outlet reported that Kelly’s pay was increased significantly to lessen the gap between it and Duhamel’s.

Kelly told the outlet following Ransom Canyon‘s release that she “didn’t have to fight very hard” to close the gap between her and her costar’s pay. “They sort of made that easy,” she revealed.

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

Josh Duhamel as Staten and Minka Kelly as Quinn in ‘Ransom Canyon’.Anna Kooris/Netflix© 2024

The salary win aside, the Friday Night Lights star told PEOPLE that working on the series, which was adapted from Jodi Thomas’ book series of the same name, was seamless thanks to her seasoned scene partner.

“I mean, I remember we got together just to see what our chemistry would be like before we started shooting. And immediately, it was just like butter,” she said of her easy connection to Duhamel. “I’m like, ‘Oh, this guy, we have such an easy exchange.’ I felt so safe with him.”

“I remember texting him right afterwards going, ‘I’m so excited I get to do this with you. I feel so safe with you.’ And that really just continued throughout the series,” she said. “I just had a really great solid partner through this. And he’s so amazing.”

Kelly also teased that fans were going to love seeing Duhamel in the gritty cowboy role.

“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. “This is exactly what you want, seeing him in this way — cowboy hat, on a ranch, on a horse.”

Ransom Canyon is now streaming on Netflix.