He said of his Taylor: “He’s such a talent. He’s a power lifter and he really takes good care of himself. We’re like, ‘Dude, you have to be soft and cuddly for this movie’. And he totally bought in.

“He’s a great athlete. He’s surprisingly adept at action – way better than I was. I pulled a groin just trying to sprint.”

Meanwhile, the Safe Haven star, who has Axl, 12, with ex-wife Fergie, and Shepherd, 20 months, with spouse Audra Mari, is thrilled he chose to build a house in Minnesota almost two decades ago because it means his kids can grow up away from Hollywood and enjoy a childhood like his own.

“You know, 16, 17, years ago, when I built this place, it was weirdly me almost reliving my youth, in a way. Because I grew up out in the woods in North Dakota, and for me to now be able to pass that on to my kids out there is great,” he said.

Duhamel said Los Angeles is “fantastic” but he thinks his kids will ultimately benefit from growing up in a different setting.

“It’s also nice to get them out in the woods and get dirty and learn a few things that I learned growing up.”

Earlier this year, Duhamel revealed he quit life in Los Angeles because he wanted to “get back to the basics”.

Speaking to People, Josh said: “I make movies and TV shows, and I love it, I truly do love it, but I had this calling to go and really do things with my hands again – fix things, make things and just do the basic things that we take for granted.

“I’m really more of a guy who wants to stay true to my roots, get back to the basics, hone whatever basic skills I need in this world of massive technology, to do the basic things to provide for my family. That’s really what it’s about for me.”