MINOT, N.D. — Minot State University announced Friday, May 20, that its summer theater stage will be named after actor Josh Duhamel.
Duhamel, who is from Minot, attended Minot State for three years and was on the football team. He planned to go to dental school but opted to pursue an acting and modeling career in 1996. He later returned to finish his degree at Minot State.
University officials say the MSU Summer Theatre amphitheater stage will be known as Josh Duhamel Stage. Naming the stage after Duhamel is part of a $2.8 million renovation of the amphitheater that overlooks the campus.
Renovations started in October 2020, and the project is expected to be finished in mid-June in time for the 57th season.
“I am beyond thrilled to be a part of the new Summer Theatre at Minot State University,” Duhamel said in a statement issued by MSU. “This will further promote the arts in Minot and encourage the development of all the tremendous talent in our home state of North Dakota.”
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MSU spokesman Michael Linnell told The Forum Duhamel made "a major gift" to the privately funded project that received contributions from other major donors. Asked how much Duhamel donated, Linnell said, "On this matter, the MSU Development Foundation does not disclose individual donor information." Phone and email attempts to reach Duhamel through his agent were not successful Friday.
"When (Duhamel) toured our facility in the fall and we shared the vision for the future of the complex, there was an immediate interest on his part," Rick Hedberg, vice president for advancement and executive director of the MSU Development Foundation, said in a statement.
Duhamel most recently starred in “Shotgun Wedding” with Jennifer Lopez, as well as “The Lost Husband” and “Think Like a Dog.”
He co-wrote, co-produced and starred in “The Buddy Games." He's also known for his roles as Danny McCoy on the NBC crime drama “Las Vegas” and Captain William Lennox in “Transformers.”
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