Minka Kelly Reveals Her Pitch to Bring Boyfriend Dan Reynolds Back for Ransom Canyon Season 2

When Ransom Canyon premiered its first season on Netflix, viewers were treated to a surprise cameo that blurred the lines between fiction and reality: Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds appeared as Billy Brinks, a charming cattle buyer who sparked a brief romantic tension with Minka Kelly’s character, Quinn O’Grady. Off-screen, Reynolds is Kelly’s longtime boyfriend, having dated since 2022. Given the chemistry and the playful meta-narrative, fans naturally wondered if the musician would return for the show’s second season, which premiered on July 23, 2026.

According to Kelly, she certainly tried to make it happen. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the actress revealed that she actively pitched ideas to the writers and producers to bring Reynolds back into the fold, hoping to expand the romantic complexities facing her character.

“We tried to find a way to bring Billy Brinks back,” Kelly, 46, said. “I was like, ‘Maybe the triangle is with Billy Brinks.’”

In Season 2, Quinn returns to the small Texas town after a six-month stint in New York City, where she pursued her dream of playing with the New York Philharmonic. During her time away, she began dating a new man, Oliver (played by Ben Robson), creating a complicated dynamic when she reunites with her longtime love, Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel). Kelly had envisioned Reynolds’ character, Billy, entering this mix to further complicate Quinn’s emotional landscape.

However, despite the creative enthusiasm, reality intervened. “Sadly, he was unavailable,” Kelly said of Reynolds, 39. “He’s a little busy.” As the lead singer of one of the world’s biggest rock bands, Reynolds’ touring and recording schedule likely made an extended commitment to a television production difficult to coordinate.

A Natural Fit for the Set
Although Reynolds won’t be appearing in Season 2, his impact on the set during Season 1 was profoundly positive. Kelly previously told PEOPLE that when Reynolds visited the set, the entire production team from producers to writers"just naturally fell in love with him, as you do."

“It’s easy to love Dan,” she said, echoing sentiments she has shared before about their relationship. The casting itself was somewhat spontaneous. According to Kelly, the producers asked her one day if they thought Reynolds would be interested in playing the role of Billy Brinks. “And I just was like, ‘Let me ask him,’” she recalled. “And he was such a good sport and down to play.”

Despite his comfort performing in front of thousands of screaming fans, Reynolds admitted to being "surprisingly nervous" during his filming debut. Kelly found this amusing, noting, “I’m like, how could you be nervous? With what you do? I guess it’s just a different environment.”

The Real-Life Love Triangle On-Screen
While Billy Brinks is absent from Season 2, the romantic tension remains central to the plot. Kelly explains that the love triangle between Quinn, Staten, and Oliver “wasn’t meant to be a triangle” in the traditional sense of indecision. Instead, it reflects the messy reality of timing and personal growth.

“She really wanted to move on,” Kelly says of Quinn’s mindset at the start of the season. “She was very frustrated at the end of season 1, and so she went to New York to fulfill her purpose and her dream... She meets someone else and it’s easy to romanticize this new shiny thing.”

However, upon returning home, Quinn is confronted with a transformed Staten. “She goes home and is, to her surprise, faced with this very new, charming, funny, silly version of Staten, who’s telling her everything she’s ever wanted to hear from him, and it’s just a little too late,” Kelly explains.

This narrative arc highlights the show’s deeper themes about communication and timing. “It just goes to show it takes a long time to learn how to figure that sort of thing out,” Kelly adds. “It’s something we can all relate to. Relationships are hard, and big decisions are hard to make when you want to do the right thing.”

While Dan Reynolds may not be riding into Ransom Canyon this season, his influence remains felt both through the memories of Season 1 and in the support he provides Kelly off-camera. As Ransom Canyon continues to explore the intricacies of love and legacy in the Texas Hill Country, fans will have to wait and see if Billy Brinks might yet make another surprise appearance in future seasons.