entertainment
i knew i'd seen kayce dutton somewhere before...
By Nakeisha Campbell
•
Published Oct 25, 2024
Additional reporting by
Marissa Wu
Paramount Network
It’s no secret that Yellowstone has taken the internet by storm ever since it premiered in 2018. The first half of the fifth and final season was embroiled in drama, both onscreen with the Dutton family and off screen with the Yellowstone cast (Kevin Costner was leaving! Taylor Sheridan was suing Cole Hauser!). But that hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm for season five, part two (coming November 10, 2024, per Paramount). Though the series is being cut short, thankfully, there are tons of other spin offs (1923, 1883, 1944, 2024, 6666) that will keep me occupied for the foreseeable future. (Pssst, as you wait for new episodes, you can live your best cowboy life by visiting Lee Dutton’s ranch.) But if you’ve already devoured all the episodes, chances are, you spotted at least one actor who looked familiar. Here’s who they play in the series:
- Kevin Costner as John Dutton
- Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton
- Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton
- Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton
- Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler
- Kelsey Asbille as Monica Dutton
- Danny Huston as Dan Jenkins
- Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater
- Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton
- Jefferson White as Jimmy Hurdstrom
- Ian Bohen as Ryan
- Ryan Bingham as Walker
- Piper Perabo as Summer Higgins
- Kai Caster as Rowdy
- Lainey Wilson as Abby
If you’re wondering where you’ve seen the Yellowstone cast before, keep reading for answers.
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1. Kevin Costner (John Dutton)
- Character in Yellowstone: John Dutton, the protagonist of the series and the owner of the nation’s largest cattle ranch.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else he’s been in: The Bodyguard, The Untouchables, No Way Out, Hidden Figures, Draft Day
Before taking on the lead role of Yellowstone, the iconic actor starred in countless successful films, like The Postman, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Bodyguard and Dances with Wolves, but he also dabbles in directing and producing. (Fun fact: With two Oscars, two Golden Globes and an Emmy, Costner is just one letter away from EGOT status.) Unfortunately for the fans, myself included, he exited the series after the first half of season 5, citing, as People reported, creative differences and failed compensation negotiations.
“I couldn’t help them any more,” he said. “We tried to negotiate, they offered me less money than previous seasons, there were issues with the creative…”
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2. Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton)
- Character in Yellowstone: Kayce Dutton, ranch hand, horseman and son of John Dutton. He is married to Monica Long.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else he’s been in: Fifty Shades of Grey, The Magnificent Seven, American Sniper, Brothers & Sisters, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
Grimes is best known for playing Marc Lee in American Sniper and Christian’s big brother in Fifty Shades of Grey. You may have also spotted him in Brothers & Sisters and a few episodes of True Blood. He also made his foray into music with a country EP, “Pain Pills or Pews,” which was released in October 2023. Grimes followed it with an eponymous debut album in March 2024.
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3. Wes Bentley (Jamie Dutton)
- Character in Yellowstone: Jamie Dutton, attorney and adopted son of John Dutton, with whom he shares a contentious relationship.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else he’s been in: The Hunger Games, American Beauty, American Horror Story, Interstellar, Mission: Impossible–Fallout, Ghost Rider
The actor attended Juilliard for just one year before he dropped out to pursue professional opportunities. And now, the SAG Award winner boasts a myriad of impressive acting credits. You might know him as Ricky Fitts from American Beauty, a role which scored him a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor. (The cast won the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.) Bentley also portrayed Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games, Doyle in Interstellar and Erik in Mission Impossible: Fallout—just to list a few.
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4. Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton)
- Character in Yellowstone: Beth Dutton, the only daughter and second-youngest child of John Dutton, who works in banking.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else she’s been in: Pride & Prejudice, Russian Dolls, After Miss Julie, Eden Lake, Flight, Sherlock Holmes
After appearing in comedies like Peaches and Maybe Baby, Reilly opted for more serious roles to avoid being typecast. Since then, she’s done movies that range from period dramas (Caroline Bingley in 2005’s Pride and Prejudice) and horror films (Eden Lake) to mysteries (A Haunting in Venice). Her portrayal of Beth Dutton earned her a Gracie Award in 2023. Reilly’s other accolades include the Chopard Award for Best Newcomer at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and a César nomination (the French Academy Awards) for Best Supporting Actress, both recognizing her work in Les Poupées Russes (The Russian Dolls).
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5. Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler)
- Character in Yellowstone: Rip Wheeler, the Dutton family’s fixer and bruiser, who is married to Bethany Dutton.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else he’s been in: Higher Learning, School Ties, Dazed and Confused, Good Will Hunting, Pitch Black, Tigerland, The Family that Preys, 2 Fast 2 Furious, A Good Day to Die Hard
Hauser left high school at just 16 to pursue acting full time. And now, the award-winning actor has plenty of acting credits under his belt. These include 2 Fast 2 Furious, the classic Good Will Hunting, ER and A Good Day to Die Hard. His 2023 ended on a dramatic note, when Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan’s coffee company Bosque Ranch sued Hauser’s Free Rein over alleged trademark infringement and false advertising.
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6. Kelsey Asbille (Monica Dutton)
- Character in Yellowstone: Monica Dutton, Kayce Dutton’s wife, who works as a teacher and professor. She is the granddaughter of Indian elder Felix Long.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else she’s been in: One Tree Hill, Pair of Kings, Teen Wolf, Fargo
The actress has come a long way since she starred as Mikayla in the Disney XD’s Pair of Kings. Aside from playing Kayce Dutton’s wife on Yellowstone, she also made a few appearances on Fargo. Asbille played Gigi Silveri from 2005 to 2009 in One Tree Hill. She has also appeared alongside Finn Wittrock in the horror thriller, Don’t Move, which was released on October 25 on Netflix.
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7. Danny Huston (Dan Jenkins)
- Character in Yellowstone: Dan Jenkins was an enemy-turned-friend of the Dutton family, working as a land developer in Paradise Valley.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else he’s been in: Wonder Woman, The Aviator, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, American Horror Story, Succession
For the record, talent runs in the Huston family. Not only is Danny the son of actress Zoe Sallis and director John Huston, but also, he’s the grandson of Oscar-winner Walter Huston. Plus, his nephew is Boardwalk Empire’s Jack Huston. That doesn’t even begin to cover the actor’s own career, which includes Wonder Woman, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Clash of the Titans and Succession. Plus, his 2013 performance in Magic City earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Color me impressed.
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8. Gil Birmingham (Thomas Rainwater)
- Character in Yellowstone: Thomas Rainwater is the chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock and head of the Broken Rock Indian Reservation.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else she’s been in: The Twilight Saga, Transformers: The Last Knight, Wind River, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, House of Cards, Banshee, Siren
Believe it or not, his original plan was to become an engineer. But after getting his first acting gig in Diana Ross’s music video for “Muscles,” he went on to appear in dozens of shows and films. Twihard fans will definitely remember him as Jacob Black’s dad, but other credits include Rango, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, House of Cards and Eternals. For his work in Yellowstone, Birmingham earned a 2022 SAG Award nomination with the rest of the cast for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
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9. Brecken Merrill (Tate Dutton)
- Character in Yellowstone: Tate Dutton is Kayce and Monica’s son.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else she’s been in: We All Got Up to Dance
You’ve seen Merrill as the teen Nicky Jr. in This Is Us. Now, he’ll be appearing in the forthcoming film, We All Got Up to Dance, which is currently in pre-production. The young actor will be starring in the comedy drama as a rebellious 13-year-old during the Vietnam War.
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10. Jefferson White (Jimmy Hurdstrom)
- Character in Yellowstone: Jimmy Hurdstrom is a rodeo-loving cowboy and sometimes-employee on the Dutton ranch.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else she’s been in: The Twilight Zone, House of Cards, Manhattan, The Good Fight, How to Get Away with Murder
After he joined Yellowstone, the actor starred in a thriller film called God’s Country, alongside Thandiwe Newton and Joris Jarsky in 2022. In 2023, White appeared in the thriller, Eileen, starring Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie. In April 2024, he appeared in Alex Garland’s acclaimed Civil War, which follows embedded military journalists covering the conflict in a post-apocalyptic near-future United States. Oh, and I should also mention that White portrays Sean O’Neil on Chicago P.D.
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11. Ian Bohen (Ryan)
- Character in Yellowstone: Ryan is a ranch hand and livestock agent employed at the Dutton Ranch.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 1, “Daybreak”
- What else he’s been in: The Dark Knight Rises, Pearl Harbor, Chicago P.D., Breakout Kings, Little Women
You might recognize him as Peter Hale in MTV’s Teen Wolf or as Lt. Mitch Anderson from the CW’s superhero drama, Superman & Lois, but he also boasts a lengthy list of acting credits, having landed guest roles in shows like Mad Men, Prison Break and CSI: Miami. Plus, he appeared in The Black Eyed Peas’s music video for “Where Is the Love?”
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12. Ryan Bingham (Walker)
- Character in Yellowstone: Walker is an aspiring country singer, ranch hand, former prisoner and current employee on the Dutton ranch.
- First appears in: Season 1, episode 8, “The Unraveling: Part 1”
- What else he’s been in: Hostiles, Crazy Heart, Jackie & Ryan, A Country Called Home
Before landing a guest role in the Western series, Bingham already had six albums, an Academy Award and a Grammy to his name—thanks to his popular song, “The Weary Kind.” He’s also known for playing Sergeant Malloy in Hostiles, starring Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike. Bingham’s latest album, Watch Out for the Wolf, was released in 2023.
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13. Piper Perabo (Summer Higgins)
- Character in Yellowstone: Summer Higgins, an out-of-state environmental activist from Portland, Oregon. She is the leader of the organization Free Earth. Higgins works briefly on Dutton Ranch after being granted clemency by John, who is the governor.
- First appears in: Season 4, episode 5, “Under a Blanket of Red”
- What else she’s been in: Cheaper by the Dozen, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, Angel Has Fallen
From Coyote Ugly to Cheaper by the Dozen, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 and Angel Has Fallen, Perabo has range. Her role as CIA agent Annie Walker in Covert Affairs garnered her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Dia Dipasupil/Staff/Getty Images
14. Kai Caster (Rowdy)
- Character in Yellowstone: Rowdy, a younger cowboy on the Dutton ranch who was Beth’s love interest when they were teenagers.
- First appears in: Season 5, episode 1, “One Hundred Years Is Nothing”
- What else he’s been in: A Girl Named Jo, American Horror Story, The Baxters
Kai Caster made his Yellowstone debut in Season 5, episode 1 as Rowdy, a young cowboy working on the Dutton ranch. You may recognize Caster from American Horror Story as William Banks (Season 8, episode 4), A Girl Named Jo as Henry Fitzroy/Jimmy Fitzroy and The Baxters as Dirk Bennett.
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15. Lainey Wilson (Abby)
- Character in Yellowstone: Abby, an aspiring country music artist and ranch hand Ryan’s love interest.
- First appears in: Season 5, episode 1, “One Hundred Years Is Nothing”
- What else she’s been in: “Lainey Wilson”, “Tougher”, “Things a Man Oughta Know”, “Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’”
Lainey Wilson may not have many acting credits to her name, but she’s far from a write-off. Indeed, Wilson is actually a popular country music artist, having snagged the 2023 CMA Entertainer of the Year award. (That makes her the first woman to win since Taylor Swift in 2009.) You may have heard her hit single, “Things a Man Oughta Know”, which hit number one on the American country songs chart in 2020. Wilson has collaborated with fellow country artists including Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Cole Swindell. That’s in addition to racking up nine nominations for the 57th annual CMA awards, sweeping five categories. She released her fifth album, Whirlwind, in May 2024. Wilson joined the Yellowstone cast in 2022 as Abby, ranch hand Ryan’s love interest and aspiring country singer. Per Taste of Country, Abby will be back for the second half of Season 5. Fun fact: Some of Wilson’s own songs have been featured in the series.
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Nakeisha Campbell
Associate Editor, News and Entertainment
- Writes celebrity news, TV/movie reviews and SEO-focused entertainment articles
- Interviews celebrities and covers red carpet events
- Has 8+ years of experience covering entertainment topics
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Marissa Wu
Associate SEO Editor
- Writes across all verticals, including beauty, fashion, wellness, travel and entertainment, with a focus on SEO and evergreen content
- Has previously worked at Popular Photography and Southern Living, with words in Martha Stewart and Forbes Vetted
- Has a B.S. in journalism from Boston University
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