Paramount+ hosted a Zoom interview with Dutton Ranch stars Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser on the eve of the release of the first season’s finale. The Yellowstone spinoff focuses on fan favorite characters Beth and Rip, and the new series moves the action from Montana to Texas.

In season one, Beth and Rip bought an established ranch in Rio Paloma and renamed it Dutton Ranch. Even though they’re in a new state and a new ranch, Beth and Rip still haven’t found a way to live peacefully. Dealings with the 10-Petal Ranch, run by Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening) and her sons Rob-Will (Jai Courtney) and Joaquin (Juan Pablo Raba), have put Beth and Rip smack dab in the middle of a new war, this time one that crosses the border into Mexico.

The following are highlights from the lengthy press conference with Reilly and Hauser, who’ve now spent six seasons as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. (There are a few spoilers ahead so make sure you’ve watched the finale before reading any further.)

On having to find their feet again at the start of Dutton Ranch season one:

Kelly Reilly: I think a new endeavor, a new show—it’s almost like by the time we were in the last few seasons of Yellowstone, I mean, we were on our feet; we knew what this was. We knew where we were going. We had an audience that [was] with us. And there was a sense of a ship that we knew how to sail. And this one, it was a brand-new endeavor that felt as every new creative endeavor should feel. Challenging and exciting, but challenging. So, there was definitely a sense of finding new feet for all of us.  And it’s like, how do you maintain the soul of something while also wanting to explore new parts of characters? 

[…] And we were starting a new terrain. So, it was definitely daunting. Way more daunting than Yellowstone was. It was very similar to the beginning of Yellowstone, the first season of Yellowstone. That’s the closest thing I can relate it to, I think. 

Cole Hauser: Yeah, I mean, just to piggyback off what she said, for me, you know, I think what was the most comforting is having Kelly and Christina Voros. You can take all three of us and put us on the moon, which is what it felt like when we got to Texas. We’re so used to Montana at this point. It’s such a character in our show and has become so much ensouled in these characters. And so, to bring them out of that place and to literally burn it down to the ground and start fresh is something that both Kelly and I, and Christina as well, and everybody, the whole cast, we just developed as best we could. And, in many respects, the show kind of imitates the characters and what’s going on truly with them. 

So that was a real pleasure. The other thing I would say that was wonderful is, you know, as much as this is a new show, Kelly and I have the ability as actor and actresses to look at each other and be able to really navigate together, which is kinda what Beth and Rip are doing throughout this process. And that to me was always very comforting. So, it was a new beginning, but in many respects, we got an opportunity to continue to build these characters that we love. 

On their characters’ evolution in this new environment:

Kelly Reilly: Well, for me, this went back to the fire at the beginning. I mean, literally that is figuratively the end of Yellowstone. It’s like it’s letting everyone know that we’re starting again. She says, “We’ll start again.” And out of the ashes, out of loss, is new life. 

And so, for me, I wanted Beth to wonder for a minute what does that look like.  She’s lost her father. She’s lost her reason for living, which was to fight for him, to preserve a legacy, to preserve a land. And now all of that is gone. Who is she? What sort of woman is she beyond that? And it was something I was always curious to leaning into playing. Who is she beyond the ranch and beyond her father?

Now she is a wife and mother figure, and she’s moving into matriarch. And that excited me. I knew the Beth of wild days. We all know her very well, and that hasn’t gone anywhere. But I was interested in finding the adult woman in there that could, you know, align with her husband in making a new life for themselves. And what do they want? So that’s where I was moving into.

And also, not having Taylor Sheridan’s words. You know, Beth was his, and I had to take her on as myself. It was like passing on the baton, really. And so with that, there’s losses, and there’s also things that I could get to explore that maybe he didn’t have much interest in exploring. So, you know, it’s a brand-new creative endeavor, and there’s something just so beautiful about that for us, yeah. 

Cole Hauser: You know, it’s interesting because he’s such a pillar of a man, you know? He’s so consistent in who he is. And I think, you know, the way we started Dutton Ranch, it just gets spun on its heels immediately. And it’s about trying to adapt to a new environment. Trying to cowboy, deal with the Hispanic culture in Texas, and be able to try to get along with them, their language, their land, you know? So being able to go and cowboy down there was just a feat in itself.

[Laughing] I mean, we talked about it a lot the last couple months, but it’s the heat down there. I mean, it’s just different. Everything’s different. You know, becoming a father figure in a way for the first time. And really, that responsibility … there’s always this great strength and kind of beautiful love between Beth and Rip, but they’re challenged. 

I mean, it’s a new world for me, a new way of trying to get along. And by the way, they’re not at the top anymore. They’re at the bottom. And that to me, again, it’s such an honor to play a character for so long and then get to a place where it’s like, “Let’s burn it all to the ground, and let’s start fresh, and let’s get after it. And let’s challenge these characters at the highest level.”

And I feel like if we can continue to do that into the second season, we’ll be—well, hopefully be—successful. 

Kelly Reilly: It felt the most authentic thing to do, actually, Cole. You know, I don’t think we were aware that that’s what we were doing, is like there was something bold and brave about going, you know?

Cole Hauser: Bravery. 

Kelly Reilly: Yeah. There was something about that that just went, that’s the only way we could start this, was we were gonna just wipe the slate clean and hope that in our own DNA, in our own mind of the characters that were in our body that live in our soul, that they’re there, and we’ve got one another. 

Cole Hauser: But that was a real reality too. That was an energy. I mean, that’s something that we live through and put on camera together. And looking back at it, I’m sure years from now, Kelly and I will be sitting hopefully on an island laughing about all the struggles and the ups and downs and the beauty of it too, you know? You can’t forget that, you know? Sometimes it’s the lowest part. As long as you have somebody special like Kelly there to kinda lift you up and just go, “Let’s keep f**king powering forward.” [Laughing] You know what I mean?  And that’s what we did together. It was a two-way street. 

On Mariano being revealed as the big season one villain:

Cole Hauser: There was always someone lurking, I would say. But I think what’s really good about the show and the way that it was laid out is that we’re learning with the audience versus they’re ahead of, meaning Beth and Ripper, anybody. And then, so, I like to call it walking the dog, and I think they did a great job. And we as creatives, all of us, did a great job of making sure that we kind of left people on the edge of their seat each and every ending of the episode, to watch with us and go through what our journey is.

And so, it starts with Ed [Harris] and the initial meeting that they have, which is fabulous. And then, you know, that brings us to Beulah. So the dots start to connect, and that’s something that I think, ultimately, the editor did a very good job of doing. So, I’m proud of that. But, you know, Mariano, there was something lurking towards the end where Beth and Rip are starting to sniff out this other world that might exist behind Beulah.

Kelly Reilly: But you don’t really see Beth on the back foot in any of Yellowstone, which enables her to maybe, you know, in this moment of just trying to just live a quiet, simple life that she dreams of with her family, be left alone, honestly, I think is what her dream is. Not to own a piece of land that everybody wants to take chunks out of. She doesn’t want to fight. But there’s that essence of like, well, if she has to, she’s gonna. 

And so, building up to that in the last episode of what it is that could be taken from her, that she’s willing to go back into warrior mode, it was fun for me to kind of remember that that was still there. And actually, that is, such an engine in her.

Cole Hauser: They’re so offensive characters, you know, throughout the seasons when it comes to Yellowstone. But to see them, like Kelly alluded to, on their back foot and playing a little bit of defense and trying to figure which way to run the ball … you know what I mean?

Kelly Reilly: Yes.

Cole Hauser: And I think that is what’s really interesting about season one of Dutton Ranch. And I think that that has to continue into season two, of course.

On the secret of Rip and Beth’s relationship:

Kelly Reilly: They’re each other’s only love. They loved each other when they were 15. They’ve never loved another person. They’ve never, you know, been romantic with another person. Like, they are each other’s other half. And so, in a strange way, it almost feels it’s a love story, like, out of another time and there’s a romance about them. And there is a “I’ve got your back,” and like I said, this mirror image of either, like, he is one side of the coin and she is the other.

And Cole and I love one another, you know. And we were given [five] seasons of Yellowstone written by Taylor Sheridan, and he loved writing for Beth and Rip. And he created such a love story from these fierce characters. But when they’re with one another, you get to see their heart. So, that was the gift, and we’re just trying to protect it now and expand on it. And who are they now as the adults, the patriarch, the matriarch of their world together? We know what they’re capable of together and individually, and we’ve just got to remember that sweetness.

She’s so vulnerable with him and he’s vulnerable with her. And I think people love to see that.

Cole Hauser: Yeah, I can’t put it any better, to be honest. I mean, the only thing I would say is that there’s this really beautiful thing that I always tell myself. It’s just love, honor, and friendship—if you can have those three things. And I think that they have always done that for each other. They’ve always been there for each other in that way, and it’s such a beautiful simplicity with a lot of complex things going on around them.

(Showbiz Junkies’ question:) Do you see a future for Beth and Rip where they don’t have to constantly fight outside forces just to survive?

Cole Hauser: God, that’s a great question. [Laughing] I would say yes and no. I think that we’ve talked about it a lot, Kelly and I; trouble seems to find them and it’s what creates great television and great drama. I think, ultimately, you want to be able to show many colors. And I think by doing that you have to have some kind of drama.

I think the endgame, one day, I mean, we’ve talked about this as well, is they get back to Montana. But there’s gonna be a whirlwind of shit before we do that, I think. So, I think that, to me, is sitting on a porch, the two of us, one day in this beautiful place that we love so much. But I’m looking forward to the struggle over the next few years to build an empire, to get what we want. And it doesn’t have to be this legacy, you know, this ranch. It could be a lot of different things that make them happy. And it could be, again, the simplicity of life too.

Kelly Reilly: And something they get to pass on to Carter.

Cole Hauser: Exactly.

Kelly Reilly: Like, as you get older, you start to think about what you’re gonna leave behind. And, you know, they’re starting to think about things that are different.

Cole Hauser: Yeah, they’re not spring chickens.

Kelly Reilly: Yeah, exactly.

Cole Hauser: They can’t fight forever, you know.

Kelly Reilly: That’s the other thing. Like, you know, with Beth and Rip getting older, not old but, like, older in the middle of their lives. And so are Cole and I. So, there is a whole new other playground.

Cole Hauser: Maybe grandchildren?

Kelly Reilly: Maybe. Oh, my God, Grandma Beth. [Laughing] Watch out!

Cole Hauser: [Laughing] I would love to see that one.

On playing Beth’s fiercely destructive and deeply vulnerable sides:

Kelly Reilly: You know, I enjoy polarities and complexities and conundrums in people in my life, and I really enjoy them in writing and great characters. I think kind of not letting her lean into caricature is really important to me. I think it would have been an easy thing to do. So, to try and just keep approaching the work with a level of seriousness and truthful intention, integrity. I think that I could then, you know, allow myself to just trust that if the writing is good, I could hit that ceiling and then go further, and then I’d bring it back down again. So, it has to be what is it when she is that fiercely destructive or fiercely protective. It has to mean something. It has to be for a reason.

It’s not just this sort of random, crazy character. It is usually because she feels like she’s fighting a war, and that’s certainly how she felt in [five] seasons of Yellowstone, to play her. So, now, putting the weapons down for a minute, it’s a moment of reflection and what do I want. What does she want? What makes her happy? And, honestly, the truth is him. Him and Carter and their little bit of land and making a go of it and having their farm-to-table. It’s just truly simplicity and moments of happiness. 

But yeah. I’m not afraid of holding different aspects of a character in her. I think that’s what makes her really interesting to play.

On welcoming Annette Bening to the Yellowstone universe:

Kelly Reilly: She’s a powerhouse, a force. One of the most beautiful actresses I’ve ever gotten to work with. Such a kind, fun, warm person. I think Cole and I really lucked out with having some heavyweights come join us in our little spin-off show. They made it legit, quite honestly. And her and Ed Harris, you know, especially going into a season two, it’s the four of us. We share our show with them and we’re in their world.

Annette Bening is so playful. She is constantly just coming up with new things. She’s an acting animal in the best way possible and you gotta be on your toes. You gotta be prepared and ready, and it’s exciting and thrilling. In my very first scene with her, I was nervous and I fluffed my lines and my first take. And I was like, “Aw, man, I’ve dropped the ball.” You know, I need to hold my own. But she was nervous too. So, once we’d gotten the first few takes out of the way, we went at it and it was like, “I can’t wait to work with her again.”

(Moderator:  And then, at the end of the season, of course, you’re staring down the crosshairs of a shotgun pointed in her direction.)

Kelly Reilly: But did you see how she walks off? She didn’t care. She did it with such class.

You know, when Beth’s like the opposite of Rip’s warrior spirit of going calm, Beth gets the teeth out, right? She’s like a f**king badger. She’ll take your throat out. And I love that fire of Beth, obviously, and when it comes out. But for Beulah to just walk up and she just sort of shakes her hair and she walks past me as if it doesn’t bother her at all, I just thought was perfect.

On what they hope’s in store for season two:

Cole Hauser: Well, we have some work to do, you know. And I think we all know what that is. I mean, getting our child back is key in the beginning. But, you know, I’m really excited about this new kind of adventure with Ben [Cavell, the new showrunner]. You know, I love what Chad [Feehan] did and he brought a different kind of game to this year. And certainly, with Ben, I’m looking forward to getting to know him—for him getting to know me, the character. To spend some time with him and really just pick his brain and not come in with any ideas of what I want. I want to hear what he thinks.

And we’ve had an amazing conversation, Kelly and I, with him. And he’s a lovely human being. I have friends that have worked with him for six, seven years at a time for S.E.A.L Team, Neil Brown. So, I got to know a little bit of how he communicates, how he works. And it’s just gonna be refreshing for Kelly and I, I hope. And, again, I look forward to it, and I don’t want to put any preconceived notions of what I want. I want him to be able to speak his truth, his mind, and go from there.

Kelly Reilly: I think Cole and I both have a competitive spirit. We want to deliver real high-quality entertainment. I think a season two, it’s almost like, “Right now, let’s go.” Now we’ve done the hard job of season one of beginning it and getting through that sort of birth moment of the show. Now, we can really get in there and get into some character work. That’s what I’m interested in, like getting back to the characters and exploring something and blowing it up even more. And let’s make it even better.

And I think we’ve all got some ideas about how we want to do that, because of the passion we have for the show and what it could be and what it means to us. This is not just a job. We really have cared about it, and why would we stop now? So, it’s a privilege and it’s exciting. And so, yeah, season two? Can’t wait.

Season 1 Recaps

• Dutton Ranch Episode 1 “The Untold Want” Recap
• Dutton Ranch Episode 2 “Earn Another Day” Recap
• Dutton Ranch Episode 3 “Act of God Business” Recap
• Dutton Ranch Episode 4 “Start With a Bullet” Recap
• Dutton Ranch Episode 5 “Peaceful Find Peace” Recap
• Dutton Ranch Episode 6 “A Cowboy Saint” Recap
• Dutton Ranch Episode 7 “Den of Sin” Recap
• Dutton Ranch Episode 8 “Whiskey Limits” Recap
• Dutton Ranch Episode Season Finale Recap