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Brecken Merrill was only eight years old when he was cast in Yellowstone. The Taylor Sheridan series would become one of the most popular shows of its time, with Merrill’s role as Kayce and Monica’s son Tate launching his acting career. Many actors on the show have discussed being recognized and even mobbed by overly enthusiastic fans, but luckily Merrill hasn’t had quite the same experience.

In Yellowstone, Brecken Merrill and Finn Little's characters Tate and Carter stand in front of a shooting game at the fair.
Finn Little as Carter and Brecken Merrill as Tate in ‘Yellowstone’ | Paramount Network

‘Yellowstone’ stars experience getting mobbed by fans

Yellowstone has rocketed some of its actors into a level of fame that they could hardly have imagined. The series especially seems to have had this effect on Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler in the Taylor Sheridan series.

It’s no secret that Rip has captured the hearts of many fans of the show. Hauser has spoken about his personal experiences of being mobbed by women while out and about. While speaking with Outsider, Hauser described attending a rodeo in Texas with Taylor Sheridan.

“All I can say is thank God for the Fort Worth Police,” Cole Hauser stated. “Not to sound like an a**hole, but I felt a little bit like Elvis. Women—especially after they’ve had a few drinks… Well, it can get a little strange.”

Brecken Merrill doesn’t usually get recognized by ‘Yellowstone’ fans

Thankfully acting on Yellowstone hasn’t been quite as intense for some of the show’s younger actors. Brecken Merrill joined the cast of Yellowstone as Tate Dutton when he was only eight years old. Now at 14, he looks a lot different than his season 1 self.

Thanks to Merrill growing up on set, he hasn’t quite had the notoriety of some of the other Yellowstone actors. “When a season airs, I usually am grown by the time I’ve shot it,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “So, I look way older. I don’t get recognized a lot, but it’s cool. I don’t want to get recognized, personally.”

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The same might be true for Finn Little, who joined the cast as Carter in season 4. Little looked like a completely different person when the show returned with season 5. The actor joked about this in an Instagram post, writing, “When you say, ‘hi, nice to see you!’ to the film crew and they don’t know who you are!”

‘Yellowstone’ added more kids to the cast

At first, Brecken Merrill was one of the only kids on the set of Yellowstone. All that changed when Finn Little was cast as Carter in season 4.

“All of the seasons, it’s just been adults, no kids,” Merrill told ET. “This recent season, me and Finn have some scenes together. We’ve grown a nice relationship with each other. We’re good friends. We share the same music taste.”

Kyle Red Silverston has also had a much more prominent role in Yellowstone season 5. Merrill added, “Kyle, he plays young Rip, he’s also one of my best friends.”

Yellowstone Season 5 returns with new episodes this summer, 2023.

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