Yellowstone stars Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler and Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in an image from season 5

‘Yellowstone’ Star Cole Hauser Is Excited For Fans to See Rip and Beth’s ‘Progression’ in Season 5

In the season 4 finale of ‘Yellowstone’ fans saw Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) get married.

by Perry Carpenter

Published on November 4, 2022

3 min read

Rip Wheeler has moved into the main house in ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5

The end of season 4 brought some big changes to Rip and Beth’s relationship. They took in a young teen named Carter (Finn Little) who needed a home, they got married, and they moved into the main house on the Dutton ranch. Hauser told Entertainment Weekly that Rip is extremely uncomfortable with the move, and these big changes in his life are “weird” for the ranch foreman.

“He’s moved into the main house, which is somewhere he’s never really been that comfortable,” Hauser said. “It’s a weird thing to think that John Dutton is actually related to him now through marriage.”

The actor teased that Beth is still trying to come to terms with painful memories in season 5 that she’s “having to acknowledge for the first time.” And, he acknowledged that Beth is fighting a more “internal” war, while her marriage is keeping “her demons at arm’s length.”

The way Reilly explained it, Beth is “haunted by the past, afraid for the future and fighting with all she has for the present moment.”

Cole Hauser is excited for fans to see Rip and Beth’s ‘progression’

Hauser and the rest of the Yellowstone cast are doing their rounds in the media to promote the highly-anticipated season 5. And when he stopped by The Today Show, Hauser once again noted how uncomfortable Rip was in the main house while sharing his excitement about what creator Taylor Sheridan has written, and what fans will get to see in upcoming episodes.

“I think it’s uncomfortable for him. Very uncomfortable. He would be better served in a barn,” Hauser told Today. “Obviously, we’re married, and there’s a lot of wonderful stuff that Taylor has written for us this year. And I’m excited for the audience to see the kind of progression and journey of these two characters.”

‘Yellowstone’ star Cole Hauser reveals why he chose the role of Rip Wheeler

Hauser confirmed during the interview that he originally was going to read for the part of Kayce or Jamie Dutton — roles that ultimately went to Luke Grimes and Wes Bentley — during the Yellowstone casting process. But due to his longtime friendship with Sheridan and his co-creator John Linson, Hauser had the luxury of picking a role. And it was the character of Rip that really spoke to him, despite his limited number of lines in the pilot.

The Good Will Hunting alum revealed that Rip’s relationship with Beth was one of the factors in him choosing the role of the ranch hand instead of being a Dutton.

“I just knew with Taylor Sheridan’s writing and my style of acting, the premise of the show, the cast around me, that there was a chance that Rip would be a special character with a ton of different colors, and he’s become that,” Hauser explained.

“I mean, there’s a darkness to him that I love. But, there’s also this kind of passion and love he has for Beth. And I think that’s a really good juxtaposition as an actor to be able to play that. And again, it’s about colors. And I think Taylor, over time, has given me the ability to continue to play him and show the sensitive side of Rip. So, there’s levels to him. Which I love.”