Fans are definitely looking forward to it.
Dutton Ranch is a spinoff from director Taylor Sheridan’s classic Yellowstone, but the new cast, including James Eddy, Starlin English, Marc Menchaca and Juan Pablo Raba, exclusively told Page Six that they never met the series’ prolific creator.
“But I’ve heard great things,” English reassured us.
“Dutton Ranch” follows Rip and Beth (played by Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, respectively) after the events of “Yellowstone,” as they set up shop in Texas and encounter hostile new neighbors, including Beulah (Annette Bening) and her fixer, Joaquin (Raba).
The spin-off show was created by Chad Feehan, who served as showrunner for the first season, and Sheridan served as executive producer.
Despite Sheridan taking a more liberal approach for the spinoff, Menchaca told Page Six that the cast had a good relationship, as Sheridan’s “trusted confidante”, director and executive producer Christina Alexandra Volos, “steered the ship” throughout filming.
During the interview, Menchaca also spoke passionately about what it was like working with series star Hauser.
“It’s good to work with someone who is so knowledgeable about the world and has a stake in the direction of the story,” he said, referring to the fact that Hauser is currently serving as executive producer. “He was a good shoulder to lean on.”
The “Ozark” actor, who has been married to “Game of Thrones” star Lena Headey since 2022, plays Zachariah, one of Rip’s new ranch employees who was recently released from prison.
What about training for the show? The actors all came with varying levels of cowboy skill.
Some had to go through a full “cowboy camp” to prepare their bodies for filming, while others, like the British, were born exempt from training.
“I felt very at home[on the show],” said the actor who plays the new rancher character, noting that he is a real-life cowboy who grew up riding horses and jumping rope. “Everyone involved in my life loves the world of Taylor Sheridan.”
Still, he worked with real cowboys to hone some of his skills and looked to another film icon for inspiration: “Robert Duvall of Tender Mercies and Lonesome Dove.”
Eddie, the new ranch lead, was one of the actors who had to participate in the intense cowboy camp. He told Page Six that his training included horseback riding while balancing an egg on a spoon, which co-star Jai Courtney was best at.
On the other hand, Raba is a fixer character who wears a suit, so there was no need for him to be violent outdoors. However, he told Page Six that filming Dutton Ranch was still a learning experience for him, as working with Benning was “like going to school every day.”
“Annette is a master of this craft,” he raved. “Sometimes I’d call my wife and say, ‘I got paid to go to acting school,’ because I’m on set every day taking classes.”
“Dutton Ranch” premieres Fridays at 8pm ET on Paramount and Paramount+.
