Yellowstone is full of morally gray characters, with audiences fluctuating on who to root for throughout the five seasons since the series premiere. However, one character immediately captured the audience’s attention and hearts. Cole Hauser plays Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone, a ranch hand/hitman/loyal follower of John Dutton (Kevin Costner). Hauser gives an excellent portrayal of the character, with Rip quickly becoming a fan-favorite character due to his loyalty to the Dutton family and his relationship with Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly).
However, Hauser tells Town & Country magazine that Rip wasn’t meant to be so lovable. Initially, series co-creator and writer Taylor Sheridan believed his character would be seen as “f*****g nuts.” However, Hauser’s performance has received more than a warm reception since 2018. When asked whether fans’ response to Rip surprised him, he laughs, saying, “Yes.”
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Hauser and Sheridan could’ve been right in their initial assessment. Fans have seen Rip kill with strangulation, vicious fist fights, and using a rattlesnake as a weapon. His character may have the highest body count in the series, responsible for taking the Dutton’s competitors and enemies to the “train station,” never to be seen again. Despite his aggressive nature, Rip Wheeler is undoubtedly one of the most popular characters in the Yellowstone universe.
“I think it surprised Taylor [Sheridan] too. It’s definitely not something that was ever on the table, that we ever discussed. In fact, I think it was quite the opposite. [Taylor] was like, ‘Oh Man, people are gonna think you’re f*****g nuts. I wrote this scene, the way you kill this guy or burn this guy,’ you know what I mean? And for whatever reason it’s kind of worked the opposite.”
Cole Hauser Has No Idea When Yellowstone Will End
Paramount
Yellowstone is one of the most popular television shows, regularly drawing in millions of viewers when an episode premieres. The series has been running for five seasons, with no ending in sight. John Dutton recently took over as the governor of Montana, with the drama only beginning in some areas. When Hauser is asked whether he would return for a sixth season, the actor claims he has no idea what the future holds.
“Man, I don’t know about the end s**t,” he explained. “We’re doing alright right now. We shouldn’t be talking about the end. We should be talking about season five.” Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham lead the current season alongside Hauser as longtime characters. Fans can tune into Yellowstone’s latest season, airing on the Paramount Network every Sunday.
