The hit neo-Western series “Yellowstone” is rife with memorable characters, starting with high-profile star Kevin Costner as John Dutton, family patriarch and no-nonsense owner of the largest cattle ranch in the United States. Beyond Costner, the record-breaking Paramount Network show — whose fifth season will premiere this fall — has made a name for several other actors, including Kelly Reilly as bad-girl daughter Beth, Cole Hauser as her ranch-hand love interest Rip Wheeler, and Luke Grimes and Wes Bentley as John’s polar-opposite sons, Kayce and Jamie.
But Reilly’s feisty portrayal of Beth has easily won her the fan-favorite award when it comes to “Yellowstone” characters, with even Costner choosing her as his favored actor to share scenes with on the wildly popular series. It was a subject he expounded upon during a recent roundtable interview that included Looper at the U.K. launch of Paramount+ — on which all four seasons of “Yellowstone” are now available.
‘A lot of women would like to feel as free as Beth’
When asked to choose his favorite actor or character to perform a scene with on “Yellowstone,” Kevin Costner was reticent at first.
“That would be a hard question for any cast member to answer,” he said. “What I do know is that I enjoy the scenes that have been created when I come into contact with even people who are coming after the land, let alone my own children … I’ve been really comfortable with how I’m written.”
But the Oscar and Emmy winner quickly loosened up and shared how he loved sharing scenes with his on-screen daughter, Beth. “Beth and I somehow created this relationship where we can talk about anything — and sometimes it’s embarrassing as a father where she’s willing to go,” said Costner. “That’s great fun.”
He continued, “A lot of women would like to feel as free as Beth. I think [film and TV] have always allowed us to, in the dark, want to maybe be somebody else. And for all the things that Beth does that rub us the wrong way, there’s also a freedom that she has … and I think a lot of women would like to feel that free.”
Paramount+ is now available in the United Kingdom, where you can watch all available episodes of “Yellowstone.”