Paramount Network’s Yellowstone became a worldwide hit after it landed on screens in 2018 and while the family drama revolved around the Duttons, fan-favourite Rip Wheeler (played by Cole Hauser) joined the business as a youngster. With Rip becoming a huge part of the family by marrying Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), Kevin revealed the real reason his character wanted Rip to move in with him.
Rip made his first appearance on screens during the pilot episode of the show as a ranch hand at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
Throughout the series, viewers had an insight into Rip’s unsettling childhood and upbringing with a number of flashbacks.
These revealed his traumatic experiences which included his father killing his mother, while his younger brother lay dead.
When he had regained consciousness, it was too late to save the other lives so he took a pan and cracked his father’s skill, which ultimately killed him.
When a sheriff found the youngster sleeping in a hayloft, he had a word with John Dutton (Kevin Costner) who then adopted Rip into the family ranch.
This is when he discovered his love for Beth, with a mutual attraction the two began to pursue a relationship and eventually married in season four.
After growing up at the ranch house Rip became extremely loyal to John and would even handle John’s enemies through any means necessary.
Therefore, the patriarch had accepted Rip into his family and in season four he asked the ranch hand to move in.
According to Hauser, Rip found the idea of living with John, who was his boss and father-in-law “a little stressful and uncomfortable.”
The actor added: “The idea of living in that mansion on a hill has never been in his future, this is a guy who’s eaten by himself for 30 years, I think it’s a bit overwhelming.”
However this was of great importance to John, Costner revealed: “John Dutton does want his family under the same roof, it’s important to him, he says as much.”
During the episode titled ‘No Kindness for the Coward,’ Dutton asked Rip by saying: “You know the lodge is where family belongs,” after Rip’s blank stare he added, “didn’t sound like a question did it.”
Which led Rip to respond with: “I mean you asking us to come live up here.”
With his engagement to John’s daughter, he believed it was the perfect time to ask his right-hand man to move into the family home.
However, the move also appeared to take a toll on Beth, who ended up storming off from the dinner table after her mention of a prostate ruined the family dinner.
According to actress Kelly Reilly, Beth couldn’t: “stand the pretence of what we’re not, “ and thankfully she was eventually calmed down by Rip
The couple had also moved in with their newly adopted son Carter (Finn Little) who had been taken in by Beth after his father died at the hospital.
In the season four finale, viewers also got to see Beth and Rip’s unorthodox wedding which took audiences by surprise.
She had stormed into the ranch wearing a gold dress, with a priest she had kidnapped and demanded everyone went outside to witness her wedding to Rip.
Thankfully for fans season five has been given the green light, so they will soon be able to see how Rip and Beth will cope living under the same roof as John.