Cole Hauser, known for his role as Rip Wheeler in the "Yellowstone" universe, has spoken about the "challenges" encountered during the filming of the prequel "Dutton Ranch" when creator Taylor Sheridan was not on set.
"Everything had changed," Hauser told FilmInside, referring to Sheridan's role as executive producer rather than a direct presence in the writers' room. "Not having Taylor there… the only normality that we had whatsoever was [Finn Little’s character], Carter, [director] Christina [Alexandra Voros], [my co-star] Kelly [Reilly] and myself."
Hauser described the experience of working with new writers and directors as a "challenge," but one he embraced. "It was about putting my head down and working my ass off with what I had around me," he stated. "We worked our asses off this year."
Despite the changes, Hauser indicated that the external pressures and "outside noise" surrounding the show's significance were not acutely felt by him during production. "We had to figure out on our feet how to really perform and tell a story," he recalled. "So I’m proud of what we accomplished, and I look forward to doing it again."
Season 2 of "Dutton Ranch" is anticipated to commence production in January. This comes shortly after reports surfaced regarding co-star Ed Harris's dissatisfaction with his role in the series. Harris, who plays Everett McKinney, expressed that he felt "underused" and "misled" about his character's storyline, claiming he was led to believe he was one of four main characters, which he felt was not the case.
Sheridan, the mastermind behind the original "Yellowstone" series which debuted in 2018 and ran for five seasons, also created the "Dutton Ranch" spinoff that premiered in May. He is also the creator of "Landman."