Cole Hauser is speaking up about what went on behind the scenes of Dutton Ranch.
The actor, 51, said that reprising his role as Rip Wheeler for the Yellowstone spin-off was an entirely different experience than filming Taylor Sheridan’s original hit Western series — in part due to the fact that Sheridan, the franchise’s creator, did not join the Dutton Ranch’s writers’ room.
“There were challenges, you know?” Hauser said in an interview with Film Inside NYC. “Not having Taylor [Sheridan] there, for us to really kind of be able to work with these new writers, these new directors, these people... Everything had changed.”
Dutton Ranch was the first series in the Yellowstone universe not to be written by Sheridan, although he stayed involved in the show as an executive producer, according to Fox News.
Hauser said that the only “normality” he found in comparison to working on the original series, which aired from 2018 to 2024, was acting alongside his co-stars Finn Little and Kelly Reilly, as well as director Christina Alexandra Voros.
“I enjoy a challenge,” he said. “It certainly was a challenge. We worked our asses off this year. And I don’t think any of the outside noise or the thought of the weight of the show was really apparent at the time.”
Hauser continued, “It was about putting my head down and working my ass off with what I had around me. The new writers that we had, we had to figure out on our feet we had to perform and really tell a story, so I’m proud of what we accomplished. And I look forward to doing it again.”
Speculation about potential behind-the-scenes drama on the spin-off show has swirled after actor Ed Harris recently told Variety that he was unhappy with his role during the first season, which premiered in May.
“Prior to signing on for it, I was talked to quite a bit about what the season was, and what my character was going to do – and that I was one of the four main characters,” Harris told the outlet, adding, “And that wasn’t really the case.”
“I said, ‘I’m feeling underused and inconsequential’,” he continued. “I was just a little frustrated, to tell you the truth.”
Despite Harris’s complaints, the Oscar-nominated actor will return for the second season, and he said his character will have “a little bit more to do.” The Independent has reached out to Paramount and Sheridan for comment.
Season two of Dutton Ranch will begin filming in February.
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