“It excited my mind”: When Kelly Reilly revealed what convinced her to play Beth Dutton in Yellowstone

Beth Dutton’s fierce personality made her a fan favorite in Yellowstone. Played by Kelly Reilly, the Duttons’ daughter remained an integral part of the storyline across all seasons and became the lead after John Dutton’s death in the final episodes.

The character got so popular over the years that Beth is confirmed to be getting her own spin-off, along with her husband, Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser. Reilly’s iconic performance is one of the reasons behind the character’s popularity.

In a 2020 interview with UPI, the actress revealed what initially attracted her to take up the role of Beth Dutton in Yellowstone. Reilly said that when she read the script, she got excited to play a ruthless and violent female character, which is often not portrayed on television:

“I couldn't believe what I was reading -- some of the things that she would say and some of the things that she would do, and it excited me. It excited my mind. It excited me as an actor to climb into that character's skin and really figure out what that's about and how far I could take that.”

Kelly Reilly once talked about what attracted her to Beth’s role in Yellowstone

In her interview, Kelly Reilly also revealed that she begged Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan to cast her in the Western drama. She joked about how Beth Dutton actually needed to sort her issues, especially with her love interest, Rip Wheeler, and said:

“If she were my friend I'd be like, 'Get your a** into therapy and figure this out, so you don't mess this up for yourself,' but we're in a drama.”

In the series, Beth chooses a path of violence to protect herself and her loved ones. During the conversation, Reilly stated that several women have been able to connect with the character, which has made them feel empowered:

“I don't mean 'empowering' in that kind of 'woke' term, but more like claiming back your own integrity, power, and self-respect in a moment when someone is trying to take it from you.”

Across five seasons of Yellowstone, Reilly portrayed various shades of Beth with perfection. Throughout the show, the tough and smart woman fought against big companies, land developers, and even the government to keep the ranch safe.

Meanwhile, she had a rocky relationship with her brother Jamie, which blew into a war in the final season as the siblings fought to take control over the ranch. Meanwhile, her softer side was depicted through her relationship with Rip, and their love story became one of the highlights of the series.

Reilly will now reprise her role in an untitled spin-off show, which will serve as a sequel to Yellowstone. The show would be focused on Beth and Rip following the events of the original series’ finale, as the two start a new life on their ranch in Dillon, Montana.

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Yellowstone remained a flagship series on Paramount Network when it was on-air from 2018 to 2024 and led to the creation of several successful spin-offs. Apart from Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, the show starred Kevin Costner as John Dutton, Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton, Ian Bohen as Ryan, Kelsey Asbille as Monica Long Dutton, and Ryan Bingham as Walker.

For more interesting updates on Yellowstone, keep following Soap Central.

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